When styled the right way, display units can be a high-impact way to show off your favourite knick-knacks, glassware, travel tokens, and framed memories—not to mention the kids’ trophy collections! Arranging all those items onto shelves can get a little overwhelming, especially when you’ve just started. To help you conquer the task ahead, here are a few of our best tips for styling display cabinets and—in fact—just about every set of shelves in your family home!

First, to break things up, add some items that differ from the rest. Choose anything you like, keeping in mind that whatever you do choose will be on display. Decorative boxes, photo frames, and ceramic jars all work in most spaces around the home. However, you might consider room-specific accessories for your display cabinets, too. Cast iron teapots, pretty fruit bowls, and glass decanters, for example, are great in kitchen and dining areas.

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 in your display unit. 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 timber and glass display cabinets are ideal for showing off your favourite books, knick-knacks, and collectables without having to worry about the dust. We have display cabinets available in painted or stained timber that will suit most popular decorating styles—including shabby chic and country style, as well as classic designs. Take a look for yourself! Check out our extensive range of gorgeous display cabinets in our Sydney, Canberra, or regional NSW store locations.