How to Style Built-Ins
A Styling Moment in Your Home…
I love to style built-ins. As I’ve mentioned in my recent YouTube video, they are so personal to each person that no two are the same. Built-ins are an opportunity to show off your personality without you having to say anything.
When clients ask me to help out with their interior designs in their living room, I always like to include a moment for styling a built-in, or some form of shelving. Often, I give them tips on how to do it and let them run with it. Every time, clients tell me how fun it is, spending hours perfecting it. I love seeing their creations, they knock it out of the park every time.
If you need some help with how to style built-ins this weekend, here are my top five tips on how to do so. Simple, direct and easy to follow. You’ll be showing off your creations on Instagram in no time.
Gather All Your Items Together.
Firstly, give your built-ins a good clean. A clean slate to start your styling creation. Next, it’s time to gather your decorative pieces. You Want to ensure you’re gathering more than you need, have options. Things to gather are frames, artwork, vases, coffee table books, bone boxes, anything that speaks to who you are.
Think About the Triangles.
Sounds like a strange tip, but it’s the triangles that make a difference in your built-ins. When you look at your shelving as a whole you want a tall point at the top, going out and then back in. It doesn’t have to be a traditional triangle, but that three-point is was allows your eye to dance and bring interest.
Within the individual groupings of your objects, you’ll want to think about triangles also. You want that high point, it will make your vignette more interesting.
Start Grouping Your Items.
Once you have these tips down and the objects are gathered, it’s time to start your groupings. When it comes to grouping items, you want to think about different heights of objects and textures. I like to group items in twos or threes, depending on what I’m pulling.
Something I love to do is to stack coffee table books. It’s a way to add texture and show off your personality and interest. It’s also a base for creating height, to stack contrasting objects. Don’t be afraid to put something deep and tonal on a light, natural-looking object.
Don’t Forget About White Space.
Whilst you’ll feel the natural urge to cram your shelves with everything, it’s important to leave a little bit of white space. A breather in your shelving to allow the eyes to relax. This can be done in two ways. First by leaving a physical gap and secondly, by simply grouping fewer items.
Think About the Surrounding Area of Your Groupings.
While you need to concentrate on your individual groupings, don’t forget about what is surrounding it. You want to make sure that similar objects are not directly next to each other. Personally, I love a diagonal, as it allows the eye to dance.