Dressing up Your Modern Shelf

Shelves offer unlimited customization. They are really a blank canvass for modern interiors, as their surfaces can be covered with any number of items. Of course, you incorporate a shelf for its functionality: to hold books, Blu-Rays and baskets of knickknacks. But there is the other side of the shelf too – its stylish side. Here are some items that you can use to dress up your modern shelf.

Why not try adding a simple vase with flowers? If you can’t get a fresh bunch every week, go for the dried variety – in the fall, you can choose orange flowers accented by earthy sticks and cattail, while your spring arrangement can feature bright pinks and greens.

If you’re looking to fill up a smaller shelf that couldn’t hold a usually tall vase, you can visit your local craft store and pick up some decorative balls. Dusted in silver or gold leaf, these various-sized balls can be used for functionality as bookends, or just for style placed strategically on a few shelves.

Decorative plates are another way to go, if you have some you’d like to show off. You don’t have to have a china cabinet to display your china. Simply purchase a plate stand and position the plate facing outwards on a central shelf to minimize the possibility of it getting knocked down.

And finally, candles are always a tasteful, beautiful way to add style to a shelf. You can add tall votive candles along the top of the shelf. Just be sure that there is plenty of ventilation and space above the candle so that there is no risk of fire, and you’ve got yourself a stunning, simple accent piece for your modern shelf.

How do you dress up your shelves?