Welcome to the first in our ‘One Bookcase Four Ways’ series. At this point you pretty much know how it goes – we take a piece of furniture and switch it out four different ways to show you the life-altering importance of styling. Start with simple furniture, layer on the crazy and you get a room full of personality.
This first one is ‘The Eclectic Sophisticate’. Click through for inspiration, resources and a really fun gif.
Here was our inspiration:
So we (by ‘we’ I mean Ginny) pulled together a bunch of pretty props to style out this simple shelf (and accompanying corner).
Here’s why it works:
A black or white color palette wood and/or copper (or gold) to warm it up or else it feels cold and harsh.
There is actually a lot of texture and pattern in here – so while black and white can feel two-tone and monotonous, all the vessels, real books and quirky shapes makes it still feel unique and interesting.
We color-blocked the books – which I always have mixed feelings about. On the one hand it instantly gives the collection some graphic structure and it’s just so much easier for the eye to ‘read’. On the other hand it’s not natural – we typically read and return books by subject, not color. But lets face it – styling a bookshelf is never totally natural and rarely can you just walk in and not style the shelves before you shoot. I really like how it helps hit the color palette home.
This was one of the first shoots that we have ever done without me micromanaging every single second, feeling like I need to style it myself, and just generally breathing down everyone’s necks. I was on another shoot that day so Ginny took the lead and did such a great job styling it all out, while Brady was her lovely assistant WEARING THE SHOES OF AN INSANE PERSON.
But look at them, acting like they don’t even miss me …
There you have it – a pretty, sophisticated black and white themed look with an eclectic, quirky vibe. Here’s how you get the look:
1. Rug 2. Ombre Vase 3. Cast Iron Incense Holder 4. Tufted Chair 5. Remodelista Book 6. Wire Candle Handle 7. Commune Book 8. Britt Castellano Print 9. Black And White Vase 10. Bronze Candle 11. Polpo 12. Mid-Century Shelf 13. Lamp Shade 14. Hurricane Candle Holder 15. Lamp Base
*This post is styled by Ginny for EH, written by me and shot by Jessica Isaac.