What to put on our display shelves?

[Anonymous]

Our builder put in sizeable display shelves in our living room and I'm stumped about what to put in them. I'm not really a tchotchke person so I don't have things to put there already. A friend said to display "a collection" there, but a collection of what?

Any ideas? How can I fill this area?

An assortment of white pitchers against dark grey painted shelving walls? Too boring?

[Anonymous]

Try to use what you have books, pottery, pictures, etc.

I have some bookcases I've styled using pics/styling guides from Pinterest.

After seeing creative ways to display books and arrange pieces, I went through decorative stuff I had packed away in my basement and used some of it and bought a few pieces to fill in some gaps.

I think a collection of pitchers sounds like a good start or maybe that's too much for a living room. I could see a pitcher collection in a dining room or kitchen more. But I could see using up to three with other objects.

[Anonymous]

Stick the kids artwork in frames. If an 8x10 piece comes home, take it to Kinkos and resize it to 5x7

[Anonymous]

Don't buy tchotchkes! Use whatever you have -- candles, books, art, pictures, mementos from travels, etc. After you use those, you may want to pick up a couple decor pieces that match or add color. But just filling up shelves with random crap from Home Goods would be meaningless clutter.

[Anonymous]

Family photos in good frames (all frames that go well with each other)

[Anonymous]

Anything you have that has a theme will work: pitchers of different shapes and sizes, candlestick holders, travel mementos?

[Anonymous]

Books and pictures are the only things on my shelves.

[Anonymous]

I would put framed family photos on display along w/some reading books, a few fake (or real!) plants & perhaps some candles in attractive holders.

[Anonymous]

Thanks - I hadn't thought of books there. I'll give that a try.

The shelves are awkwardly huge - oversized for the space. Not sure what the builder was thinking. I actually don't like them and wonder if we can drywall over them at some point.

But I will try books/photos first.

[Anonymous]

Souvenirs from your trips/vacations. Don't have any? Start the next time you go. Makes for great conversation with guests and fun reminder for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks - I hadn't thought of books there. I'll give that a try.

The shelves are awkwardly huge - oversized for the space. Not sure what the builder was thinking. I actually don't like them and wonder if we can drywall over them at some point.

But I will try books/photos first.

Get a different builder. Or have them change an unasked for and sounds like a useless feature for you.

[Anonymous]

This was the neatest method we found when putting our bookshelves together.

https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/3-steps-to-styling-out-your-shelves

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks - I hadn't thought of books there. I'll give that a try.

The shelves are awkwardly huge - oversized for the space. Not sure what the builder was thinking. I actually don't like them and wonder if we can drywall over them at some point.

But I will try books/photos first.

Get a different builder. Or have them change an unasked for and sounds like a useless feature for you.

It was a mostly-finished spec house so we weren't able to change this. I honestly didn't even think much about it until we moved in and started decorating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This was the neatest method we found when putting our bookshelves together.

https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/3-steps-to-styling-out-your-shelves

Thanks! The end photo looks a little too cluttery for me but the process will definitely help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks - I hadn't thought of books there. I'll give that a try.

The shelves are awkwardly huge - oversized for the space. Not sure what the builder was thinking. I actually don't like them and wonder if we can drywall over them at some point.

But I will try books/photos first.

Get a different builder. Or have them change an unasked for and sounds like a useless feature for you.

It was a mostly-finished spec house so we weren't able to change this. I honestly didn't even think much about it until we moved in and started decorating.

Think about what kind of space do you need.
--a desk area and overhead filing
--a closet
--a reading nook

Have a carpenter remove lower shelves and/or hang a door or even a drapes.

My suggestion since it's a new space--live in the house a while b/f making a decision and/or trying to decorate this specific space.