‘Display shelves’ may sound pretty self–explanatory, but they are a lot more versatile than people give them credit for.
Naturally, they’re great for displaying objects (as the name suggests) however, they are also good for organising your essentials and day–to–day accessories, from the kitchen and living room, right through to the bathroom, bedroom and even the home office.
Here at agos–co, we believe that furniture should be as stylish as it is sensible, and our range of display shelving units reflect this – especially our latest Arlo and Space collections. They are simple, sleek and minimalist by design, but also highly practical and multifunctional.
So, keep reading for our top 5 handy tips on how to make the most of a designer display shelf in your home…
1. Herbs, Spices & Sauces – Kitchen
There’s something incredibly sweet and quaint about window boxes, isn’t there?
Most commonly associated with old homes that have sash windows straight out of a storybook, they are a great way to bring foliage to your home’s exterior whilst still having easy access from the interior.
In a modern home, however, they’re not quite as appealing or practical, and this is where display shelves can come to the rescue. If you have a ledge on the inside of your window sill, or a spare section of surface space by the sink or chopping board, this idea is for you!
Small display shelves (like our three–shelf Arlo and Space units, that come in black, green and sandy pink colour varieties) are perfectly built for holding all of your important garnishes, herbs, spices and sauces.
You can have classic condiments like Tomato Sauce, BBQ Sauce, Mayonnaise, Mustard, Relish and Soy Sauce on the top shelf because they are tall and used more frequently, little jars of Cinnamon, Saffron, Poppy Seeds, Paprika, Ginger, Nutmeg, Chili Powder, Cloves and Turmeric on the middle shelf, and palm–sized pots of Parsley, Basil, Rosemary, Mint, Chives and Coriander in a row across the bottom shelf.
2. Decor Items – Lounge
You’d be hard pressed to find a home without decorative objects scattered throughout it. These can be a range of things, from mirrors and magazines, to planters and paintings.
This is where display shelving can come in handy.
Decor items look good when they are organised, not when placed too haphazardly or in a cluttered fashion, so having shelves will help you arrange your knick–knacks in a way that is as visually appealing as it is practical.
A large or tall display shelf is perfect for the living room. You can prop it up against a blank wall beside the TV cabinet or lounge suite and use it to hold all of your essential and non–essential items.
You can have lamps, family photographs, flower vases, art prints and sculptures on the top shelf, clocks, candles and diffusers and coffee table books and bookends on the middle shelf, and small statues, tealights, trinkets and ornaments on the bottom shelf. One could also double as a caddy for your TV remote and other home entertainment accessories.
3. Toiletries, Makeup & Medicine – Bathroom
Another great place in the home to make use of portable shelving units is in the main bathroom.
Although many come with overhead cupboards or drawers under the vanity, sometimes it can be a bit tight on space, or the heights of the units aren’t ideal for frequent use (too high or too low).
Our Arlo and Space small, medium and large display shelves are particularly useful in the bathroom, as they are made out of moisture–resistant, powder coated steel with oak veneer MDF shelves, so they won’t rot or crack.
You can have your bigger items like shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, moisturiser, sunscreen, perfume, hand cream and deodorant on the top shelf, pots, powders and containers of foundation, bronzer, blush, eye shadow, concealer and more makeup on the middle shelf, and pill boxes, blister packs and ointments on the bottom shelf. You can even use another one to hold all of your excess toilet rolls!
4. Trinkets – Bedroom
Much like the living room, the bedroom is another room in the house where essential and non–essential decor items are often on display.
Your bedside table is purely for night–time necessities like your lamp, alarm clock, mobile phone and a glass of water, and your wardrobe or chest of drawers is for your clothes.
So, it makes sense to have steel display shelves either on top of one of these units or next to them, for extra storage.
Firstly, think of a mixture of lounge and bathroom items that you might need in the bedroom, like perfumes, photographs, candles and diffusers. Then think about things that are best arranged in the bedroom, like trophies and awards or jewellery boxes and stands for precious accessories like earrings, rings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets and watches.
5. Stationery, Tech & Accessories – Office
The final room in the house that we’d recommend having a display shelving unit in is the home office or study.
It’s a room that is often used for a lot of different things. You can work from home in the office as well as do life admin, start side hustles and hobbies, or let the kids do their homework there on weekdays and craft projects on the weekend.
For this reason, having at least one set of shelves is almost a must, and it’s a great way to better organise your space to make your work life more efficient – also, keeping the surface of your desk clear for your desktop computer or laptop and printer is super important too.
Use shelving to keep all your stationery items together, like pens, markers and highlighters, paper clips, post–it notes, sticky tape, scissors, staplers, hole punchers and push–pins. You can include your craft supplies too, such as paints and brushes, pencils and pencil holders, erasers, glue sticks and rulers. And another shelf would be handy for keeping your tech gear together, like chargers, headphones, disks, USB sticks and spare cables.
Click here to shop our full range of display shelves and shelving units today!