2.7.13

Bookshelf Styling (Before and After Pictures)


After I posted our Living Room Ikea Hack, I received the sweetest email from my real estate photographer, Thea Menagh.   The subject read: "Voila - Corner Trim all done... let me know if there's anything else I can do for ya..." and she attached a picture of our bookshelves (above) that she had edited to "paint the trim" for us.  Thanks Thea!  Now, if only you could do something about our exposed ducts... ;)

For those of you who have been following, you'll remember that we kept the accessories and clutter in the condo to a minimum and embraced a more minimal style.  This post will give you an idea, since it includes some photos.

For our new/old house, we still want a clean look but we also want it to feel cozy and ... well, like our home!  Here, we can express our individual tastes and display objects that hold meaning to us.  Barkley supervised as I styled our new shelves with such objects.

 
I tried to follow a few basic "rules" such as:
  • Group objects in odd numbers or in an odd number of clusters, three being best.
  • Try to mix short, tall and sculptural (funny-shaped) objects on each shelf.
  • Break up the different colours and textures.
  • Try to keep the theme somewhat cohesive without being too matchy-matchy.
I did my best to keep the rules in mind without being too rigid.  I also arranged items casually since I know I can  move them at any point.  I wanted the living room to feel relaxed and we're not the kind of people who will freak out if a guest picks something up from a shelf so I tried to keep it fun.
 
Now what we have is a shelf that displays many memories, including: objects collected on holidays; gifts from friends and family; photography from a talented friend; paintings from artists we enjoy; favourite books; remnants from the condo; fossils and soapstone carvings from my grandmother; a vintage camera from Corey's grandfather; and many other items that remind us of who we are.
 
Here are the shelves now.  Please excuse the paint swatches on the walls. :)
 


 
We think the living room is beginning to feel really cozy and I'm getting excited to paint the room.  The shelves aren't finished but, I think the beauty lies in the fact that they never will be.  We'll probably change them from time to time.  What do you think?
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