When styled the right way, leaning shelves can be a high-impact way to show off your favourite knick-knacks, decorative ceramics, travel tokens, collectables, house plants and framed memories. That being said, it’s true that arranging all those items onto shelves can get a little overwhelming, especially when you’re just starting out. To help you conquer the task ahead, here are a few of our best tips for styling leaning shelves and, in fact, just about every set of shelves in your family home!

First, add some items that are different from the rest to break things up. Choose anything you like, keeping in mind that whatever you do choose will be on display. Decorative boxes, photo frames, plants (real or artificial) and ceramic jars all work in most spaces around the home. However, you might consider room-specific accessories for your leaning shelves, too. Cast iron teapots, pretty fruit bowls and glass decanters, for example, are great in kitchen and dining areas. You could also try positioning one in the bathroom and stocking it with clean, fresh towels.

Our second tip is dedicated to our fellow perfectionists out there: think inside the box. The easiest way to ensure items look balanced as you distribute them between shelves is to group them in squares. In other words, you’ll need to think inside the box for this one. Visually breaking items up into squares is not only visually appealing, but a rule that anyone with or without a degree in design can follow!

Our third and final tip is to leave some empty spaces. It’s surprising how much visual relief can be created by leaving a few empty spaces on your leaning shelves. You might even choose to leave some shelves totally empty – experiment to see what works best for you. By embracing these negative spaces, you’ll find the whole room feels instantly cleaner, tidier, and more relaxing to be in.

Here at 1825 interiors, we specialise in furnishings for the family home. Our high quality recycled timber leaning shelves are ideal for showing off your favourite books, knick-knacks and collectables in a stylish, contemporary way. Our leaning shelves take up very little floor space, look great in pairs and are available in a variety of styles. Try one in your family home today and see for yourself why they are one of our most popular products among our many loyal customers.