Declutter Your Shelves (And Keep Them Organized) With Just One Hack

Installing open shelving in your home provides you with the perfect opportunity for displaying your favorite decor pieces and keeping frequently-used items close at hand. However, if you're storing too many of your belongings on these surfaces, they'll end up making your interiors feel like a cluttered mess. The trick to keeping your shelves looking neat and tidy, then, is quite simple and logical: Limit yourself to a maximum of three items per surface. When you follow this rule, all of the artwork, plants, framed photographs, and knick-knacks that you keep on display will seem more like intentional choices, which will in turn make your key living spaces feel like they've been more carefully and thoughtfully planned out or curated.

Keeping a maximum of three things on your shelves does more than just keep the clutter at bay. For starters, it makes dusting significantly easier, and prevents small items from getting lost behind larger ones. From an aesthetic standpoint, this rule also ties in closely with a principle that stylists and interior design enthusiasts often refer to as "the rule of three". According to this scientifically-backed tenet, decorating in threes, or with other odd numbers, will look more visually pleasing and natural because it prevents groupings of decor elements from looking overly symmetrical or staged. In short, once your shelves have a more balanced appearance, you'll probably find it easier to enjoy the way they look. When you're assembling a display, make sure to watch out for things you'll regret organizing on open shelves.

Though cutting down on the number of items on your shelves is a good way to prevent your space from looking cluttered, it's a mere starting point for making your shelves appear as aesthetically-pleasing as possible. When you're sorting through your belongings and attempting to determine what to display on these fixtures, first consider the size of the objects. Avoid choosing sets of items that all have the same dimensions, and instead focus on building an exhibit with decorative elements of varying sizes. This helps prevent things from looking staged, and makes it easier to avoid some of the downsides of having open shelving in your living room.

Next, you should think carefully about the colors and textures that your three items will bring to your space. The goal is to allow the objects on your shelf to flow together neatly with your interior's existing patterns and palette. If you have an art piece or photo frame that matches the color of a nearby furnishing, for example, you'll end up with a more cohesive look. If you have lots of small items that are relatively similar, such as the spice jars in your kitchen, consider investing in a neat-looking storage basket that can hold them all. Once you've grouped everything together in a single container, the collection you've assembled will count as a single item for your shelf. Still struggling to cut down on the number of things you're keeping on your shelves? Consider trying out these beautiful ways to hide your cluttered shelves instead.