Aside from my fireplace mantel, one area of my home that I refresh for every season and holiday is my open shelving. If you’ve followed my projects for a while, you’ll recognize these shelves in the breakfast room. They’re placed where guests entering through the foyer can see them as they move into the family room, and a large opening connects them visually to the kitchen. Because of that visibility, I try to style them so they feel cohesive with the rest of the house and welcoming to anyone who walks in.
TIP: Don’t be afraid to use large or oversized accessories. The lanterns on the top shelf are big but add a strong focal point. Choose pieces large enough to make an impact without overwhelming the surrounding items.
This summer I carried the blue-and-green palette from my summer dining room into the breakfast area. The combination of blues and greens feels fresh and peaceful for warm months, and it ties the two spaces together visually. I was surprised I hadn’t leaned on this pairing more before—I really love how light and breezy it looks.
I follow a simple decorating philosophy: keep it simple and subtle. You’ll notice I reused several elements from my spring shelf decor, but I switched in a few new pieces to give the shelves a distinctly summery vibe. The standout find this season is a large woven basket I discovered at a flea market. Filled with bright daisies, it radiates summer energy and becomes the visual anchor for the top shelf.
I added blue and green plates inside a reproduction vintage toolbox and placed matching plates on the adjacent shelves. To give those plates more presence, I backed them with my diy driftwood-look chargers, which add texture and a coastal touch. The blue-and-green plates themselves were clearance finds from a few years back and are no longer available, but similar shades can be used to recreate the same layered, collected feel. Small blue mugs (I picked several up at the dollar store) and blue-and-white striped bowls—previously used on our July 4th table—round out the vignette and reinforce the color story.
TIP: If your shelves feel visually thin, place a large tray behind a collection of objects. A tray helps ground the display, adds depth, and draws the eye to that area of the shelving.
At the other end of the sideboard, my small buffet lamp keeps its mini boxwood wreath for continuity. For summer, I added a boxwood orb set inside a blue-and-white bowl and tucked both pieces under a chicken-wire cloche. The cloche adds height and a touch of rustic charm, while the greenery keeps the look fresh and seasonal.
No shelf display in this spot would be complete without Mr. Hubert. He still presides above the shelves as the signature piece, and his presence ties the entire arrangement together. I don’t see him giving up his perch any time soon—he’s part of the room’s personality.
ONE FINAL TIP: When styling a shelf or a whole room, choose a unifying theme—colors, materials, or a repeating motif—and repeat those elements throughout. You don’t need everything to match perfectly; instead, use similar tones and textures in different ways to create a cohesive, thoughtfully layered look. For these shelves, I relied on a blue, green, and white palette and repeated it across accessories, plates, textiles, and greenery.
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