Five Unexpected Items to Add To Your Built-Ins This Summer

Hi friends. Today let’s talk styling built-ins. I know styling bookshelves can feel impossible. I’m no expert but I do have a few ideas to share today if you want to update yours this summer. Remember, when designing your home – it takes time! I like to tweak my built-ins every few months to add seasonal elements and keep things fresh. It’s just in my DNA to always want to tweak and this season I went with a coastal vibe. When I start to rearrange my built-ins it usually takes me about a week of tweaking and adding until I am really happy with them. Truth is- I have already tweaked them more even since I snapped these pictures I am sharing!

Today I though it would be fun to share five unexpected items you can add to our built-ins if you are in a styling rut. The beauty of using unexpected things is that you can shop your own house and not have to spend any money. If you are like me, you haven’t strolled the aisles of Homegoods in MONTHS…. but that doesn’t mean you can’t change things up!

As you can see here, our built-ins are a big part of our living space and need to be styled as a cohesive pair because of how they are laid out in the room. So let’s take a look at some fresh and unexpected items you may have in your own home you could use today! I’ve also sourced some items below if you want to grab a few new things for yourself.

VACATION SOUVENIRS

Every summer when we go to Hilton Head I always end up grabbing a few pieces of interesting driftwood from the beach. This one in the picture is my fave and I just stacked it up on a few coastal books. I also made this DIY Keepsake Oyster Art last year using some oysters from our beach vacations.
SHOP YOUR KITCHEN

I love adding texture and layers when it comes to styling built-ins. Here you can see how I added a large wooden cutting board to serve as a tray. If you are struggling with items- be sure to check your kitchen cabinets! You may have the perfect dish, tray or cutting board to add in!
DISPLAY A COLLECTION YOU ALREADY OWN

Do you have a collection? I have been collecting heart shaped rocks for the past 10 years. It’s not something I actively “do”, just when I see them, I grab them! Here you can see how I have them displayed in a glass jar. Maybe you have shells, fly fishing lures or coins or something else interesting that you could display. Go dig around in your basement or attic – you might be surprised what you find!
DIY ART –

If you have a gap and can’t find anything to fill it with, it may be time to make yourself some art. Here you can see my landscape painting. I intended for this to look like a marsh and need to go back and finish it off… but for now I love the colors it adds to the shelf. I also made that black and white brushstroke art a few years back and it has consistently been the perfect piece for the built-ins.
PLANTS

Here you can see a dish I turned into a planter to hold spider plant clippings I grabbed from one of my Mom’s plants. If you have some small house plants, you can add them into your shelves for a little pop of fresh and green.