How to Style a Playful Shelfie

Curating a colorful shelfie moment is a key skill when it comes to decorating a playful eclectic home. Any spare shelf, be it in your kitchen, living room, bathroom or bedroom, is an opportunity to display your collection of fun tchotchkes, plant babies, and framed art.

For the longest time, I’d wanted to add something to the space above our horizontal vanity mirror in our bedroom, as it was literally the only blank wall left in our apartment. Sam and I received a few pieces of art as wedding gifts, which could have hung above the mirror, however with a large gallery wall being the focal point of our living room, I was afraid our entire apartment would end up looking like an art gallery. We needed a fresh type of display for our new art and so, the shelfie idea was born!

Seeing the opportunity for a fun brand collaboration, I reached out to my friends at the ever-hip, ever-convenient framing company Framebridge to see if they’d like to star in the story and lo and behold, our partnership was born. Thank you so much to Framebridge for providing the framing for the art featured in this post! Having my art framed was an absolute breeze. Framebridge sent me shipping labels for my art (with the option for a complimentary shipping tube) and in less than a week of sending in my pieces, they were shipped back to me framed to perfection. I was shocked by how easy and fast the process was!

Framebridge also let me choose an Instagram photo to be framed in their Instagram Mini frame. Instead of mailing in a photo, Framebridge links directly to Instagram allowing you to upload your favorite shot and choose the perfect frame for it. (I went with the rose gold “Rosement”.) At only $39, the Instagram Mini makes an incredibly meaningful and sophisticated gift at a fantastic price. And speaking of gifts, who wouldn’t want a gift certificate for this fantastic service? Just sayin’!

Alright, without further ado, let’s learn how to shelfie!

First thing’s first: your shelfie is going to need art, so make sure it’s ready to go by having it framed. Framing your art (especially with matting) is a surefire way to make your art look expensive – whether it’s a $20 print or a $2000 investment piece. When styling a playful shelfie, you’ll inevitably work in cheap (yet charming!) tchotchkes, so anchoring the look with sophisticated frames ensures your shelfie moment will look stylish and pulled together.

Next, gather an assortment of decorative objects, books, plants, travel souvenirs — anything you love and want to showcase. Be sure to grab objects of contrasting colors, textures and sizes to help create that thrown together look we all love.

Finally, make sure your shelf is empty and ready for styling! I bought two 36″ floating shelves here.

With all that in place, you’re ready to style!

Use your art as anchors for your shelfie. Lean them against the wall and layer different sizes.

Next, add decorative objects such as pillar candles, baskets and lanterns. Always play with height to keep the arrangement interesting to the eye.

Be sure to add some greenery. Your shelfie is a perfect moment for a plant. Something narrow like a cactus or with hanging leaves like a pothos would be perfect.

Finish off your shelfie with smaller objects like travel souvenirs and ceramic figures. Find homes for them in the nooks between your larger objects.

The idea is to layer objects in size order – start with the larger items and layer in the rest in decreasing size order. Also, don’t be afraid to play around and try a few different combinations before deciding on your favorite arrangement.

And voilà: a fun and colorful shelfie to showcase your playful eclectic style!

A special thanks again to Framebridge for framing our beloved art. Don’t forget to check them out and consider them for your holiday gifting needs!

Peace, love & neon,
Marisa