Principles of Styling

Styling tips are some of my most frequent questions and requests from friends and family. I think it’s important to say that you should first and foremost have fun with it - don’t over think it and be open to playing with the concept of styling. We could get lost in a granular level of detail on the “art of styling”, but I think it’s best to start with a few foundational principles for you to build upon as you become more comfortable. And remember, you don’t always need to go shopping for new trinkets and objects - most of the time so many amazing styling objects are already in your home {think: books, artwork, framed family photos, plates, bowls, mementos from your travels, mirrors, candles, etc.}.

Before you begin styling your credenza or shelves consider these few principles: First, you’ll want to think in terms of groupings and depending on the length of your shelves or surface you might want to group your objects in a series of two or three or more groupings. (Note: groupings are best created with three objects in each, but this is, by no means, an absolute equation, as you’ll see in my content that I don’t always follow this “rule”.) Next, when grouping your objects try to pair items that vary in texture, height and color to create a curated look. And finally, I always tell my clients to take context into account - so if you are styling shelves in a dining room that you entertain in often you may want to incorporate items that are both appealing to the eye and funtionable to accommodate for the real aspects of your day-to-day life. In other words, layer in a stack of plates, a couple rows of your favorite glassware, or a collection of frequently used cookbooks. Not everything has to be Pinterest ready; after all, home is meant to be lived in.