Built-in shelves are on par with wallpaper as one of the easiest ways to add visual interest to your walls. However, shelves have the added benefit of providing storage. They are also easy to personalize and change out as your style evolves. Olivia Culpo's minimalist, modern shelves are just one example of how to pull off the look.
The actress took to Instagram to share a cute snap of her and husband Christian McCaffery's Halloween costumes, but all we could look at was the background. Culpo's living room shelving all the way to her ceilings. Her white built-ins are uniformly sized, with each box serving as home to a host of of cream and white accessories. Some feature framed family photos, matte vases or black and white decorative books.
This is a departure from what we think of as traditional shelving decor in its modernity and neutrality. Megan Slack, head of celebrity style at Homes & Gardens, states, 'Bookshelf wealth has been one of the most popular trends of 2024, but the dominant narrative of this trend is total maximalism. However, the whole point of the trend is to follow your bliss. As an avid minimalist, it makes sense that Culpo's take on the look would fit into her favorite color palette.'
Though Culpo's walls are neutral, the bookshelf styling means they never look boring. First, she has mixed up the direction of the books. In some vignettes, they are horizonal, in others they are vertical, and in some the books go in both directions. Although most are white, there are a few black accents that make the shelves stand out all the more. Second, Culpo and McCaffery have mixed in decorative vases and frames among the look to break it up. They have also left some of the shelves empty for a supremely
The living room furniture is just as much a part of what makes the shelves stand out as the shelves themselves. Culpo and McCaffery have accessorized the room with a variety of sumptuous textures. In the left corner, they've brought in a boucle chair across from a cream sectional. On the floor of the living room, they've included a geometric sherpa rug. Brown throw cushions on the sofa bring in a color contrast that keeps the white and cream room feeling grounded.
Shop H&G's Cream Shelves Edit
To recreate Culpo and McCaffery's scheme, consider white and cream shelf decor and textured furniture.
This set of three matte ceramic vases adds dimension and texture to white shelves. I love that they are slightly different colors to help add dimension to any living room.
Color coordinating your books doesn't have to mean they have, well, color. These decorative white books bring in personality without taking away from a neutral color scheme.
A cream scheme gains interest through color. Though this boucle sofa wouldn't feature on the shelves, its softness brings visual interest in a warm neutral space
If you like the minimalism of this look but prefer a brighter color scheme, I think it would look so chic with another shade. You could choose a favorite color, like blue, and then paint the shelves that color and add accents in different shades of the same. Olivia Culpo's living room shelves are the blueprint.
