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You have a Pinterest board and a multitude of saved Instagram posts as inspiration for styling cabinets and curios in living spaces. Yet you still can’t make it your glass cabinet work. What gives? You may have too much “inspiration” and be paralyzed by your options. More than just storage, a glass display case—especially when located in the living room in your home—does double duty as decor. So, of course you want it to look stylish. The easiest place to start is with what you have. And, while there are no hard rules for what you can store in the cabinet (books, toys, pottery, photos) there are some tips for styling the shelves, so they look Instagram-worthy. Here’s how to decorate glass cabinets in your living room.
Confirm the Purpose of Your Glass Display Case.
Create a dedicated usage for your glass display case and decide what you will store inside of it. It could be board games, books, collectibles, LEGOs, trophies, dolls, candles, barware, plates, you name it! By creating a purpose for the display case, the styling will happen much more naturally. You’ll be able to select items that work together and put them together more cohesively.
Consider the Color Palette.
First, take a look around your room then take a look at your collected pieces for the cabinet. Choose items in a consistent color palette so it matches the living room’s aesthetic as well as your home’s color palette. By doing so, you’ll create a seamless transition from one corner to the next. For instance, a mix of whites, blacks, and mixed metals match an organic look; a mix of bright and bold for a flashier vibe; and beige and baby blue for a coastal aesthetic. Can’t agree on one color, or have objects in a rainbow of hues? Dedicate each shelf, or a section of each shelf, to a grouping of objects of the same color.
Arrange for Visual Harmony.
While you want to group like items together for cohesiveness, mix the height and shape of objects to maintain interest. Layer objects of different heights, widths, and shapes. For instance, when arranging pottery, place larger, visually heavier pieces behind smaller ones, or on lower shelves, and cluster smaller pieces together in front or on upper shelves to create a mix of height, weight, and shape.
Space Items Consistently.
There’s curated, and then there’s cluttered. Make sure your shelves are the former by spacing items in a uniform manner. Giving your arrangements some breathing room will help keep collections from looking too chaotic and messy.
Add Artwork.
Hanging artwork on the partitions of bookshelves is a popular trend right now. However, with a glass cabinet door, there’s probably not room to hang a portrait or landscape on a center partition and still close the door. Instead, prop framed artwork or photographs on one of the shelves inside the glass cabinet. A picture or decorative plate strategically arranged on an easel can hide utilitarian items such as remote controls when not in use.
Incorporate Greenery.
Cultivate some creative plant display ideas to bring nature indoors. While you may not want to put live plants behind closed doors, you can place a plant or trailing plants, on top of the cabinet. Or, add faux greenery to the interior shelves. A trendy, vintage inspired bust planter can hold lush-looking faux leaves or colorful blooms for a pop of color.
Include Lighting.
If you entertain in your living room, consider adding lighting to your cabinet to showcase your cabinet display. Some cabinets have integrated LED lighting, or you can add battery operated LEDs to shine a light on your curated display. A simple string of fairy lights draw attention to any arrangement as well—especially if the items displayed are glass.
Conclusion
We hope these tips help show you how to decorate the glass cabinets in your living room. As you can see, they are more like suggestions than rules. Decide on a theme (the cabinet’s purpose), gather what you have, then start organizing with an eye on color, harmony, and space, filling in with art, greenery, and lights as desired. The only rule to follow is to have fun.