Styling a Bookshelf or Console with Vases, a Bowl and a Clock
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Styling a shelf or console is mostly an exercise in editing. A few well chosen pieces, spaced with care, look better than a crowded surface. Here is a straightforward approach using three kinds of objects: vases, a bowl and a clock.
Think in layers and heights
The most polished shelves vary height in a pattern the eye can follow. A common method is the triangle: place a tall item on one side, a medium item in the middle and a low item on the other, so the arrangement slopes naturally.
The vases, bowls and trays collection includes the pieces that make this easy. A ribbed vase set of three gives you a ready-made group to arrange.
Use the vase set as your anchor
The ribbed vase set of 3 works well as a group. Rather than lining them up in a row, try grouping them with uneven spacing. Two close together and one a little apart reads as more relaxed than three evenly spaced.
On a console, set the group toward one end rather than in the center. On a bookshelf, place them on one side of a shelf and let the other side stay open. Adding a few stems is optional, and a vase that stands empty can look just as good.
Add a bowl for the low point
The spiral lattice bowl brings a different shape to the arrangement. Place it at the low end of the group, on its own or on a stack of books, so the eye has somewhere to rest.
Keep the contents simple. A bowl that is visually interesting by itself needs little inside it, and leaving it empty is a perfectly good choice.
Bring in a clock
A clock adds function and a graphic shape. Our wall clocks measure 10 inches across and use a quartz silent sweep movement with no ticking, so the second hand glides smoothly, much like an automatic watch. They need one AA battery, which is not included.
Hang it on the wall above the console, slightly off center to the vase group, so the two balance each other.
The clocks collection has the octagon designer styles and an orange slice clock, so you can choose between a refined tone and a playful accent.
A simple step by step
- Start with the clock or the tallest vase, since they set the height.
- Place the remaining vases to form a triangle.
- Add the bowl at the low end.
- Step back, then remove one item if anything looks crowded.
Leave room to breathe
Empty space is part of the design. Leave at least a third of each shelf or console surface clear, and dust the pieces when you rearrange them. If you can not decide where something goes, live with the arrangement for a few days before moving anything, since a first impression at the shelf is often different from how it feels from the sofa.
Keep the palette tight
Repeat one color across all three pieces, or at least keep them in the same tonal range. Two finishes plus a neutral is plenty. To learn how the movement works, see our guide to silent sweep wall clocks.
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