Looking for open shelf styling ideas that leave room for your everyday things? Stacked bowls, favorite photos and a few leafy plants give you plenty to work with.
These shelves mix useful storage with pretty little details, from burgundy kitchen dishes to a sweet nursery display.
You can keep things simple or fill your shelves with collections. Start with what you want to display, then try a few of the arrangements below.
I especially love the ideas that let ordinary dishes be part of the decor.
Shelf styling ideas worth saving
burgundy dishes and cream pitchers
We’re starting off strong with these gorgeous burgundy and cream dishes. I love the dark scalloped plate behind the mug, plus those purple-tinted goblets.
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Try standing a favorite serving plate behind your smaller bowls. The upright cutting boards here give you another pretty way to fill the back of a shelf.
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staggered shelves and little frames
How cute is this wall of little displays? The shelves sit at different heights, with framed photos, botanical pictures and trailing greenery spread between them.
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If you want to try this with your own photos, mix a few upright books into the arrangement. You don’t need a large picture on every shelf.
striped jugs and stacked bowls
If you are looking for something simple to arrange, this one is for you. Two handled jugs sit beside a landscape picture, with white dishes grouped on the shelf below.
I especially love the little striped pot on top of the plates. Try keeping one smaller piece at the top of a stack rather than lining everything up separately.
black vases and botanical pictures
I am obsessed with these black handled vases. The pale flowers on the top shelf and dark branches below look so pretty against the white shelving.
There are little tree pictures, book stacks and a gold-colored bowl too. Pick a few black frames if you want to bring that same dark detail through your display.
pale shelves and little bells
This may just be one of my favorite neutral arrangements here. I love the tiny bells on stands beside the landscape picture.
The ferns and rounded pots are lovely too.
Don’t feel like you have to fill every gap. There’s open space between the groups on these shelves, even with all those different pieces.
rows of labeled pantry jars
Don’t want to add pictures or decorative vases to your pantry? No problem there! These clear jars make the food itself part of the display.
The matching black labels are my favorite little detail. Try using the same label style across your jars while choosing sizes that suit what you store.
white towels and amber bottles
This is a pretty way to arrange bathroom essentials. Rolled white towels sit above folded stacks, with amber bottles alongside them and two baskets at the bottom.
Try rolling your smaller towels and folding the larger ones, just like this. That little change gives you two different arrangements without adding extra decor.
gold accents and a rooster print
How cute is that rooster picture? The gold-colored frame looks lovely above the matching pair of mills on the lower shelf.
White bowls and pale book stacks keep the rest simple. If you want to follow this look, start with one playful kitchen picture rather than a whole row of artwork.
scalloped plates and floral details
I love this mix of white dishes and clear footed glasses. The little floral-patterned dish in front is just too pretty.
There’s a landscape picture tucked behind the stacks too. Try adding one small patterned piece among your plain dishes if you want a similar look.
an ornate mirror and flowering branches
If you are looking for a shelf with lots of little details, then this one is for you. There’s an ornate mirror, a small clock, framed pictures and rows of brown books.
I especially love the flowering branches in the tall ribbed vase. A shorter arrangement like the one on the bottom would be another option if you have less space above your shelf.
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white mugs against green tile
This coffee nook is so pretty! The white mugs sit in little rows against the green tiles, with a horse picture and a large brown vase up top.
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Keep your own mugs together if you want to borrow the arrangement. A single framed print beside them is enough to make the shelf feel more personal.
butterfly art and hanging brushes
The butterfly picture may be my favorite part of this little corner. It sits behind white bowls and pitchers, with a small dark clock tucked beside the dishes.
Below the shelves, brushes and square potholders hang from a row of hooks. If you need extra room, a hook rail could give suitable everyday pieces their own spot.
matching baskets along the bottom
Don’t want every shelf to be full of tiny decorations? No problem!
Three large handled baskets fill the bottom row here, while the upper shelves mix boxes, vases and books.
I love the tall white vase with those airy branches. Keep something tall on the top shelf if you want to try that same arrangement.
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handled vases and stacked brown boxes
This is another black-framed shelf, but the smaller groups give it a different look. I love the pair of mottled handled vases sitting together on a book.
The brown boxes and pale bookends are worth a closer look too. Try leaving a gap between your books and boxes instead of stretching them across the whole shelf.
a teddy bear and tiny keepsakes
Aww, how sweet is this nursery display? The teddy bear sits beside a framed ultrasound picture, with a white star tucked in front of the bear print.
The lower ledge has a footprint picture, a hand-shaped keepsake and a little toy car. You could make a similar display with a few meaningful pieces of your own, placed securely out of a child’s reach.
colorful cookbooks and blue flowers
If you love a little color, this one is for you. The cookbook spines run from reds and yellows through greens, blues and pale neutrals.
I am obsessed with the blue floral pitcher beside the colorful flower picture. Try pulling a color from your artwork into one or two shelf pieces, like the blue lidded pot here.
green garland and red ribbon
How cute is this Christmas shelf? The green garland drapes across the top and down the side, with gold-colored bells and a long red ribbon.
Little houses surround a nativity scene below. If you want to dress up an existing shelf for the holidays, try a garland along the frame and a small seasonal display on one level.
baskets in every shape
The basket fans are going to love this! There are tall baskets on the floor, smaller round ones on the shelves and a shallow rectangular tray holding pitchers.
I love that the shapes don’t all match. Try grouping your smaller containers in a tray like this rather than spreading them across the entire shelf.
a dark corner with leafy plants
This corner shelf has such a lovely mix of dark vases, pale books and leafy plants. The little landscape picture tucked onto the upper shelf is a favorite detail.
Try switching between upright books and short horizontal stacks as you move down your shelves. There’s room for a basket and a small framed photo here too.
green shelves and everyday brushes
Last but definitely not least, we have these green utility shelves. I love the white brush holder against that deep green background!
Folded cloths, baskets and rows of spray bottles fill the rest.
Try giving brushes their own upright container like the one here. It’s a simple detail to borrow without needing extra decorative pieces.