It took us months to style our set of three shelves over our fireplace in our apartment, and while that seems like a long time, we are happy we waited to get them just right.

The thing about styling and home decor in general is that it takes time to make your vision come to life. It’s not easy to get everything you need right away, nor do recommend this from a financial or stylistic perspective. We’ve found that when you space out the pieces you buy, you end up feeling more satisfied with the final look. A lot of it is honestly trial and error and feeling it out. When you wait, you get a diverse combination of elements that bring together the whole look.

Our vision for these shelves were minimal, earthy and neutral. Because the area is built in over the fireplace we didn’t want to overwhelm the space with too many items. There is a decent amount of space between each shelf, which automatically gives it a minimalistic vibe.

Below are the pieces we used to style our shelves and where we got them from:

• Jars (Hobby Lobby)
• Vases (Hobby Lobby)
• Coffee Table Books (Amazon)
• Basket Tray (Hobby Lobby)
• Driftwood Branch (Amazon)
• Records (Amazon/Record shops)
• Wood Bead Garland (Hobby Lobby)
• Vintage Typewriter (Vintage)

Tips for styling shelves:

Stick to a color scheme.
This is something we have learned over the past couple years of living together and having our own space. Color is everything. When you stick to one color scheme, everything looks more put together and prettier. There were a lot of other items we had laying around our apartment that we could have included and placed on our shelves, but it just would not have looked as nice. Pick a few colors that go well together and start there.

Diversify your items.
While it’s easier to just buy the same kinda thing from the same store, it looks a lot nicer when you bring in various items and textures together.

Break up similar items into a triangular pattern. 
This is a new tip we learned when styling our shelves. Design experts will tell you to use the same item in a triangular pattern. So if something has a similar color or texture, spread them out and have them form a triangle.

Layer.
This is where the styling comes in. The easiest way to layer is to stack a bunch of coffee table books on top of eachother (of varying lengths) and place an item or two on top. It’s so easy and looks so good.

Take a step back and evaluate.
We did this a lot! Taking a step back to look at the shelves helps you figure out if you like how they look, if something needs to be slightly moved or if you should rearrange. This is what ultimately helps you accomplish your final look. Move things until they feel and look right to you.

Styling shelves may seem like such a menial thing in the grand scheme of things, especially with what’s happening in the world right now, but it is important to create a clean, peaceful space for yourself and since we have been at home, it’s a project worth putting some effort into.

We are happy with how our shelves turned out and now it’s one of our favorite corners of our apartment. It kinda makes you feel like you’ve got your life together, doesn’t it? 😌