Ceramic pieces and woven elements allow for a soft, minimalist look in this space. Since the shelves are light wood, the decor is set in the same color scheme to match. The blinds and plant pots offer similar textures, creating cohesion.
20 Built-in Shelf Decorating Ideas to Spruce up Any Space
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Published: March 12, 2024
Updated: February 21, 2024
Built-in shelves are great for added storage, but they’re also an easy opportunity to display your favorite items. It’s especially important that built-ins are decorated intentionally since the shelves are exposed. The key? Consider size, colors, and textures.
When it comes to size, you want to choose a variety of smaller and larger pieces so that the display looks balanced. It’s also helpful to stick to a color theme, whether you err on the minimalist or more maximalist side. This will make the shelves feel cohesive. Lastly, the textures of your accessories should complement the home’s existing style. For example, wood is great for a rustic or farmhouse style whereas metal is better suited for contemporary spaces.
Coming up with a cohesive design is also an excellent way to ensure that your shelves don’t become a catch-all for detritus and clutter. Once you achieve the perfect design, you’ll want it to stay that way! If you’re not sure where to start, check out these built-in shelf decorating ideas for inspiration.
02 of Traditional Shelf Display
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A wide arch sets the tone for this built-in. The two top floating shelves offer a spot for darker decor to contrast against the light, wispy color palette. Traditional accents like sculpture heads and leather-bound books offer a European-inspired style. A built-in cabinet with a white countertop allows for larger accessories to be displayed.
03 of Contemporary Built-in Decor
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These built-in shelves are outfitted with uplighting, ensuring each item gets its rightful spotlight. Since the compartments are narrow, one item or small stacks of items are enough for each surface. This ensures that the decor doesn’t overwhelm the display and looks balanced. The items are kept contemporary to match the surrounding style.
04 of Earthy Shelf Display
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This earthy space is decked out in plants and warm hues from head to toe. Naturally, the built-in decor matches with plants draped in the nooks. Woven baskets and wooden candle holders help round out the natural elements. Meanwhile, brass accents balance out the muted decor with a homey shine.
05 of Clean Built-in Decor Idea
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This built-in keeps things classic with lots of clean lines and contrasting silhouettes. Line drawings with black frames are propped in various nooks to tie the display together. Plants, picture frames, and smaller globe-shaped elements offer more diverse shapes so that the overall look doesn’t feel sterile.
06 of White and Wood Layout
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White and wood are the name of the game in this display with woven baskets and warm-toned picture frames playing off the oaky surface above the drawers. Note that pops of red are brought in to brighten it up. The lesson? Choosing one color to accent a neutral palette can make a big difference in infusing a space with character.
07 of Rustic Built-in Shelves
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Rustic wooden shelves meet their match with rustic decor in this nook. A combination of dried plants and live plants provide earthiness some set in pots, vases, and even draped over the shelf’s edge. Simple decor in the form of glass vases and reed diffusers tops off the organic theme.
08 of Elegant Shelf Accessories
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Taking notes from its surroundings, the decor here is kept neutral and elegant. Gray-toned picture frames and baskets play off the carpet. Meanwhile, a big bunch of roses offer a pop of color. You can always switch out your blooms to update your built-ins seasonally or even weekly. Ambient light from candles completes the serene ambiance.
09 of Layered Frames and Miniature Plants
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Built-ins get a fresh finish in this living area. Miniature plants are dotted around for a hit of color and white ceramics and trays create cohesion. Note that the picture frames are all different sizes with some even layered over each other to provide visual balance.
10 of Travel-Inspired Showcase
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Forest green built-ins are decked out in academia-themed design here. Books and travel trinkets, like globes and line drawings, line the shelves. Some titles are kept to the left side, while some are stacked on the lower right side, creating conspicuous symmetry. It’s the small details that make a big difference!
11 of Soothing Built-in Decor
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Matte sage hue swaths over the back wall of this living room. Soothing tones of cream, gold, and pink are introduced in the decor to complement the muted color scheme. Notice that each color is used at least once on each shelf to create a unified palette. There are also a variety of textures, like ceramic, metal, and glass, for visual interest.
12 of Cottagecore Display Inspiration
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Creamy white paneling spans the backside of this built-in. To play off the woodsy texture, natural elements like potted branches and miniature trees decorate the surfaces. More traditional accessories, like rounded lamps and candelabras, round out the vibe.
13 of Nautical Built-in Shelves Decorating Ideas
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When you have symmetrical built-ins like these, it’s important to find cohesion points. For instance, white and woven baskets are featured on both shelves, though in different compartments. This achieves the delicate balance of establishing a theme while not appearing sterile. Other themed elements like nautical decor and book titles unify the look.
14 of Graphic Shelf Showcase
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Simple, bold accessories make a statement in this nook. Meaningful numbers and initials are easy starting points for a display. Here, they are featured in large picture frames and stand-alone metal pieces. A wooden theme also comes into play, with oaky trays on the bottom two shelves matching the wooden mantel above the fireplace nearby.
15 of Tiered Built-in Decor Idea
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A tiered decorating approach creates a sophisticated yet soft display in this living space. What exactly does that mean? The top shelf features fewer items set closer together in the middle. As the shelves go down, each one features more and more items spread further across each surface. This creates a pyramid-like shape that ends up looking balanced and intentional.
16 of Serene Shelf Display
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Serenity exudes from this shelf display. The accessories are kept in a simple palette of neutrals with pops of gold and brass sprinkled throughout. The accents are minimalist to make the shelves feel airy and open, with simple ceramics, dainty trinkets, and backward-facing books dotted throughout. Note that there is a lot of white space on each shelf you don’t need to fill every corner to make a display look complete.
17 of Balanced Compartments
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Symmetrical compartments offer an easy way to showcase accessories. In this space, each nook features different items and motifs so that it doesn’t feel overly precious though it’s set in the same palette for cohesion. Because the compartments are more narrow, only two or three items are displayed in each, so it doesn’t feel crowded.
18 of Natural Built-in Accessories
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These built-ins are coated in a soothing, earthy lime wash. To match the theme, the decor is also kept rustic and natural. Weathered pots and trays adorn the surfaces. Pops of red come through in the artwork and planters to highlight the warm tones. Brass candle holders and picture frames complete the look with a hit of shine.
19 of Motif-Laden Shelf Showcase
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A delicate balance of materials and colors allows this moody built-in to get a fresh look. Motifs are the trick here: ceramic and marble textures are seen in the lamp base and figurines. Meanwhile, woven jute is featured in the baskets and lampshade. Using the same materials in different forms makes the overall look feel fleshed out and satisfyingly unified.
20 of Moody Built-in Decor
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To complement the deep juniper hue of this built-in, the accessories feature lots of rich color and greenery with pops of white to brighten it up. Charcoal woven baskets bring out the depth of the moody palette. Plants, however, bring the display back to life with dangling ivy and glossy leaves. The ceramics feature a bit of old and new, with playful face-drawn vases placed above traditional European-style busts.
