Best of the Week: Shelfies
We love nothing more than a good shelfie here at Houzz – enjoy our pick of the best
Georgia Madden
10 June 2017
Step aside selfies – shelfies are our new obsession. Design lovers the world over have been blasting our Instagram feeds recently with their beautifully curated shelves, and revealing fascinating insights into their life stories and passions in the process. And it seems no area of the home is immune to the shelfie treatment – we’re seeing everything from kids’ rooms and pantry shelving to the inside of bathroom cabinets on display.
We’ve chosen our all-time favourite shelfies at Houzz for your viewing pleasure, which we hope will make you smile rather than feel the need to run for the nearest feather duster. And we’d love to see your shelfies – post photos in the Comments section below.
We’ve chosen our all-time favourite shelfies at Houzz for your viewing pleasure, which we hope will make you smile rather than feel the need to run for the nearest feather duster. And we’d love to see your shelfies – post photos in the Comments section below.
1. A bold entrance
A collection of black and white photographs casually propped on the picture ledge, a bright yellow front door and a medley of unusual decor items make for a delightful entryway vignette.
A collection of black and white photographs casually propped on the picture ledge, a bright yellow front door and a medley of unusual decor items make for a delightful entryway vignette.
2. Paintbox brights
It’s impossible to look at this room without smiling. By leaving plenty of breathing space around the items on the shelves, your eye is drawn to the unit’s bright and cheery pinks, blues and yellows. Soft furnishings and furniture detailing echo the joyful palette to perfection.
Browse more contemporary living spaces
It’s impossible to look at this room without smiling. By leaving plenty of breathing space around the items on the shelves, your eye is drawn to the unit’s bright and cheery pinks, blues and yellows. Soft furnishings and furniture detailing echo the joyful palette to perfection.
Browse more contemporary living spaces
3. The functional transformed
A plain kitchen is given a lift with a carefully edited display of kitchenware on floating timber shelves. Hanging plants serve to soften the arrangement by breaking up the room’s sharp lines.
A plain kitchen is given a lift with a carefully edited display of kitchenware on floating timber shelves. Hanging plants serve to soften the arrangement by breaking up the room’s sharp lines.
4. Eyes on the walls
Short on office storage space? Go vertical! The owners of this contemporary home office have made an eye-catching feature of their magnetic wall storage by painting the backdrop black, and in doing have created a fab shelfie moment.
Short on office storage space? Go vertical! The owners of this contemporary home office have made an eye-catching feature of their magnetic wall storage by painting the backdrop black, and in doing have created a fab shelfie moment.
5. A pretty corner
A sweet little display of cookbooks in the corner of the kitchen is enough to brighten any chef’s day.
A sweet little display of cookbooks in the corner of the kitchen is enough to brighten any chef’s day.
6. Space-savvy wall niche
Recessed wall shelving is a smart way to add to your storage and display zones without swallowing up precious floor space – a great solution for small homes. Painting the back of the shelves black allows the striking shapes and metallic finishes of the items here to shine through.
Recessed wall shelving is a smart way to add to your storage and display zones without swallowing up precious floor space – a great solution for small homes. Painting the back of the shelves black allows the striking shapes and metallic finishes of the items here to shine through.
7. All about angles
Televisions can present homeowners with quite the design challenge. Here, the owners have managed to detract attention from the screen by surrounding it on all sides with a built-in timber bookcase. We love how they’ve taken it from floor to ceiling and followed the diagonal ceiling line.
Learn how to conceal your TV
Televisions can present homeowners with quite the design challenge. Here, the owners have managed to detract attention from the screen by surrounding it on all sides with a built-in timber bookcase. We love how they’ve taken it from floor to ceiling and followed the diagonal ceiling line.
Learn how to conceal your TV
8. Simple yet stunning
Hand-picked blooms from the garden in a trio of little glass bottles create a sweet kitchen display.
Hand-picked blooms from the garden in a trio of little glass bottles create a sweet kitchen display.
9. A two-in-one solution
Box shelving for the kids’ clothes and shoes not only means they’re within easy reach of little hands, but together they create a fun display.
Box shelving for the kids’ clothes and shoes not only means they’re within easy reach of little hands, but together they create a fun display.
10. Child’s play
With their simple lines and bright colours, children’s toys can make for a striking shelfie. Aim to leave plenty of space around each piece so the display doesn’t look cluttered, and stick with a limited colour palette to create a sense of cohesion.
With their simple lines and bright colours, children’s toys can make for a striking shelfie. Aim to leave plenty of space around each piece so the display doesn’t look cluttered, and stick with a limited colour palette to create a sense of cohesion.
11. Country casual
This open kitchen display could easily have veered into chaotic territory, but by sticking with a simple palette of white and cream with punches of warm timber, and only including pieces with a country-kitchen feel, the owner has created a sense of order and purpose.
Eye-catching kitchen storage ideas
This open kitchen display could easily have veered into chaotic territory, but by sticking with a simple palette of white and cream with punches of warm timber, and only including pieces with a country-kitchen feel, the owner has created a sense of order and purpose.
Eye-catching kitchen storage ideas
12. Food glorious food
When organised with a little love, even the inside of your kitchen cupboards can make for a fab shelfie, as this pantry reveals. The owners have chosen to store and display their staples in simple glass jars, which not only makes the pantry Insta-worthy, but makes it easy for the cook to see what they’re looking for. Splashes of fire-engine red add a little punch.
When organised with a little love, even the inside of your kitchen cupboards can make for a fab shelfie, as this pantry reveals. The owners have chosen to store and display their staples in simple glass jars, which not only makes the pantry Insta-worthy, but makes it easy for the cook to see what they’re looking for. Splashes of fire-engine red add a little punch.
13. Small is beautiful
A slender floating shelf, a round mirror that breaks up the room’s sharp angles, and a pared-back display are perfect choices for this tiny bathroom under the eaves.
A slender floating shelf, a round mirror that breaks up the room’s sharp angles, and a pared-back display are perfect choices for this tiny bathroom under the eaves.
14. Scandi-licious
Pale timber shelves are a great way to break up the swathes of white in this Scandi-inspired child’s bedroom. Raised ends on each of the shelves prevent books from toppling off, and add a touch of the unexpected to the overall design.
Pale timber shelves are a great way to break up the swathes of white in this Scandi-inspired child’s bedroom. Raised ends on each of the shelves prevent books from toppling off, and add a touch of the unexpected to the overall design.
15. Well framed
When displayed together, brightly coloured bottles and tins create an unexpectedly appealing vignette in this little butler’s pantry.
When displayed together, brightly coloured bottles and tins create an unexpectedly appealing vignette in this little butler’s pantry.
16. Monochrome magic
Dramatic black floor-to-ceiling shelving is the perfect foil for the oodles of white in this room; meanwhile the colourful book and magazine spines instantly draw the eye.
Dramatic black floor-to-ceiling shelving is the perfect foil for the oodles of white in this room; meanwhile the colourful book and magazine spines instantly draw the eye.
17. Animal shelter
Here’s a great idea if your child’s bedroom is drowning under a sea of soft toys – give them a dedicated home on wall shelves and, if they’re not already too well-loved, you might even create a sweet shelfie in the process.
Here’s a great idea if your child’s bedroom is drowning under a sea of soft toys – give them a dedicated home on wall shelves and, if they’re not already too well-loved, you might even create a sweet shelfie in the process.
18. A striking contrast
Contrasting green laminate on the rear of these open plywood shelves makes the display items pop.
Contrasting green laminate on the rear of these open plywood shelves makes the display items pop.
19. All about the shape
A non-symmetrical arrangement of hexagonal and square display boxes guarantees the focus remains on shape rather than contents. Make it work by keeping the arrangements sparse.
A non-symmetrical arrangement of hexagonal and square display boxes guarantees the focus remains on shape rather than contents. Make it work by keeping the arrangements sparse.
20. Unusual collections
Just because it’s called a picture shelf doesn’t mean you’re limited to displaying photos and artworks. Here, a collection of old mirrors makes for a stunning and unexpected display.
Just because it’s called a picture shelf doesn’t mean you’re limited to displaying photos and artworks. Here, a collection of old mirrors makes for a stunning and unexpected display.
21. Fab vintage finds
You don’t have to fix up everything you bring home from the op-shop; here, leaving this old display cabinet in its original state lets its character shine through, while the Charlie Brown painting above it adds a humorous touch.
You don’t have to fix up everything you bring home from the op-shop; here, leaving this old display cabinet in its original state lets its character shine through, while the Charlie Brown painting above it adds a humorous touch.
22. Tone on tone
A slender floating shelf in the same timber finish as the wall behind it makes for a stunning, low-key way to display simple black and white photographs Laying the bed with plain white bedlinen keeps the focus firmly fixed on the wall arrangement.
A slender floating shelf in the same timber finish as the wall behind it makes for a stunning, low-key way to display simple black and white photographs Laying the bed with plain white bedlinen keeps the focus firmly fixed on the wall arrangement.
23. A cool cook’s corner
Rocking the industrial vibe…metal shelving echoes the steel range hood and the knives below, while splashes of red and a heavy rope light cable add a dramatic touch.
Rocking the industrial vibe…metal shelving echoes the steel range hood and the knives below, while splashes of red and a heavy rope light cable add a dramatic touch.
24. On the up and up
And finally… we love how sometimes the best shelfies can crop up in the most surprising of places, as in the stunning storage drawers set into this timber staircase.
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More
Best of the week: Winter-ready homes
And finally… we love how sometimes the best shelfies can crop up in the most surprising of places, as in the stunning storage drawers set into this timber staircase.
Your say
Enjoy this story? Tell us in the Comments section below, or simply like, share or bookmark it. Join the conversation!
More
Best of the week: Winter-ready homes
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Thanks Maria Cade! So glad you enjoyed it. For the glass jars, I'd try Peters of Kensington. Happy shopping!
Thanks Georgia I will give Peters a go!
Thank you for this article. I would like to put a picture shelf in my entry hallway, directly opposite the door as it opens. But I had also dreamed of painting the same wall on which the shelf would be, in broad horizontal stripes. Is it too much with stripes and a shelf on the one wall?