You know what they say about the best laid plans? July 2020 was the day we broke ground to start our addition/renovation. My mother-in-law was going to move in with us and the addition part was for her. Because of health issues my mother-in-law moved in before all the work was done. Of course, her health was utmost on our mind and a lot of things were put on hold.
One such project was the wall unit we were going to build in her room to hold all her antiques she had collected over the years. We recently completed the unit started to unpack her antiques and start placing them on the shelves. She asked for help with styling the shelves since she liked what I did with my front room shelves.
While I was helping my mother-in-law, I thought I would share some of the tips and tricks I earned over the years on styling shelves.
The wall unit has a space for her television, a desk area for her computer, multiple shelves for her antiques and the bottom is for storage which will have doors soon.
Audrey (AKA my mother-in-law) was like a kid in a candy store finally being able to bring out her treasures! These are just a few of the many boxes to unpack.
These two bronze statues had shelves built in the unit especially for them.
Another item with a place of honor centered between the two bronze statues. All three of the statues needed more height so I used wooden risers for the bronze imps and acrylic for the woman rising from the ocean.
One trick I use is hanging something on the back of the shelf. In this case, I hung a decorative fan which creates interest and breaks up the negative space.
Because the fan is the focal point it allows you to place items on either side.
Audrey wanted all her Asian pieces together. I used an acrylic riser to balance the larger pieces.
To finish the shelf, three ivory pieces were added. The height of each item and the fan on the back of the shelf keep your eye moving so you appreciate each piece and as a whole vignette.
The last shelf we worked on holds Audrey’s collection of “Moss Rose” pieces.
Because the pieces were so small and were very much alike, I had to find a way break it up.
Audrey had a small glass curio box I thought would be good for vertical interest. I also used two acrylic shelves at varying heights to bring your eye around.
I am so glad I was able to help my mother-in-law to style her shelves. We worked hard to get three shelves done and there are still boxes to be opened. I will post more pictures as the unit progresses and of course the final reveal!