Cheesy name… I know, but I got your attention, didn’t I?

There is a definite art to shelf styling and the design is in the details. Interior styling for my clients is probably one of my favorite things to do. I usually start decorating bookcases or shelves by having my clients round up their favorite pieces that they want to include. Next, I hit the stores to find a variety of items that I think will work in the design and will compliment their personal taste. I usually have a color palette or design style in mind ahead of time. I try to find a mix of shapes and textures to keep the eye moving from shelf to shelf seamlessly.

Design by Decorator Girl & Sheer Interiors

I always include vases of some sort into the scheme. Sometimes I find them in the stores or I hunt around at an antique shop to include some patina to the mixture, depending on the overall style direction. Vases are great because they can provide height without stealing the show. I also include picture frames or small art pieces in the equation so my clients can add their own personal touches as well. The most important thing that I always make sure to incorporate are BOOKS! After all, they are called bookshelves for a reason. If I don’t have any on hand, my local thrift store is a great place to start. Often times, I will turn the books on their side or backwards to remove any unwanted bold lettering on the spine or distracting colored covers. Books are great to lift up and highlight certain pieces and they are a great excuse to introduce some charming bookends.

The final pieces, or as I like to call them “Successories” really complete any design. This is true in shelf stying, or in any interior design scheme. These accessories, whether it is the art, curtains, pillows or home accent pieces, are the items that enhance the composition of your room and tie all of your ideas together. As I said before, it is all in the details.

The key to making the overall final picture look cohesive is to play around with the arrangement until you feel you have balance and harmony between all of the individual pieces. The best part about this is that there is no wrong answer! It is like a puzzle with an endless amount of solutions. I just play with the configuration until I am perfectly satisfied with the end result.

Rustic Mountain Home, Design by Sheer Interiors

Happy Styling!

The kitchen has always been the heart of the home but lately the trend in kitchen design is shifting to make them appear more like a living space in your home. Many of the more industrial features have begun to fade away and now we are seeing more open shelves with little to no upper cabinets, ‘furniture like’ lower cabinets, large center islands and open concept designs that integrate multiple spaces in one.

Ever been to a party and notice that you are spending most of your time hanging out in the kitchen? Well now, that is by design. There are a lot of tricks that designers are using to change how we perceive kitchens. First, appliances are being hidden into the design much better than they used to be. We use to always put the microwave above the oven but now they are being tucked away under the countertop or in a butlers panty. They have been replaced with beautiful statement hoods that usually sit atop a gorgeous range. Some designers are adding wood or antiquated mirrors overtop of the refrigerator to hide the stainless steel that we are used to seeing.

Kitchen islands are becoming the new command center as they continue to grow and expand. Even countertop manufacturers are taking notice and many of the quartz companies are creating extra large slabs for a seamless look.

Finally, the design of cabinets have made a major shift as well. The upper cabinets are starting to disappear and we are seeing the emergence of open shelves and doorless or wireframe cabinets. Even the lower cabinets are changing. There has been a rise of additional drawers over doors and many people are adding ‘feet’ on the bottom to make parts of the kitchen look like furniture.

While not all of these concepts are brand new, it seems that many of them are here to stay as they continue to get integrated into many new and remodeled kitchens.