Creative ways to style up a shelf display

How to turn your shelf space into a beautiful vignette

It used to be that a shelf was just somewhere to put ‘stuff’. Stack, store and tidy away. Now with the rise of the ‘shelfie’ phenomenon – Instagrammable displays to reflect not just your decor choices but an expression of self – how you arrange your favourite possessions has become almost an art form, even in practical areas like the kitchen.

From vintage crockery to leaning art, we share tips and ideas for creating different looks.

Our columnist and stylist Tamsyn Morgans loves vintage china, layering her favourite pieces to create a gorgeous ‘dresser-like’ effect in her kitchen.

‘You can’t beat blue and white crockery,’ she says. ‘To make it a little less formal I love to mix different patterns, designs and tones of blue. The white backdrop gives a summery seaside feel.’ Although Tamsyn finds most of her pieces at car-boot fairs, she also recommends Vintage Farmhouse Antiques if you’re looking to collect beautiful china.

Make your shelf part of your display, rather than simply a functional piece of furniture. Here a Billy bookcase from IKEA painted in Green 05 Rome House by Lick sets an olive-coloured theme for this display. Pretty ceramics – including a pair of Beswick mantel dogs – a rack of plates, candlesticks and a framed seaside print, all pick out green tones from the shelving.

Inspired by the natural world, this neutral-toned display is restful and calming, with hints of a Japandi aesthetic. Pale and earthy tones predominate, together with a focus on texture. Handmade ceramics are seemingly haphazardly stacked, alongside baskets in different shapes, tones and sizes. Placement is key, with each object having space to breathe, creating a minimalist, uncluttered feel.

Allow a shelf display to show off your passions. Interior designer Madelon Oudshoorn Spaargaren has explored many corners of the world, from Peru to Vietnam and Ghana, and her Amsterdam townhouse is an eclectic bazaar of collected pieces. Tribal artefacts, Chinese pottery and Indian textiles sit amid chunky hardback travel books, celebrating her wanderlust and keeping memories of these treasured adventures alive.

At Reclaim, we love a rustic farmhouse kitchen. To perfect this look, start with a set of well-worn scaffold-board shelves or reclaimed timber. Vintage stoneware, such as marmalade jars or ginger beer bottles, add that earthy country vibe, while classic Kilner jars make a visual feast of preserves and pantry goods. Add a piece of old kitchenalia for good measure like an enamel colander, brass jelly mould or, as here, a set of weighing scales.

Instead of hanging pictures, use shelving to create a gallery (this is ideal if you’re a renter too). Here two framed prints are the feature of this display alongside art and design books propped up to show off their covers. To keep the focus on the images, additional accessories – pineapple bookends, a small bowl, candlesticks and a bonsai plant – are kept to a minimum, chosen in colours to tie in with the art.

If needs mean your shelf has more of a practical nature, it can still have style too. In her home studio, print designer Anna Hayman keeps a stash of her fabric samples to hand, but by neatly folding and arranging them by colour, she’s made an inspiring display. Do the same with other craft materials, like stacked balls of yarn, a pot of felt-tip pens or paintbrushes, and clear jars full of supplies like buttons, cotton reels, ribbon and twine.