Have you been wondering what to put on your walls besides pictures and generic artwork from Hobby Lobby? We refreshed our bedroom decor a few weeks ago, we installed some floating ledge shelves to do just that! I’ve compiled a few tips and tricks on picking decor for your shelves, and why they may be a good fit for your next home decor refresh.
WHY FLOATING SHELVES?
Picking floating shelves over artwork or a gallery wall was an easy decision for me. One: we avoided putting more holes than needed into our plaster walls (which is such a pain in the ass), and two: I wanted something that i can change out with the seasons or as my style changes. That would have been a lot harder to do with frames or artwork, and quite frankly a lot more expensive to swap out too!
I also wanted something that could be a little more asymmetrical. Obviously, this would have been possible with a gallery wall, but i’m over that trend. I’ve never really been into it and frames are so dang expensive. We have the roofline in our bedroom so I needed a flexible decor solution that I can swap out a little more easily.
Additionally, shelves are the new gallery wall in general! Expect to see this trend skyrocket this year as people start to include more decor pieces onto their walls that doesn’t necessarily need to be on a table or bookshelf.
PICKING DECOR
Okay not going to lie, I was having big time FOMO when it came to these letter boards. I knew I didn’t want the typical felt pieces though as the all black (or whatever color I would have chosen) would have been too bold/dark for the vibe I was going for in our bedroom. I found this really sophisticated version on Amazon and fell in love! It’s a little hard to get the letters in on spots on the board, but overall I’m really happy with the purchase!
What I knew I didn’t want, was just layered photo frames. Going back to my original point the frames are so dang expensive, and I didn’t want to pay for printable art that I would have to either send to Fedex Office or buy new ink for. My tip for you is that if you’re interested in layering frames or getting vases like I have shown here, definitely invest in deeper shelves. The ones I picked are about 3.5” deep and are definitely not enough to get some good layering in. If I were to repurchase, i think I would opt for these metal ones from Minted, they are about 5.5” deep and would be a great size to layer decor. (Quick note that the link is an affiliate link, meaning if you make a purchase through the link, at no added cost to you I will make a slight commission. If you choose to support me in this way, please know that I greatly appreciate you!)
Definitely use this opportunity to get creative with it! I made sure to include a few fake plants, pottery and decor, a limited amount of frames, and anything with a bold color was similar to the color of our bedsheets. When picking decor keep in mind the color scheme you’re aiming for both for the shelves themselves, and the overall vibe of the room.
PLAY WITH PLACEMENT
Looking at my gif I have below you can see the decor didn’t end up the same way there as in my photo above. It’s all about trial and error, and the best part of using shelves for you wall decor is that you can change your mind whenever! My biggest tip with this is to have fun with it and not to take yourself too seriously! If something doesn’t feel right a few days later, and remember, blank space is okay! It’s all about balance, have faith in yourself and know that if you think it’s beautiful that is truly all that matters.
NEED SOME HELP?
Need a little push in the right direction? Have questions or need validation on your ideas? My Designer On Call service is the perfect solution! You can purchase time with me as needed, starting at a minimum of two hours, to ask anything and everything you need help with on your home projects. Click the button below to start working with me today, I’d love to help make your vision a reality.