Shelves Have A Brand New, Colorful Look Thanks To This 2026 Design Trend

Shelves are an important part of a home, as they allow you to display and store items. However, trying to figure out how to decorate them can be a bit of a problem. They can get easily cluttered and look messy rather than elegant and carefully curated. This is part of the reason why people have begun to move away from open shelving and head back to closed cabinets. However, in an era where people are looking to hide the eyesore of open cabinet shelving, you can choose to embrace the design and highlight your shelves, rather than hide them.

For 2026, instead of trying to force them into the background by matching the paint colors to the rest of your wall, or hiding the entire thing with doors or curtains, professional designers suggest painting them so they make a name for themselves. This can be done with beautifully bold paint or a lovely complementary color that blends with the rest of the room. The best part about this 2026 design trend is that it works for almost any type of shelf. Sure, it fits particularly well for built-ins. However, it also works for ones you install yourself or even free-standing options. As long as the shelves are made from a paintable material, you can take advantage of this trend. However, not everything should be painted, so if you want to try it out, that's one of the things you need to consider before determining the perfect material for your DIY floating shelf.

While colorful shelves are looking to be the new style in 2026, you aren't limited in your color choices. There are two main options when it comes to painting your shelves. The first is a contrasting color to make them stand out and draw the eye. This may be the more predominant option, as bold niche spaces are likely to be a popular trend in the coming year. Bookshelves, coffee bars, and small areas that sometimes get overlooked will now stand out a bit more with bold and daring colors. This is a fantastic way to add a bright pop of color to a space that is more neutral.

"We're seeing people choose bolder colors like rust reds or moody blues for coffee bars or dining room niches," Heather Chadwick, a senior designer at O'Hara Interiors, said while talking to Martha Stewart. "People are definitely gravitating toward more color than neutrals these days, but we're using it in these smaller spaces," the designer added. Similarly, Daniel Kocur, Interior Designer at InterRent REIT, told The Spruce, "Painting and refreshing existing shelves provides an affordable update, breathing new life into older storage areas or displays."

The other option is to choose a color that fits the rest of your palette, while not being exactly the same, so the shelf blends in a little more but still remains its own entity and doesn't become a part of the wall. This option works well for someone who doesn't necessarily want to draw attention directly to the shelves, but does want them to be noticed a little. 

Of course, picking the color isn't the easiest. If you really want your shelves to be the star, the best option is to pick a shelf color you like and match the rest of your room around it. However, the more likely scenario is that you already have a theme picked out or established for your room, down to the details of furniture and decor. In this instance, you will want to find a color that complements or works alongside your space. 

For example, if you have a room with a lot of black and white, you can brighten the space using a burst of light blue on your shelves, and perhaps on a few other pieces in your room, like pillows or a lamp. Or, if you have a decorative green wallpaper with many different shades on it, pull your paint from one of those colors to match, while still not blending in. 

Additionally, before you choose which option you are going to try in 2026, you may need to decide on the items you are putting on your shelves. You may not want to pick out a color that contrasts with your decorations, but instead highlights them. If you are not sure where to start on that front, there are plenty of tips for styling floating living room shelves that will give you an idea of what you might want.