This Mini Makeover Trick Will Transform Your Shelves Instantly
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Have you ever looked at your shelves and felt like they could just look … better? Whether they seem too haphazard or just a little too perfectly put together (or there’s something else that’s bugging you about them), there’s a simple yet surefire way to improve their overall style and aesthetic. Behold: the “rule of thirds” design trick.
Day 7: Give your shelf a mini makeover.
Today we’re going to be giving a shelf a mini makeover using the rule of thirds. Executive Home Director Danielle Blundell swears by this rule in which you divide the “picture plane,” or in this case your shelf, into a grid of nine equal parts and then place items at the grid’s four vertical and horizontal line intersection points.
“Essentially, the rule of thirds moves the focal point of a piece off-center, and that creates visual dynamism and tension in a composition, which can make it more memorable and fulfilling to look at,” shares Danielle, who learned this trick back in her studio art and art history days.
Here’s how it works: Divide your shelf and the space above it into a grid. Then, as you place items — books, decor, plants, etc. — use those invisible intersection points as a guide for where to put them. Don’t feel like you have to follow this trick to a T either, adds Danielle. If you are working with a smaller space (like a single shelf), you might want to do just three sections and apply the rule of thirds within each of those smaller areas. Have fun mixing heights, leaving some white space, and using a variety of objects.
Share your shelf makeover in the community forum.
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