White Shelves And Shelf Supports

Most people do not think of shelving as a decorative accent. Most people think of shelves only when they think of what they can put on them.  The beauty of decorating with shelves is that it is a hidden, overlooked and underused tool.  Most people do not realize what they are looking at or that it sets the tone for the whole room. The eyes move right over the shelves unless there is something interesting that grabs the viewer's attention. A smart decorator will use all of these facts when designing a room. Not only do shelves come in different widths and lengths, they come in different styles and materials. The type of selves, the material of the shelves and the placement of the shelves set the feeling in the room. 

Formal and elegant.

For the look of a formal room, the shelves will be arranged in a square or rectangle format. The shelves will be balanced, like a shelf on each side of a mirror or a large picture.  If they are used to frame a fireplace, they will be stately, strong, and large.  The arrangements of the accessories continue this feeling. White shelves on a lightly colored wall enhance the overall look of the wall color.  The same shelves on a wall with a bold color will stand out and say elegance.  With the formal look, the shelves make the statement.  The shelving material continues the statement.

For a room that says come on in and sit right down, the shelf arrangement would appear to be haphazard. Only the decorator knows the time and effort that went into this look. The different lengths and widths and the placement of the shelves create the overall feeling of comfort. These are arranged in clusters.  Unless the viewer is an interior designer, the viewer has no clue as to why he or she feels so welcome and wanted. In this case the accessories on the shelves are not nearly as important as the shelves themselves. The overall look is continued by the shelf supports. These can be a decorative item, a plain wooden triangle, or a wrought-iron look. They match the overall feeling of the room. They also set the tone for the main accessories that are scattered about. These wall shelves could be white shelves or they could be stained wood wall shelves or glass shelves. These shelves match or lightly contrast the wall colors, creating a blending of looks and styles. 

If you have an oversized room, you can use different types of materials for the shelves. This creates specialized areas with different focal points, maybe several seating areas or a library corner. Most rooms need to flow together and the uniformity of the shelves creates this.

You can set the tone of the room with the shelving you use. The shelving is not an afterthought; it is planned for, shopped for, carefully installed and joyfully accessorized for the most impact. Most people underestimate the value of the simple white shelves or whatever kind they use.