Shelf Styling for Fall with Copper

As the seasons change, I usually find myself inspired to rework spots throughout my home. Like many of you, I absolutely enjoy swapping out table scapes and porch decor, but I think I enjoy dreaming up new ways to style my shelves most of all! The shelves on the right side of this amazing white cabinet (which I pulled out of a barn two years ago) have been one of my favorite spots to ‘re-style’ lately. This piece sits right in our kitchen and I enjoy keeping it nice and fresh year round. With that in mind, I thought I would share with you a few tips on how I approach shelf styling for fall! I will walk you through how I created this space.

TIP #1 – Always Start With An Empty Space

This is something that works well for me. I usually just take everything out of the cuboard and off of the shelves. From there I decided what pieces I want to rework back into the space and what pieces I want to pack away for another time. The ‘clean slate’ allows my brain to start fresh!

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TIP #2 – Decide On The Items You Want To Use

I gather inspiration for my home in many places. From the pages of Instagram to the the great outdoors, I seem to be constantly inspired. A few months back I spotted the most gorgeous copper piece with the most gorgeous patina. As soon as I saw it’s beautiful weathered color I fell in love and I knew that piece would be the perfect nod to fall. This single piece of copper is the inspiration for this space.

In addition to using copper, I decided to bring in some dark woods, stained ironstone, and brown stoneware. This color combination will allow the unique shades of copper to really pop while also maintaining interest.

TIP #3 – Gather Your Items

I have a huge collection of vintage and antique finds that I have been gathering for many years. With that said, it is very easy for me to ‘shop my home and my garage’ for fresh decor when the feeling strikes. For example, since finding that perfect copper piece months ago, I have been slowly growing my copper collection. Now I have many pieces to choose from. The same goes for the dark woods and the ironstone too.

After deciding on what I want to work with, I will usually create ‘piles’ of those things so that I can clearly see my options and so that I know what I am working with. Also it is important to note that I always pull out more than I think I will need! This ensures that I will have options!

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TIP #4 – Begin Styling Your Items

This is the fun part but it does involve some trail and error. I have found that shelf styling isn’t always a quick process and that it involves a lot of time shifting things around. But, I also find that shelf styling is a process that allows my creativity to soar and I love that!

add in the large items

I always start with my largest items first. I place them where I feel they look the best. While I do know a bit about visual weight and balance, I do not follow any “rules.” I just go with what is pleasing to my personal eye.

Here, I wanted to ‘set the stage’ for my beautiful copper collection by using bigger wooden items. I felt the dark wood tones would really help to show off the patina and beauty of the copper pieces. Also, the larger pieces help to ‘break up’ the visual space of all the copper so that the copper doesn’t look cluttered all together.

add in the focal point

Using the large items as a guide, I placed my copper collection in and around the larger pieces. I tried to keep things visually interesting by varying the height of the copper and by layering them into the shelves in an interesting way. Don’t be afraid to layer pieces in front of other pieces – that adds depth. Also, I always try to make sure that my groupings aren’t exactly the same and I take into consideration the entire space, not just each shelf individually. The composition of the whole space is important, so don’t forget to take a step back and examine your process form afar.

add in the supporting pieces

Often times, I like to elevate my spaces by adding in some supporting pieces. Here I used my collection of stained ironstone and a few pieces of brown stoneware to help me complete this look. I felt the stained ironstone was visually interesting without taking away from the copper and the brown stoneware also added interest without overpowering the space. These pieces are really good to help fill in gaps. They also help to give the entire space a cohesive look. Finally, I did add in a few extra items to ‘raise’ up some of the shorter pieces. For example, I used a neutral kitchen scale on the bottom shelf to raise the copper tea pot so that it could be seen. I also tucked in a few wooden boxes as well for height.

TIP #5 – Add In Texture

I usually try to use natural elements as texture and that was very easy to do in this space. I simply filled a few copper pots with some dried straw and I also added in some dried blooms! My favorite natural touch was the white pumpkin! In addition, I also hung an old grain sack over the door to add some texture and interest to the left side of the space. I love adding natural elements all around my home, especially during the fall. (Come see how I added natural texture to my fall coffee table.)

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RECREATE THE LOOK

While you currently may not be able to fill an entire cabinet full of copper at the moment, you can still recreate this look! Even with just a few pieces of copper you can create a cozy fall shelf anywhere in your home. Keep your eyes peeled for a few copper pieces that speak to you when you are out shopping and when you are ready just follow the steps above!

CONCLUSION

Shelf styling is one of my very favorite things to do and I really have enjoyed the process this fall. While I have not officially been trained in design, I do really love creating and showing off my personal style. My hope is that you will take a chance on a piece of beautifully weathered copper and that you will be inspired to recreate this look and maybe give a shot at shelf styling for fall.

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GET THE LOOK:

*this post includes affiliate links

Are you interested in filling your shelves with vintage copper? I have included a few ‘vintage copper’ options for you here:

EXTRA FALL FUN

I am excited to be teaming up with some amazing other bloggers who are sharing all sorts of fall inspiration.

Simply click on the Blog Name to follow their tour!

My Rustic House Blog

Olde Tyme Marketplace

Crisp Collective

The Ponds Farmhouse

Table for 5 Please

Down Shiloh Road

Orchard Slope

She Gave It A Go

Itty Bitty Farmhouse

The Little White Farmhouse Chckgeek

Our Signature Swag

Jordecor

Caligirl in a Southern World