Fix up, look smart: how you sort your shelves says a lot about your personality. Here’s what your #shelfie style says about you.
With over 900,000 images for the hashtag #shelfie on Instagram, if you haven’t been influenced to up your display game thanks to the app, then we’re betting you soon will be. And here’s what else we’ve noticed: people fall into distinct camps when it comes to how their curate their clutter. So whether you’re super neat, into monomix, reserve shelves for office user or are an inveterate collector, we’ve got you covered.
1. Kitsch and cluttered
You are: Highly original, according to a 2013 at the University of Minnesota which discovered that the messier you are, the more that translates into innovation and creativity. The study also discovered that being very neat and tidy was a sign of erring on the side of, “convention and playing it safe.”
You love: A mish-mash of contrasting pieces, shapes and styles. A clash of patterns and colours is absolutely your bag. Shelves, as far as you’re concerned, are for filling and negative space is just that – a negative. For mix ‘n’ match pieces to make your shelves stand out, look to the Rice brand, available at Mira Mira (Miramira.ie).
2. Sleek and Scandi
You are: A dedicated follower of Marie Kondo’s principles. One of the decluttering guru’s main tidying tenets is about imagining your ideal lifestyle. Setting a minimalist Scandinavian shelfie style declares your intention to live a life that’s mess, and therefore, stress-free.
You love: Living in a sleek, curated space is what sparks your joy. Hay Design’s New Order shelves (Hay.dk) are an unadulterated frame on which to place design books and hardbacks. Layer some up on their sides for added visual interest, and intersperse with carefully-chosen objects that that not only add texture to your scheme, but which have personal or sentimental meaning too.
3. Cabinet of curiosities
You are: An inveterate collector. You’re known in your family for your love of curiosities and everyone knows to keep quirky items for you to have a look at first. Bargain Hunt and Cash in the Attic are constantly on the Sky Box and you love a good period drama – the spotting opportunities are fab.
You love: The Abigail Ahern/Editon range at Debenhams is a good pick for quirky on a budget. Flea markets and brocantes are your great loves, you’ve yet to meet a salvage yard you didn’t like and you’ll never pass a charity shop. Where others may see trash, you’ll see an item to treasure, reconditioning it with a lick of paint or a new finish so it can go on display in your vitrine or on your display shelves.
4. Brilliantly Baked Off
You are: As a dedicated follower of flour, your shelves are as much about function as they are about form. But you didn’t spend all that cash on a KitchenAid mixer to forget about styling out the rest of your kitchen complements, now did you? Lovely pieces that also perform are top of your shopping list and if they can go from oven to table too, well then, that’s a bonus.
You love: High performance pieces. Cold surfaces are a must, especially for pastry prep, so you love marble, tile and smooth finishes. Robust materials that can withstand extremes of temperatures are essential if they’re going to make it onto your shelves, such as marble boards and classic tableware. Look for both at Marks and Spencer.
