If the center of a target is a bull’s eye, then the center of your decorative shelving design should be a well-balanced collection of decorative design pieces. Your shelving area is one of your most affordable and influential home décor pieces. If you are striving to find the perfect way to organize and plan your decorative shelves, then focus on these three key concepts: balance, harmony, and symmetry. Expertise in home décor begins with the simple understanding that design accessories need to be well balanced. Even eclectic and unique home designer trends focus on the primary elements of structure and balance.
For a harmonious shelving design that incorporates decorative appeal, you must choose shelving that correctly addresses the needs of the room. For example, a room with tall ceilings can accommodate a large shelving structure whereas a smaller room might only facilitate a one or two shelf design. To better understand how to decorate shelves, follow these three simple techniques.
Balance Shelf Decorations by Height and Weight
Shelf design is most appealing when it is balanced. To accomplish this goal, it is imperative that you balance the shelf with decorative items that are similar in height and weight. Of course, this certainly doesn’t mean that you have to match items exactly. Trends in recent years have shown that a more diversified approach is more aesthetically pleasing. For example, a wide candlestick on one side of a shelf could be balanced with a tall slender pot on the other. In general the height and weight of opposing elements should be compatible. Similarly, a family photo could be balanced on an opposing side of a shelf with a rectangular clock of similar size and shape.
Create Harmony by Blending Colors and Textures
Decorating a designer shelf is most effective when the items on the shelf are working together in harmony. The best way to create a harmonious shelf design is to blend the colors and textures of items on the decorative shelving unit. For example, a plant’s container can be painted the same color as one of the covers on a book that is also displayed on the shelf. Stunningly, this color should also be found in a room element like a couch cushion or a table accessory. Harmony is created when colors and textural elements are blended in an inspirational and eye appealing manner.
Solicit Symmetry by Paralleling Design Themes
Decorating shelves requires a commitment to avoid clutter and solicit symmetry not only on the shelf itself, but also in the room as a unit. Symmetry is obtained when the elements on the shelf parallel the design of the room. For example, a modern living room should host pieces of brushed metalwork as a designer shelf element. Likewise, a cottage bedroom should host a balanced compilation of feminine artifacts and floral accessories. Symmetry is a key feature to creating a decorative shelf that is inspirational and visually appealing. Decorating shelves is a simple and affordable project when you take time to strive for balance, illicit harmony, and entertain symmetry in function and design. Decorating a shelf can be a rewarding home decorating project. You can surely hit your target with home design if you take time to decorate a shelf in a way that is balanced and organized.
