Create a great ‘shelfie’
Think ‘‘random but curated’’ when turning your precious decor items into a picture-perfect display, writes Katie Newton.
Forget mastering the art of the selfie, decor-junkies are more interested in creating and photographing the perfect ‘‘shelfie.’’ But how do you display your favourite treasures in an interesting and Instagramworthy way?
Design blogger Julia Atkinson of Studio Home recommends starting with things that have meaning. ‘‘It’s all about displaying items that you have some emotional connection to and get a positive buzz from seeing each day,’’ she says. ‘‘Mixing framed photos of fond memories with that weird but wonderful vase you inherited from Gran and the pot plant you have successfully kept alive for a year can be more aesthetically pleasing than three perfectly matched brass candle holders you picked up last week.’’
The arrangements should appear random, but they actually require a balance of shape, size, colour and subject to be successful. Mix different heights, use contrasting but complementary textures and pair rounded shapes with those with angular edges. Pick a loose colour theme such as earthy tones or dusty pastels and then add one standout colour to draw the eye in. Pair old with new and include an element of whimsy to avoid it all looking too formal.
Atkinson recommends thinking of your displays as mobile and seasonal, switching them up to suit your mood and the time of year. ‘‘For example, that terrific sideboard display you have right at the entrance of your home might host a large pot plant during the winter months but come spring, it might be the ideal place to display your ever-changing collection of blooms and branches that you swipe while out walking,’’ she says.
Hanging pictures and other items on the wall behind your shelfie is a good way to anchor a less permanent display.
Atkinson likes to ‘‘wall test’’ items such as old oars, secondhand musical instruments and plates: ‘‘It’s surprising what can transform from standard to quite sculptural once hanging on the wall!’’
Although furniture such openshelved bookcases, sideboards and etageres are specially designed to display your treasures, if space is limited go for a wall-hung option like floating shelves or a pegboard.
Currently, Atkinson’s personal ‘‘jumble of beauties’’ includes a conker, a pressed four-leaf clover, a dried magnolia bud and kowhai seed pod, remnants of a dried red rose, quartz, a feather, shells, and even a teeny jawbone – probably ‘‘from a rat’’. She spreads them across her mantelpiece along with ceramics, plants, candles and vases of flowers. ‘‘I love how the shelf is always changing, and it makes me happy.’’