Corner shelves have a way of drawing the eye to them. They sit in the corner of the room and is often ignored by the majority of the features of most rooms. However, if they are dressed appropriate, then corner shelves will stop being forgotten storage spot and will begin to play a role in the story that your home tells.
The best part about corner shelves is that they require alot less of your real estate in your home to look great. With just a few carefully chosen item for display on these shelves, you can make the corner of your room look intentional and meaningful. One of the best idea for decorating corner shelves is to simply understand that less is more with these shelf displays.
Many corner shelves will sit at eye level in the living space. As such, every item that you place on these shelves will be on display for all to see. Too many item on the shelf, however, can work against you in terms of the visual appeal of your room.
On the other hand, if you get the items that you choose for display in the right balance, these shelves will draw your eye to them and tie the remainder of your room together in a visual way.
Creative Ways To Decorate Your Corner Shelves
1. Oversized Vases
A few of the ideas for decorating corner shelves involve adding an oversized vase to the shelf. One of the most important aspect of this idea is to avoid adding too many item to the shelves beneath this vase.
The reason for leaving these lower shelves empty is to allow the vase to have enough “room to breathe.” This idea works particularly well for individuals with minimalist home. The downside of this idea is that an oversized vase must be one of the best piece of décor in your home to draw the eye to the corner shelves. Another option involve adding lighting to the corner shelves.
2. Small Picture Lights
Small picture light or clip-on lights can be added to the shelves above the items that are to be displayed. This adds a three-dimensional quality to your décor and creates soft shadow that help to highlight the items. This option works particularly well in living room or reading areas.
The light cord should be hidden from view when using this decorating idea. Another décor idea involve the addition of books to the corner shelves. You can purchase bookends to support the books on one shelf.
3. Books and Bookends
Some books can be flipped to expose their page on the shelf below. Additionally, some small décor item can be added in between the books on the shelf. Books already have color and texture to them, so all that is required of you is to curate the books on your shelves.
The problem with this décor idea is that you must take care to ensure that the books dont accumulate too much dust. Plants have a way of adding life to corners. Pothos or other plants that have the ability to cascade over the edge of the corner shelves not only create visual interest in these areas but also work to soften the visual impact of the shelf’s right angle.
4. Cascading Plants
Additionally, a terracotta pot or ceramic planter can be used to add warmth or modernity to the décor. A plant is best used as the star of the corner shelves with only one other item on these shelves to provide visual interest to your décor without creating a sense of competition between the items. This idea is particularly important for those rooms that do not have much natural light.
5. Mirrors
Mirrors are one of the helpful tool that can be added to corner shelves. By placing a mirror against the back shelf of the corner, the mirror will reflect the light in the room, making the corner feel twice as deep. Additionally, you can place a candle in front of the mirror to double the number of candle in the corner when viewed at night.
This décor idea works particularly well in hallways and powder rooms. Avoid mirrors that reflect blurry images of the area. The reflection is the most important aspect of the décor.
6. Collections of Items
Collections of item find there home on corner shelves. Items like blue and white ginger jar of varying sizes can be arranged from the back of the shelf to the front of the shelf. Odd number of items work best on these shelves compared to even numbers.
Items of the same color or design work best together. These collections belong in homes of individuals that have collected items over the years. These items finally have a chance to display their story instead of remaining hidden in a cedar chest.
Avoid going too far with your collection on the shelves to avoid creating a sense of chaos in the décor. Texture can be added to the corner shelves to avoid using them as a one-note décor element. A variety of texture can be added and displayed on the shelves.
7. Varied Textures
This décor idea works best in rooms that have décor of different time period. For example, a vintage chair and rug can co-exist on a shelf with another décor element. A variety of textures, however, should not be overused on the shelves.
Three textures are enough to create visual interest without competing against each other for the viewer attention. Rotating the items that are on the corner shelves can help them to always look fresh in your home. For example, in the winter month a corner shelf could be decorated with wool blankets on a shelf with pinecones above it.
For spring months, however, spring bulbs or pastel ceramics could be added. This force you to edit the items on the shelf, which is the first step toward effectively using corner shelves in your décor. Framed artwork can be added to the deeper portion of the corner shelves.
8. Framed Artwork
Rather than hanging artwork throughout the home, leaning a few on the back shelf of a corner shelf can add dimension to the décor and allow for easy editing of which art piece are to be displayed. Mixing family photo and botanical prints can work particularly well. Art items of different size work best if they share a color scheme.
9. Empty Bottom Shelves
Finally, an often-overlooked décor idea is to leave the bottom shelf of the corner empty. Many people feel compelled to place item on each shelf, but leaving the bottom shelf empty will give your décor a sense of grounding in the room. Additionally, this empty shelf works particularly well in small apartment to provide more visual floor space for the remainder of the room.
Making the empty shelf a design choice in your décor is half the battle in making your décor successful. The real secret to decorating corner shelves is the idea that each corner shelf is actually a tiny room on its own. All of the items that are placed on these shelves should relate to each other and to their neighbor.
When they do, the corner shelves will cease to compete with the remainder of your décor and instead enhance your décor. Your eye will naturally drift to your corner shelves because they are meant to be part of your décor. This idea is the same idea behind all good décor in your home.
Once you begin to see the opportunity that each corner in your home presents, you will begin to notice these feature throughout your residence. Whether it’s a spot next to the stairs, a spot in the bathroom, or a spot in the kitchen, each corner is waiting for you to transform it into an essential part of your décor. Pick one of the idea mentioned above or come up with your own.
Start with something simple, and allow the corner shelves to teach you what they need to look their best. You might of been surprised at the result. A few well-thought-out corners in your home could do more to elevate the entire residence of yours and your family.
