Shelf Styling: Restoration Hardware Look for Less!

The RH Source Book is one of my favorite catalogs to get in the mail and this year I thought it would be fun to take some inspiration from the pages & show you how I styled my shelves with a similar look... but for waaaaay less of course!

This monochromatic palette was so fun to work with! For the built-in shelf on the left side of my fireplace I did the white/cream tones and on the right I went with the black/grey tones. Here are a few helpful tips for shelf styling with a monochromatic palette.

• Subtle changes in color make a big difference! Even though it's technically a "monochromatic" color scheme, you still want to have some slight variation in color for interest-- I used a very pale blue/white tone and also a creamy/ivory mixed in with the pure whites. These little variations keep it from getting boring! Be sure to use at least 2-3 items of each tone you bring in.
• Repetition is your friend! I like to take an item (like on the top row of each of these built-ins) and just repeat the same item! This repetition gives your eye a rest and brings some balance & symmetry which is refreshing amidst the other varying pieces. You can also see that I used the same books for a clean, simple aesthetic. You can use dictionaries or other sets of books to achieve a similar look.
• Natural vs. Manmade. I always like to try and mix in some natural elements like the geode & marble accents to give a grounded feel. They help keep the look from feeling too "store bought".
• Texture, always texture! I am fairly certain that texture is my most used word when it comes to design. I can't stress enough how important it is to bring texture in-- especially when you're working with neutral tones! In this case the rough texture of the pottery style urns on the top shelf, the natural texture of the geode, the beads in the jar, the carved marble mortar & pestle, and the raffia woven box do the trick! Not every piece needs to have texture, but mix them in throughout for some variation & interesting detail.
• Diversify your shapes! When using a monochromatic color palette you also want to make sure that you have interesting shapes. I brought in the ceramic star, the knot objects, the marble horse heads, the jug vases, some metal shaped objects, the wooden links and the unique bookends for some shapes that helped mix it up!

Also, it takes some time to get the placement looking awesome so just move things around and stand back to see what may need adjusting. You want to aim for balance, but there's more than one right way to achieve that! You can see a video with more tips under my "RH Inspired" highlights on instagram!

Get the look! White/Cream Monochromatic:

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Get the look! Black/Grey Monochromatic:

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photos taken by Kristina Bills