Contemporary Shelving Options For Trendy Living Rooms

Shelving has fallen out of favor in many homes, but you can achieve a trendy look without having to try too hard. Sure, because they are open shelves need to be dusted from time to time, but don’t be put off. Contemporary shelving has so much to offer, in many styles which will suit most modern living rooms.

Built In Shelves.

Depth of shelves

For traditional living rooms a stand alone shelving unit or a book case works just fine. However, for a living room which is designed to give a more thoughtfully designed and youthful look, it is advisable to go for integrated shelving. Built in shelving, like this, should work seamlessly in a room and become a part of the wall.

Depth of shelves

A good tip for a white room is to go for white, evenly distributed, shelving that takes up a full wall space. A false wall, with built in shelving fitted into large recesses, is another sophisticated look that suits a contemporary room. If the idea of a false wall does not appeal, use the recesses either side of a living room’s chimney breast to get a similar look with shelving that is built in.

Display.

Depth of shelves

Modern shelving units, designed to work in a contemporarily designed living room, are not really about storage. If you want storage go for a hidden closet instead. Shelves, being open, can look cluttered if you use them as a storage system. This is definitely a look to avoid in a modern living room. Consider what you want your shelves to say about you.

Depth of shelves
Depth of shelves

Display shelving works well with recessed lighting which will show off your objets d’art and collectibles to best effect. An individual light for each shelf is effective or, alternatively, use glass shelving so that the light runs through. Arrange display shelving in a regular fashion. Don’t try and fit too much, or too large an object, on each shelf.

Contemporary Custom Shelving.

Depth of shelves
Depth of shelves
Depth of shelves

If your living room’s design is strident then finding the right sort of shelving unit to suit it can be a bit of a headache. Custom made shelving may be the way to go if you need something with a particular look. A joiner should be able to put together shelving in most living room contexts to contemporary designs. Properly put together custom shelving can be a real feature of a living room. It can act as a room divider in an open plan living space and offer you the chance to rearrange your décor easily if the shelving can be easily switched around into new configurations.

Color Coordination.

Depth of shelves
Depth of shelves

Shelves often carry items that won’t coordinate with your room’s décor. For instance, book covers and DVD cases tend to stand out. The best way of blending your shelving into a contemporarily styled living room is to paint your shelves in the same color as your walls. However, if you don’t intend on using your shelves for storing much, color contrast can have an equally impressive opposite effect.

Modular Systems.

Depth of shelves
Depth of shelves

Modular shelving offers you the ultimate in flexibility and works well in modern reception rooms. This is ideal if your have an eclectic style and want to display lots of different items in differing ways. Remember that modular shelving should be able to be rearranged at your whim, so that you can display pretty much anything that takes your fancy. Modular shelving should allow you to move either the upright supports or the horizontal shelves depending on the system used.

The Arty Look.

Depth of shelves
Depth of shelves

If you want to achieve a more arty look in your living room, why not go for ultra-thin shelving that you can use to display images? This is ideal for smaller rooms that would not be able to accommodate regularly sized shelves. Remember to have different sizes and shapes to your shelving, if you want an arty look, so that you can incorporate differently proportioned pieces.

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