8 of the best shelving display ideas

Try these top tips to display your treasured collections, beautifully

Holly Walsh's avatar
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Organisation is paramount to success. When considering display shelves, be realistic about the sort of
homeowner you are; display shelves must be ordered, for instance, so
aren't right for fans of clutter. Tidiness is crucial, but beyond that
get creative. Also when choosing objects, the only thing that matters is colour and shape
and how they allow you to create an interesting composition. They should
be carefully planned, but not look too contrived. Getting the right balance is key.

living room with cabinet and grey sofa

(Image credit: TBC)

1-Ornate addition

 A decorative armoire brings feminine softness to any room. It complements furniture with clean, modern lines (rather than classic-look pieces) to give an on-trend old-meets-new feel. Glass-fronted display storage requires order: use the visible shelves for decorative accessories and conceal practical pieces in the drawers below or elsewhere. Find a similar one-off cabinet at French Finds, frenchfinds.co.uk.

wallpaper with shelf on wall and sofa with cushions

(Image credit: TBC)

2-Create a Statement

Wallpaper hung behind shelving can create a focal point in a room, especially teamed with simple white china objects.

 

living room with blue wall and shelf on wall wooden table

(Image credit: future PLC/Dominic Blackmore)

3-Mix it up

 When organising your shelving displays, use a mixture of books and objects for more interest.

living room with shelf and cabinets with books

(Image credit: future PLC/Paul Raeside)

4-On display

Wall-hung shelves, painted in with the walls, are ideal for displaying art and objets as the storage almost melts into the background.

kitchen area with shelves and blue wall with dishes

(Image credit: future PLC/Emma Lee)

5-Unexpected places-

You can create a display in any room. This pretty kitchen sheving is a perfect piece to showcase a selection of tableware.

 

blue wall room with cushions on wooden sofa and chairs

(Image credit: TBC)

6-All in the numbers 

Breadboards? Even the simplest objects can look effective when displayed en masse.

children's room with white wall and shelves with toys

(Image credit: Great Little Trading Comapny)

7-Colour co-ordinate

Declutter your children's rooms and display their toys with these fab colourful tongue-and-groove shelves from Great Little Trading Co. They can be hung with the brackets either up or down
and are available in a variety of colours. Hanging them low means that
toys can be reached easily by little hands.

blue wall with shelves and photos with postcards

(Image credit: future PLC/Claire Richardson)

8-Box clever

Home office essentials can be wall-mounted with these cubbyhole-style shelves and keep your desk clear from clutter. The addition of quirky nick nacks and old photos and postcards will give them added personality.

Holly Walsh
Holly Walsh
Contributor

Holly Walsh is a freelance Interiors Writer and Shopping Editor, but worked in-house here at Ideal Home for nearly 10 years. With a background of studies in Interior Design, her career in interior journalism was a no-brainer and her passion for decorating homes is still as strong now 15 years after she started, as it ever was. While Holly has written for most of the home titles at Future, including Livingetc, Country Homes & Interiors, Homes and Gardens, Woman & Home and Style at Home, Ideal Home has always been her ideal home, and she can still be found sharing her expertise and advice across both the printed magazine and the website, while also raising her two young children.

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