Sometimes it’s hard to know exactly what to put above a bed, do you choose a piece of art, a feature wall of patterned wallpaper or a fitted light for reading? What if you have a big bedhead that takes up all the space? Well if you’re a little undecided like me, and don’t want to commit to one piece of art, then a picture ledge is a great way to add a focal point without over dominating this sacred sanctuary of your home.
Minimal and discrete, the slimline shelf fits neatly above the bed, providing a handy surface for pictures, books, plants and pretty trinkets. For me, it’s also a constantly changing canvas to switch up every now and then if you get bored, without breaking the bank and going out shopping again! Tired of that print you got last year? Want a little refresh? Simply, move things around and start again to give a completely new feel to the room. For ages in our bedroom, we didn’t have anything above the bed, we don’t even have a bedhead either, and I think this photo ledge somehow centres the bed, making it feel like a cosy nook instead of a piece of furniture just plonked in the room.
This one here is by Homebase. At just £9.99 it’s a super affordable way to update a space and provide a little place to display your most treasured possessions. Great for small spaces, I’ve also seen them above sofas to display magazines or in childrens’ rooms to store easy-to-reach books. Next you’ll find me putting them in every room!
But how do you style it? I thought I’d share with you some of my top tips:
– It may sound obvious, but use a spirit level to get a nice straight finish. Get a friend or someone to hold the shelf up before you screw it in to check it looks right from a distance
– Measure where your head will be when you’re sitting on the bed and place the shelf a little higher, that way you won’t constantly bump your head on it!
– Once your ledge is up, start styling by placing a key piece that will be your focal point, it might be a print or framed picture for example. Position it slightly off centre, things always look better when they’re slightly asymmetrical, not completely parallel and obsessively perfect. If you’re putting two ledges together above a bigger bed or sofa, group things in odd numbers. For some reason groups of threes work really well together, they just look a bit more relaxed and less ordered (like you simply put all those things on the shelf in the briefest of moments, and haven’t actually hummed and hawed for hours about where to place each item… ha!)
– If you’re using picture frames with glass or larger prints, secure them at the top with a bracket or hook onto a nail to prevent them from falling off
– Next, cluster things around your focal piece, here I’ve placed some books on the right to balance the height, and a little succulent to bring some greenery and colour. To bring things altogether and make it look as one, create gaps between some items, and overlap others, as you would imagine a great still life painter doing. This creates depth and provides a bit of interest for the eye, instead of all the items looking flat and boring
– If you’re a little OCD about your shelving like me, you can go one step further and match the colours. Notice how the red font of the dark grey book matches the red picked up in the map? It’s little subtle details like that which make all the difference
– And don’t feel confined to the ledge, let plants drape off it, clip a light onto it, or pin up some postcards and pictures around it
– Finally, bring a bit of personality – the bedroom is one of the most private of spaces in a home, a little refuge for only you. Make it a little bit special to elevate those mundane daily moments spent in it. I picked the vintage map of Paris because it reminds me of where my other half is from, while a little strip of photo booth pics remembers a special moment
I hope that helps reveal a little bit about how I go about styling a shelf, let me know if you have any tips of your own!
This post was written in collaboration with Homebase, all images my own.
