Vintage Shelf Decor In The Living Room

I decided to rework the white shelves upstairs in the living room. Come see all the vintage shelf decor that I just added and how it all turned out!

It’s that time of year again, when all of the Christmas trimmings have been packed away and the tug for refreshed spaces is undeniable! As we inch towards spring, a time of ‘renewal,’ I feel that it is only normal to want to rework areas here and there around the home in an effort to keep things feeling fresh and new.

For me, and for many of you, this “in between” season that happens right after the holidays is a time for simplifying. Editing areas of our lives – including areas around our home. I have been editing several areas around the house these last few weeks and I wanted to share another one of those areas here with you today. Last week I tackled our upstairs living room shelves and I filled them with tons of my favorite vintage shelf decor!

Shelf Color

These shelves in our upstairs living room are one of my very favorite spots in our home. I actually painted these shelves by myself at the very start of the pandemic. It was a productive way to spend my time during the lockdown when we were all staying home. I ordered Fusion Mineral Paint online in this color and peacefully took my time painting each and every nook and cranny with three coats! I loved doing this project (over the span of a few weeks) during that crazy time – it helped me to stay grounded and gave me a purpose. And I really have enjoyed the outcome of this project – the white shelves really help to make my vintage shelf decor POP!

The Shelves “Before”

Over the holidays, I displayed all of my Vintage Santas on these white shelves (I called this the “Great Wall Of Santa” and you can see how that looked here). After the holidays (and after removing all of the Santas), I took advantage of the empty shelves by giving them a deep clean and then lived with the empty shelves for a while. I waited to restyle them with “everyday decor” until I felt inspired and a few days ago inspiration finally hit … and when it did I decided to get to work!

What I Used

I decided to shop my house and I used the things that I already had. There are a couple places in my house where I store things when they aren’t on display – I have a closet where I store a lot of my extra decor pieces and many larger items that I am not using are in the garage as well. I pulled vintage decor from those two spots (I even pulled many of the things that were on these shelves before I did the Santa Wall) and also brought in a few newer items that I had recently purchased like the raw wood goose that I had purchased at an antique store. However, because that same space was packed with Santas for the last several weeks (which I loved, don’t get me wrong), I really wanted to focus on layering in ‘less’ in order to make a bigger ‘change.’

I intentionally left more ‘blank’ space around the shelves than I have previously and I like the way that it turned out. Having those moments of “pause” in and around the shelves helps really helps to make the beauty of each item shine.

Vintage Shelf Decor In The Living Room

My Process

I have shared my shelf styling tips several times here on the blog. For example, this blog post explains my “step by step” process, but to recap:

• I really like to start with a clear and clean space. I love to dust off and wipe down all the surfaces before I jump in!
• I then like to pull out all of the items that I want to use so that I can ‘see’ them easily. That way I know what I am working with!
• Next, I like to add my larger ‘structures’ or pieces first. Here, that would include things like the larger crocks and the substantial wooden boxes. This helps to create those moments of pause within all of the small pieces and helps to break up the monotony of the numerous white shelves.
• Then I like to add in all of my supporting items. This includes all of the smaller pieces that I want to incorporate. Often these will be seasonal items – but here, on these white shelves, I used things like smaller crocks, books and bowls.
• I like to add in some texture next. Here I added in things like plants and baskets to go along with the crocks and books.
• Finally, I like to add in “moments of discovery” from time to time. These would be things that you would see that may be ‘unexpected.” For example, here I added in my fun “scissor bouquet”.

A Quick Reminder

I always am using these old wooden boxes. I used them here in a variety of ways: to break up all of the white, as a riser, in a stack, etc. I will usually spin them around and show their ‘bare wood back sides’ in order keep the space cohesive. Below, you can see that just spun this box around to avoid seeing the really cool (but colorful) orange label. There are certainly times when I want the label to be seen, but not today in these shelves! Turning the box around allows you to still see all that great patina of the old wood and helps to keep that entire space look “organized” because these ‘wood pops’ are scattered throughout the shelves!

Recreate The Look

Here are some things from around the web that you can shop to recreate these shelves in your own home. These are all things that I would happily add onto my own white shelves! Remember, always check the details of the dimensions when you are purchasing something online – things can appear larger or smaller than they actually are (ask me how I know this – HA)!

One More Cool Thing

Above, I spoke about having a few moments of discovery in and around these shelves to help keep things interesting! Well, I wanted to share this interesting piece that you can’t really see. I am sharing the coolest old Coffee Sampler that I was able to purchase from a sweet IG pal. I loved how unique it was and I wanted to share it here with you all.

Below, you can see how I simply styled it by putting it right on top of that box that I spun around! It is a match made in heaven!

Wrap Up

If you follow me over on Instagram then you will know that I love to share vintage shelf decorating ideas. I love to style shelves and I love to share the process with all of you. Thank you for being here and for enjoying these shelves as much as I do! Oh, and if you enjoyed this post you might like to see: these shelves in the kitchen or these shelves in the dining room! Again, thank you for loving vintage shelf decor as much as I do.

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