How to Use Pictures & Wall Shelves
You can use pictures and wall shelves to design a focal point or a vignette, to showcase your photos, books and collectibles and to fill in a narrow space beside a fireplace or in an alcove. Combining these two elements in your home décor allows you to highlight your photos or favorite photos, artwork and collectibles in a variety of interesting ways. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Hang pictures and shelves together on a wall to create a wallscape that fits the décor in your room. Center a large picture on the wall and hang one or more shelves on both sides. Keep the arrangement symmetrical with the shelves in line vertically across the wallscape and horizontally on the same side to create a focal point in the room. You can also create a vignette in a smaller area if you center a row of small pictures between two vertical wall shelves; place a single picture centered between and off to the side of the shelves to create a wider wallscape.
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Arrange pictures on your wall shelves based on the height of the space between the shelves and the size of the picture frame. Framed photos with back stands are the most flexible option because you can rearrange them easily. Try placing your pictures on top of books that are lying flat and stacked on the shelves. This is especially useful with smaller frames that may be lost standing alone. Use large pictures sparingly on your shelves, or create a gallery. Combine books, pictures, collectibles and other knickknacks to create an eclectic expression of your individuality. You can also use the shelves as support for a framed photo wall, adding a few collectibles or other small treasures as an accent.
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Fill in a narrow vertical space with three to five wall shelves stacked in a row. Hang horizontally framed landscape pictures to simulate the view from a window on the wall between the shelves. The pictures should fill the space between the shelves almost as if they were wallpaper. Add rope lighting against the wall beneath the pictures and arrange colorful and translucent glass art objects on the shelves to capture the light. Decorate your shelves as you like, but leave enough space between and around your objects for the "view" to be intriguing.
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Tips & Warnings
Paint the wall behind the shelves and the horizontal landscape photos any shade that complements the colors in the landscape.
Make sure that you hang shelves properly to support the weight of your collectibles and pictures. Insert at least one of the screws you use to attach the shelves into a wall stud for optimum support.
