apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

From the outlets and the depth of the lower "shelf" - it appears that this is intended to be a workspace rather than a place to put little tshotchkes...

...so use it for what it's intended - Put your computer, phone, etc here and use the shelves for books, binders and magazine boxes.

Seems to me like the various pieces are all jumbled together, and also that there's a lot of wasted space there. (Then again, I say this as a jealous NYer with never enough space for the things crammed into my tiny Brooklyn apartment.)

My suggestion would be to be add three to four more shelves, which would allow you to space out your keepsakes so each has more visual impact, and have space for more if you end up needing more places for books or other items as life goes on.

Alternately, I'd suggest using the bottom area as-is for a small, lovely Indian wooden embellished chest/cabinet, which could provide storage for shoes, or board games, or photo albums, etc.)

Ask the landlord if you can paint the wall between shelves a contrasting color. That last shelf does look like a good place for a laptop. Also, some neutral canvas boxes would be great to organize stuff on the shelves.

Wrote a longer comment that for some reason got lost. So, briefly:

If you don't want to use it as a work area, then add three to four more shelves, allowing you to space out your keepsakes, giving each more visual impact, providing more open storage for additional items, and eliminating the huge gaping white space between each shelf.

Alternately, if you keep it as-is, perhaps use the bottom area for a beautiful Indian or other Southeast Asian-inspired wooden chest/cabinet, which could provide storage for family photo albums, shoes, board games, whatever.

I don't necessarily think it's crowded. Maybe painting the spaces between the shelves a different color would set things off better? If you can't paint, perhaps putting up some cloth? I think the key here is to create some contrast. (:

The top shelf looks best because your things are not all clustered on the level of the shelf. The middle shelf would look better if the pictures were hung on the wall instead of leaning on it.

Hi -

First, yes the shelves do look cluttered. I would suggest hanging all the pictures that are on the middle shelf in the space above that shelf in a grid (after all, no on says you can't hang pictures on the walls behind shelves). I know that there are a lot of Indian textiles that are beautiful, so I would also suggest maybe hanging some on the walls behind the shelves just to make that space a little less empty and stark. I think on shelves so far apart, larger objects would be better. On the floor, how about a large basket (or stack of baskets), or chest that you could also use for storage?

Or, perhaps put a comfy chair in front of the shelves and create a reading nook. You could have a nice floor lamp since you have an outlet.

Anyway, I love to see the "afters", so let us know if you take any of these suggestions!

A person after my own heart! Too many small things, but aren't they cool anyhow!?

I'd find something to put in the floor space -- maybe a wine rack, maybe some free standing shelves, maybe a plant, maybe velcro a plain color curtain to the underside of the bottom shelf and hide stuff behind it... But it needs some visual weight down there, in my opinion.

For your small decorative items, I'd definitely find a way to stagger the heights. You could use decorative boxes (or plain ones) like display pedestals to raise things to different heights, making each item seem more significant. Use the flat, less important things as wall art (attach to the wall if possible -- if light enough, maybe poster tac putty would do.) Organize them in groups so multiple things look like one grouping. Then put the sculptural things in front.

You might want to edit some things out, too. Up to you!

One other idea would be to add one larger thing (probably on the wall since the shelves look shallow) on each shelf to kind of pull everything together.

Finally, I'd take down the three plaques on the narrow section of wall -- with so many little things IN the shelves, those just compete -- give your eye a place to rest.

I will channel Christopher Lowell for a moment, and say you need risers! You can probably display most or all of those things without looking too cluttered, but you need them all at different levels to move the eye around. You can spend some $ and get some wood blocks or Lucite stands or something, or you can just stick cardboard boxes or whatever you've got under a piece of fabric - check out some AT posts on creating vignettes for more tips...

How fun. I would start by using wrapping paper or fabric as wallpaper, different designs above each shelf and in the space below. I would use some cool storage baskets or bins on the floor and fill them with books, blankets etc.. or like the first comment, use the first shelf as a work space or vanity. This will give you a reason to buy a cool chair! I love that you are using your Indian Heritage, the problem here is you need more dimension, different shapes and sizes and more depth. It would be wonderful to make each shelf a diorama but you would lose what may be precious storage space.
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a. Repeat after me: "I'm so lucky!"
b. Put a potted plant at the bottom that doesn't need much on the way of natural light (unless what you have in front of the shelves is natural light, then go nuts!)

As a big proponent of lighting being the single most important thing, the first thing I'd recommend is adding some lighting.

If you're maintaining it as a display shelf, I'd steer away from adding too many more shelves (unless you're able to divide it into squares, then I'm all for it)

From the looks of it, it looks like the shelves are wooden and removable, resting on wooden supports? It would be easy to drill through (and replace later if you have to) and wire up a cheap pot light in each of the shelves.

I would also try to get a few taller items in there to balance it and fill it more, especially the middle shelf. I'd also take a few pieces out of the middle shelf, it's just too much to take in and the eye has no idea where to go.

As for the bottom shelf, I'd maybe attach some nice fabric to make a kind of curtain, which you could throw clutter behind for storage. It'd work even better if you could match the fabric with some paint.. but as a renter, maybe not :)

Using this space as a work/websurfing/blogging area is a good idea. I'd put an ottoman (with storage) under the first shelf and paint the wall between the shelves. The upper shelves could be used for some books and a couple of pictures and keepsakes. The key is to keep it simple, so that each piece looks special.

More shelves!
Take some small shelves and put them on the lower two shelves. Staggering the heights of your little things is key. Right now there are too many too close together and it is hard to focus.

You could also get a tension rod and fabric and use the bottom space as concealed storage. Who can't use more of that? (if it was a house, i'd probably put doors, but it's not)

I agree with the people that suggested Risers and\or hanging things on the upper shelves on the walls. everything is very low profile for such a tall space on each shelf. I assume since you're in an apartment you probably won't be able to add more shelves... varying height of stuff on the existing ones would be the way to go, then.

The top shelf looks great. The other two just need the items that can go up on the wall to go up on the wall and it will fill everything out while de-cluttering too. If you are allowed to paint, I would make the back wall of the niche a nice rich color, and add some lights to the underside of the shelves for some polish to the final presentation.

Treat the lowest shelf like a desktop as some had mentioned. Include a lamp or two.
Fill the floor-to-shelf space with an upholstered storage stool (try West Elm).
Paint the back wall an accent color.
Hang a painting or print on the back wall of the "desk" section.
For upper shelves, many fewer things of a much larger scale.
Take the three small Egyptian-ish pieces off the adjoining sliver of wall.
Done! :)

OR:
Use for utilitarian storage and cover with a drapery panel. Use the space below to wall mount a Dustbuster.

Yes, it looks cluttered. I think you know this. :-)

The only thing one sees is the collection, not the items. This is like seeing the forest, but not the individual trees. Assuming you want to see unique selections, you'll need to edit the collection down. Think "curated," like a museum or art gallery display.

1. Edit. Choose the best. Rotate pieces in and out if you must, but yes, there is too much.

2. I would get all of the items off the shelf, and arrange the final selections on the wall over the shelves. I'd also align them on the wall to either the right or left, and then balance the collage on the opposite side with large white ceramics on the shelves. They should be at least 1/2 to 3/4 the total height between two shelves. Consider a trio of slim vases, or one large, curvy or gourd shaped vase. If you want to arrange items on centered on the wall, balance them with low, wide ceramics like bowls.

Further, I would think about the space between the shelves as divided into fifths. That is, there is an upper two fifths, a middle fifth, and a lower two fifths space. The top and bottom fifth should remain empty -- negative sapce. Keep items displayed in the upper middle fifths if you use vases, or in the middle three fifths if you use bowls.

3. There is a trio of silhouettes on the wall to the left. Align them in one line. Think symmetry. Remove the Potpourri bowl and the glass votive globe from the ledge. The lamp and the photo frame are plenty, though I'd consider putting the lamp on a shelf and leaving the ledge completely empty. It's good to have spaces with nothing as a contrast to the embelished spaces. Otherwise, the eye is just overwhelmed and nothing stands out as special.

My first thoughts were:

Wall mount some of the light picture type things to fill in the blank space between shelves, or get something big, that makes the space a focal point. If you dont want to mark anything on your walls, you could get a blank canvas at an art store or a large cork board and stand it on the shelf leaning against the wall, and use pins or tacks to mount the light pieces to it. If you were feeling super adventurous, cover the cork board with a bright fabric using a staple gun.

Use books/glasses/upturned vases/small covered storage boxes to create different heights on the shelves, and allow things to spread out a little.

Use velcro tape or pins to cover the area under the bottom shelf with sari fabric and make hidden storage (this really depends on what else you need in your apartment....)

I would move the round candle thing to the top shelf to echo the curve up top.

i love all the beautiful items but ... i am so jealous of that space as an office! it's got electricity, cable, lighting, shelving, and it's nice and compact so it can't spread all over the house. i am going to vote for turning it into an office and displaying the pretty items elsewhere on walls and tables throughout your home where you'll see each one individually and they'll be more noticeable. lucky!

jplee said EXACTLY what i was thinking. -shelving, color, etc

& if you are indian, how about bringing some jewel tones in there?

but yes, as is, it looks cluttered b/c the pieces don't stand out as individual objects, it's just a bunch of stuff.

I have built in shelves like these in my kitchen (which solves most of the question of what to put on them). I'm looking for some pull out storage for the space between the floor and bottom shelf. I'll use mine for recycling. I suppose what you would do depends on where your shelves are. I think that shoe storage is a great idea.

As for the clutter: Your things are best arranged in a way that makes you happy. I think that they way your items are grouped is beautiful and makes sense. What would bother me is the white spaces between shelves.

If I were you I'd hang your icon collection (on the center shelf) on the wall, using removable adhesive hooks. Use the bottom "shelf" for its intended purpose - as a desk. If you don't have a computer, make it a writing station.

As for the top shelf, I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that you ditch those objects, unless they have a very powerful sentimental value (eg your husband gave them to you on your first date). Fussy tealight holders almost always contravene the golden design maxim, "if it isn't useful, it had better be beautiful".

Hi Aruna,

Lets start with the middle shelf, looks like that’s your puja and u also seem to be storing the puja related stuff there.
• As many have already suggested, put up the pictures on the walls, that would clear up some space on the shelf .
• Use beautiful decorative boxes to store your agarbattis, rangoli powder, etc. At this point, it may be a good idea to see if you have any duplicate pictures that you may want to donate to a temple.
• If possible paint the back and the sides of the shelf wall with some Emerald color. Very close to BHER’s shade Precious Emerald S-H-470. Try adding some sheen to the color or some delicate patterns with a dull gold. Do the same color for the space between the floor and the 1st shelf as well.
• Place a mirror on the shelf floor also try and stick a mirror the underside of the top shelf. The reason for this is. When you would light a lamp there it would really light up the place and having a mirror on top gives the rangoli etc.. a very interesting dimension.


For the 1st Shelf
• Use a deep orange or maroon for color on the wall . Try and get one more mini tanjore painting and mount it on clear plastic plate stands. Use different heights to make it interesting.
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Don’t keep any thing else on that shelf or may be just the maroon tealight holder that you have already on the shelf.

For the Top shelf
Since you have a lot of action going on the lower shelves keep just one piece of art or a statue there.

For the space between the floor and shelf store an old wooden trunk embellished with some brass handles etc. Store extra linens etc in that .

Hope that helps.

I love some of the ideas here and agree about hanging the small pictures in a grid. You need a few larger pieces to go with the theme. For underneath, if you don't have an Indian chest, or maybe want some contrast, you could put some canvas colored modern looking file boxes (e.g. Ikea's). That would give you storage AND style. And I agree about the tea lights--if you don't love them and have some other similarly sized pieces, switch them out.