There's no denying that shelves are useful for both storage and display but the humble shelf can be so much more than functional.
Adding a wallpaper lining behind your shelving is a cheap and simple way to give a punch of colour or pattern to a room.
Samples or a single roll of wallpaper can often be used to line the back of bookshelves or wall hanging units. Often, paper will slide behind shelves so can be easily removed and reapplied. If you quickly get tired of one colour or print you can simply swap it for another! Perfect if you're renting a property and want to make a statement without permanently papering the walls.
Customising custom made shelving
As an even cheaper alternative to wallpaper I used wrapping paper.
We have a black finished shelving unit on the wall in our living room that Antony made over 5 years ago and I wanted to brighten it up and make it more cheerful. I love Orla Kiely wallpaper patterns but, as we hope to be moving house soon, I didn't want to wallpaper a whole wall or make a change that we couldn't take with us to a new house. It occurred to me that the shelves were the perfect place to add some Orla Kiely!
I bought 2 sheets of wrapping paper, measured them and cut them to shape (another great thing about shelves is that they're straight)! Then I simply slid them behind alternate shelves. Any bits of the paper that weren't secure I just added a tiny piece of blu-tack behind the paper to hold it in place.
I love the result. I have Orla Kiely shelves for £3.90 and in a fraction of the time it would have taken to wallpaper!
Antony makes shelving units (like the one above) to any size, style or finish. If you would like a quote for some shelving please feel free to email us ajbinteriors@hotmail.com for more information.
