14+ Aesthetically-Pleasing Decor to Put on Your Shelves

Styling shelves is not only a great way to bring a fresh new look to a room, it’s also a fun way to express yourself! Whether you’re decorating a few open shelves or a wall-to-wall bookshelf, there are so many things you can put on shelves to show off your personality and personal style.

I’ve done a lot of shelf styling over the years, so I have loads of ideas for fun knick-knacks and other objects to decorate your shelves with. 

So let’s dive in! Here are some of my favorite decorative objects for shelves!

1. Books

It goes without saying that shelves are the perfect place to keep books. Whether it’s your all-time favorite books, stylish coffee table books, vintage thrifted finds, or even faux books, there are so many ways to use books in your shelf decor.

Here’s the secret—don’t just stack your books all the way along your shelves (unless you’re going for a cozy library vibe, of course!). Instead, treat them like any other decorative objects like vases and picture frames.

Here are a few different options for decorating a shelf with books:

• Stand a small selection of books upright
• Add decorative bookends to hold your books in place and add some personality to your bookshelf decor
• Stack a few books on top of each other or use them as risers to elevate other items on your shelves
• Display a single book on a book stand as a kind of statement piece
• Experiment with color to match or contrast your room’s decor

Here are some gorgeous items you could use to display books on your shelves:

1. Gold Cookbook Stand
2. Gold Cast Iron Bookends
3. Marble Bookends
4. 3 Large Decorative Books
5. Fashion Inspired Decorative Books
6. Acrylic Desktop Bookcase

2. Houseplants / Foliage

Every shelf deserves a little greenery! A few well-placed houseplants will bring a natural vibe to your shelf decor. And if you’re not the best with plants, faux plants can look just as good.

Foliage is also the perfect opportunity to get creative with your vases and planters. Seriously, there are so many stunning options out there. Here are just a few vases I love:

1. Glass Cloche Bell Jar 
2. Vintage Glass Vases
3. Blue Green Large Glass Vase
4. Clear Book Flowers Vase
5. Artificial Orchid Flowers Set

3. Crockery

Decorative bowls can look gorgeous on shelves and double as storage for small items like window keys or trinkets. You could also stack smaller bowls or vary their sizes to create beautiful displays.

Plates are another option. Again, you could stack them or even prop them up against the back of the shelf or the wall behind it. 

Another option is to add some height variety to your shelves with a large jug. They’re perfect for breaking up the visual space.

1. Aluminum Decorative Bowl
2. Scalloped Edge Stoneware Serving Bowl
3. Metal Wavy Bowl Gold
4. Scallop Compote
5. Ceramic Food Storage Jar

4. Baskets

I love a good basket! Not only do they look charming, but they also help you keep your shelves organized by hiding away all the little bits and bobs that might clutter up the space.

You could go for my personal faves – wire baskets. If you’re going for a more rustic or boho vibe, wicker baskets are perfect. Clear acrylic baskets and bins are great for a sleek, modern look. And, for a soft, understated touch, fabric baskets are lovely.

Here are some baskets to consider:

1. Gold Metal Basket
2. Round Natural Fibre Basket
3. Scalloped Edge Basket
4. Narrow Fabric Storage Bin
5. Collapsible Canvas Basket

5. Racks, Stands & Organizers

If you think outside the box, you can turn all kinds of household items into beautiful shelf decor. I’m talking desk organizers, cake stands, headphone stands… anything goes as long as it looks nice!

Personally, I love using gold metal racks to store purses and other items in my closet, but they also look pretty without anything in them, as ornamental objects in their own right.

Tip: Have a browse through the home office supplies section of your favorite store and think about how you could repurpose any pretty items you see there.

1. Rose Gold Magazine Holder
2. Metal Desktop Paper Holder
3. 5 in 1 Gold Desk Organizer Set
4. Vintage Dome Shape Hat Rack
5. Small Cake Stand

6. Decorative Boxes

Decorative boxes are the perfect item for decorating shelves. They can add a little visual weight and height, especially if you stack a few in different sizes on top of each other. They’re also an easy way to hide less aesthetically-pleasing items!

And there are so many gorgeous options to choose from – jewelry boxes, keepsake boxes, box files, and so on. Here are some boxes that would be perfect for styling shelves:

1. Chevron Pattern Decorative Box
2. Faux Leather Decorative Box Set
3. Gold Hexagon Jewelry Box
4. Luxe Gold Leaf Box
5. Linen Photo Storage Box

7. Other Aesthetic Containers

Okay, it’s probably becoming pretty clear that almost any type of container can be used to decorate shelves, as long as it looks attractive! So think outside the box about the other types of containers that exist that you could use to decorate your bookshelves: cookie jars, food canisters, glass jars, glass bottles, and who knows what else!

Here are some ideas to inspire you:

1. Crystal Vintage Style Perfume Bottle
2. Acrylic Apothecary Jar 
3. Gold Pencil Cup
4. Clear Lazy Susan
5. Seed Packet Storage Box Tin

8. Trays

Trays are perfect for corralling a few disparate objects together to create a stylish vignette. They make your shelf displays look more deliberate and help tie the different items together.

Again, there are so many gorgeous trays out there that it’s hard to pick just a few to share here!

1. Scalloped Edge Wicker Serving Tray
2. Marble Decorative Tray
3. Black Decorative Tray Stand 
4. Metal Mirrored Decorative Tray
5. Round Brass Serving Platter

9. Artwork & Photos

Family photos are an obvious choice for shelf decor, depending on the room you’re decorating. Artwork is another option. Of course, there are so many types of art to choose from—abstract pieces, photographs, art prints, canvases, and so on.

With artwork and photographs come frames – another great opportunity to add some style to your shelves. Choose frames that complements your other decorative objects and any hardware surrounding your shelf, like shelf brackets, light switches, and light fixtures.

Here are a few of my favorite frames for bookshelf decor:

1. Classic Black Wood Photo Frame
2. Large Woven Frame
3. Gold Vintage Picture Frame
4. Ornate Arched Picture Frame
5. Gold Picture Frame

10. Lamps

Lamps are practical as well as stylish. They’re also handy for creating visual interest and filling negative space. If you have lots of short, stocky decorative items, go for a taller, thinner lamp to balance things out. Or if you have lots of tall, lighter items on your shelves, look for a shorter, rounder lamp. Small lamps can also be placed on top of stacks of books.

Tip: Go for battery-operated lamps, so you don’t have to worry about trailing wires messing up your shelf decor!

1. Mid Century Lamp with Brass Base
2. Tall LED Brass Lamp
3. Cordless Glass Table Lamp
4. Modern LED Cordless Table Lamp
5. Modern Table Lamp with Marble Globe Base

11. Candles & Candlesticks

Candles, of course, are classic things to put on shelves. Whether they’re real or pretend, and whether you plan to actually use them or just treat them as shelf decorations, candles bring a touch of elegance to your shelves.

Again, choose your candles and candlesticks based on the space you’re working with. Taller candlesticks are perfect for ensuring you have a range of different heights on your shelves, and smaller candles in jars are another great option to put on top of a stack of books.

If you ask me, candlestick holders are pretty cool things to put on shelves, even if you don’t put any candles in them! 

1. Knot Ball Candle 
2. Gold Metal Candle Lantern
3. Gold Glass Taper Candle Holders 
4. Gold Luxury Candle 
5. Unscented Dripless Taper Candles

12. Ornaments & Personal Items

Ornaments like small sculptures and figurines are probably the most obvious decorative objects for shelves, but you don’t have to stick to random ornaments that just look nice. Look to your hobbies and personal interests for ideas for things to put on your shelves that have meaning for you.

For example, if you’re into painting, you could display some tasteful paintbrushes in a beautiful jar. If you’re a musician, look for models of your instrument or musical notes. Do you have any obsessions or passions, even if that’s just your pet?!

Here are some ideas:

1. Crystal Eighth Note Statue
2. Greek Statue of Diana
3. Dark Brown Horse Sculpture
4. Wood Chain Link
5. Solid Brass Miniature Dachsund

13. Practical Items

Last but not least, have a think about what practical things you could use as shelf decor items. Think about small objects that might come in handy in the room you’re styling, and choose an aesthetic version of that object. 

For example, if the shelves you’re styling are in your home office, how about a small memo board? Or, in the kitchen, what about a pestle and mortar?

Here are a few ideas to consider:

1. Vintage Decorative Mirror
2. Rattan Tissue Box Cover 
3. Black Matches in a Jar
4. Mechanical Metronome
5. Stainless Steel Candle Snuffer

14. Bookends

Have Fun Styling Your Shelves!

Now that you have a whole bunch of shelf decor ideas to choose from, it’s time to start curate your own shelf display!

Remember, the best shelf decorations are objects that have a personal meaning to you, so make sure to mine your hobbies and interests for quirky and cool things to put on your shelves! Have fun!