When it comes to shelving units, cube shelves seem to be the most stylish trend these days. They constitute a sophisticated way to display your books and baubles, and let’s not forget they can be adapted to almost any decorative style. However, let’s face it: They can be a bit tricky. Their smooth and regular lines tend to highlight any design fumbles and also your less-than-pristine housekeeping.
So this can be a good option if you are the type of person who likes to keep things clean and modern. The trick is to coordinate all the elements to make a stunning, harmonious arrangement.
Spruce Up Your Cube Shelves In 3 Easy Steps
You don’t need to be a designer to pull this off. All you really need is a little elbow grease and a bit of good taste. And don’t even think about having to spend a lot of money. Are you ready? Here we go!
Step One: Freshen Things Up
The first thing you need to do, especially if your shelves have been around for some time, is clean all greasy fingerprints and paint away all the scuff marks. Then, choose a base color to set off the interiors: black or deep brown hues give a conventional and stately feel, so they are a perfect choice for a home library, a study or a formal living room; on the other side, white shelving is a bit more relaxed and whimsical.
A good wood finishing or a faux wood grain will give the piece a classic touch. However, pay special attention to the harmony between the shades of wood, so you can be sure that your choice will go with the rest of your wooden furniture. For instance, if everything else is made of warm rosewood, don’t give your shelves a faux-blonde wood treatment. You want your home to look well-coordinated, not like a thrift store showroom.
Step Two: Add a Pop of Color
Add interest to your cube shelves by painting the inner panels in a different color: what we usually like to call an accent color. This will make the compartments stand out against the base color, producing a vibrant and contemporary flair. The right combinations can make all the difference and make your “new” shelving unit look perfect, so be sure to give it some thought.
Also, before you do any repainting, test a few color swatches and see how they go together with your walls and your furniture. It’s important to stick to one accent color per room, but you can then use this color in different shades or choose another undertone to go with it. Be careful because three or four different shades can be too colorful, so you might want to limit that sort of combination to children’s rooms.
If you’re going for elegance with that can match your current floating shelves or dark shelving, choose a conservative accent for the cube unit. In this case, lemon yellow or mocha are amazing choices, but white shelves will look stunning with brights or pastels. When choosing the colors, try to be a little adventurous. Here’s an example: instead of the usual mint green, try a light aquamarine or a fresh lime tint; instead of a tired pastel pink, go for cerise or a cheerful salmon.
And what about this idea? Instead of just painting, you can also line the shelves with printed backing paper. It will surely add some energy to the overall design. Just choose a few prints that match the unit’s base color or accent shade. When the pattern is chosen, measure the inner panels and cut the paper according to the results. Then, stick the paper in place with double-sided tape or water based glue. Before covering all the cubes, leave a few compartments in a plain color to keep things grounded.
Step 3: Carefully Arrange Your Stuff
“Carefully arrange” doesn’t mean “heap everything you can”, okay? Most people make the mistake of filling their shelves with all sorts of whatnots and that can be really messy, as well as very difficult to maintain. If you want your shelves to look amazing, you have to be wise about what you put in them. You can start by leaving out everything that clashes with your color scheme: your goal is to create more visual appeal, not to make a shrine of your favorite things.
When organizing your books, it will look neater if you group all the items with approximately the same height. Then place them in the same compartment with bookends or stack them horizontally. This doesn’t mean, again, that you need to fill an entire cube with books. As a matter of fact, it looks better to leave an empty inch or two on either side. Move any remaining books to another cube.
As far as baubles and picture frames are concerned, remember that less is more. Place only one large object or a couple of smaller items per cube. This is where you must suppress the urge to squeeze everything in. Alternate your books with baubles and keep moving things around until you achieved an arrangement that looks right according to your taste and our tips.
If you really, really must keep certain things on a shelf – things that don’t really match your design, but serve some function – don’t fret. Get a few trays or baskets that fit snugly into your shelves and turn a few compartments into makeshift drawers. This trick is an absolute life-saver for kid’s rooms. It also helps keep small things organized in the living room or kitchen, but make sure to get coordinated colors. When looking for these wonderful pieces, try to find pretty cardboard boxes or fabric trays for the bedroom and weave baskets in neutral hues to the common areas.
Clever Design Tricks Make Stunning Interiors
You don’t need a lot of cash to prettify your home, all you need is some imagination and a good eye for detail. These helpful hints can turn your cube shelves, or other shelves such as glass shelves, into an eye-catching focal point with minimal expenses and minimum hassle. You’re probably excited to get things going, so let’s see you work your magic!
