Kitchen Shelf Styling Tips
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Hey friends! Today I’m sharing what I’ve learned on how to style kitchen shelves. I’ll also be discussing what I gather for styling, where I find it, and tips and tricks for making it flow together seamlessly!
As always, I find most of my styling goodies at thrift stores. So for this post, I’m going to talk about what specifically I go in looking for.
to start, items I look for to swap in and out of open kitchen shelving for styling:
tea pots, bowls, baskets, pitchers, mugs, vases, pottery, canisters/containers, cutting boards/bread boards, cake stands, candlesticks, books, salt & pepper shakers
Obviously, the sky is the limit here. This is just what I head into stores on the look-out for 🙂
and then, “rules” I follow when styling!
1. vary the height of your items to create visual interest.
To create interest, you need to make the eye move up and down, even if it’s subtle height differences. Mix and match until it’s pleasing to the eye! But definitely focus on having taller and shorter items mixed in.
2. mix unique/vintage items with standard kitchen items.
For example, I love collecting pretty teapots to throw in next to cups or bowls. Practicality meets beauty!
Mix these in with cups or plates that you already own, or gather some from your local thrift store for styling purposes 🙂
3. group similar items together to create a stack or grouping.
Stack bowls, cups, plates, mugs, etc. Group canisters or cups in varying heights. You get the idea! Get creative!
4. try stacking similar items in a different texture.
For example, wooden bowls with ceramic bowls. Pottery plates with white plates. This is where styling gets fun 🙂
5. mix in plants or greenery.
6. add framed artwork that speaks to you!
You can do this affordably by finding vintage thrift store frames and adding printable artwork from etsy! If you can’t find frames you love, purchase any run-of-the-mill thrift store frame that fits your needed dimensions and then use spray paint or rub n’ buff to refinish!
See where I framed a beautiful piece of vintage artwork in a thrift store frame here.
7. choose 3 or so colors to mix in and stop there. Too many colors can get distracting.
As you can see in our above photo, I have white/black/gold mixed in with wooden elements and greenery.
So, where to start with styling your open kitchen shelving?
I like to gather all my items and get them up on the kitchen shelves in varying heights. And then I can move them around and find what’s pleasing to the eye. It doesn’t have to be what you see on pinterest on anything you’ve seen before. Just play around with texture and height and items you love 🙂 If it brings joy to you and your home, then it’s perfect.
Interested in learning how to find the best thrift finds for your kitchen shelves? Start here!
