We bought a house and had a carpenter make us built-ins around the fireplace. I have no idea what to fill the shelves with! I'm not really a knick-knack person, so I would like to put things like books and maybe a couple picture frames, but there are so many shelves! Should I just go to different stores and search for decorative objects? What do other people put in their built-ins? Also, any ideas on what to put over the fireplace?
nectarine / 2987 posts
How about a canvas print over the fireplace? I'd get a couple baskets and frames and intersperse those with books and use the baskets to hold things I want stored in that room.
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
Check out Swatch Pop. It is $50 you send them a picture of an area you need help with. They email you back 2 options and links to stuff to buy. But you can always look for things on your own. I have friends that have done it several times and I am about to do my first one.
pomegranate / 3658 posts
I feel like if you're not into knick knacks, don't force it. I'd do a ton of framed personal photos, and books. Why isn't the TV above the fireplace? Agree that the canvas print of some art would be a good fit there.
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
Have you seen anything on Pinterest you like?
We have built ins too and I am not into knock knacks. After scouring through Pinterest we are going to do what @PawPrints: suggested and feature a bunch of framed family photos. To add some additional interest we will change up the shelving height and put a couple 3D items here and there.
@AprilD: I'll wall you my Pinterest board.
pear / 1809 posts
Thanks everyone for the help!
@SugarplumsMom: Those pics are really helpful! I like how none of the built-ins look cluttered, and everything goes together
@PawPrints: I didn't want the TV above the fireplace. I personally don't like the look of TVs above fireplaces, and it also isn't a good viewing angle when you're watching it.
pomegranate / 3809 posts
Is this more of a sitting room or a TV family room? I'd put the TV on the wall behind the chairs, and then rotate the chairs to face the fireplace/shelves. Where it is now just doesn't seem to have any good viewing angle and make the TV seem like an after thought.
pear / 1809 posts
@PurplePumps: It's our family room. I put the furniture there, because I'm trying out different set-ups. We don't watch a lot of TV, so it's not important for all the chairs to face the TV. I don't want to move the TV though, because we had the built-ins designed so the TV would go where it is. We mounted it to the wall, and have all the cords going behind the wall into the cabinet that sits under it.
pear / 1809 posts
@PurplePumps: Also, the TV tilts, so you can watch it comfortably from the couch
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
I feel like decorative objects are very personal, so it's difficult to say what should go in there.
I realize you're not a knickknack person, but I'd really look at curating a small collection of something and putting those objects among the books and picture frames. I have a collection of blue and white vases that I'd put back there, plus at least one plant for greenery.
I like the idea of a mirror over the fireplace, or possibly some metal art. Have you looked at what's available on places like Grandin Road and Ballard Designs?
cherry / 196 posts
If those were mine they'd be full of books, but I have a lot of books. I'm not a huge knickknack person, but I do have some decorative things that were either gifts or souvenirs from travels. I put those in front of the books.
pomelo / 5220 posts
I have a really large built in that I struggled to "curate" things to put on it. I looked at a lot of pinterest pictures. I purchased random items here and there from Target, Homegoods, etc. I also did framed pictures. I also wanted books that looked uniform so I ordered a few "feet" of books all in the same color from books by the foot (yes that is a real website lol). I'll try to see if I have a picture of how mine is styled on my phone but I'm very pleased with how it turned out.
pomegranate / 3809 posts
Ah, cool.
My friend has a very similar set up and she has a large mirror above the fireplace. She had a hard time trying to pick out art she liked that would go with the décor, so a mirror with a nice frame was a lot more neutral and easy to pick.
For the shelves, some figures, some pictures, books, decorative bowls, things that she had picked up on travels, etc. It does looks as fancy like the pics, but it's all works together cause it's all different if that makes sense and is very homey and "them"
cherry / 196 posts
@purplepumps: I like the mirror idea. You can always replace it with some art or put things in front of it if you find something you like.
pomelo / 5257 posts
First of all, your fireplace is beautiful! We have built-ins at our house -- most of the shelves (like 2/3 of the way up) are books. The top few shelves are a mostly framed photos and the few knick knacks we do have. The upper shelves aren't super practical for books, assuming you ever want to get them down, so I think that works well. I'm also 5'3" so if you're taller that may be less of an issue, haha.
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
@PurplePumps: @aprild: there is a product to fix the TV above fireplace optimal viewing issue. we used this https://www.mantelmount.com/ to mount our TV above the fireplace in the Great room.
I like the formality of your room. If you go the mirror over the fireplace route a wreath in the center or candle sticks or some type of sculpture off center might be nice too.
nectarine / 2173 posts
I wouldn't buy objects without personal meaning to just fill up space. I'm a big believer that shelves are mostly for books 
throw in some family pictures and an object or two with meaning and you're set!
pear / 1809 posts
@fmmtk: Sorry for the late reply! We got the rug from esalerugs.com. They have a big selection and good pricing too
pea / 9 posts
Looks beautiful!
TV should be good where it is, I would never put a TV above a fire place (bad for TV and bad viewing angle for your family).
I do not like knick knacks either...have you thought about picking a style and then randomly picking up items that fit the style that can e displayed on the shelves as you are out and about shopping over time?
I am a designer and I rarely finish an entire room in 1 week or month. Typically, it takes a few months sometimes even years till the room looks "pinterest" worthy. Often its worth waiting till you find items you LOVE rather than buying to fill space. This is also coming from an extermely impatient person.
Good luck!
nectarine / 2243 posts
I'd do a large mirror over the fireplace, maybe similar color to your light fixture so they'd play off each other.
And as far as the shelves. Get out the books you want to put on the shelves (i take the jackets off, typically the hard cover books all have nice monotone colors underneath the jackets).
If you just have no idea what stuff to put up there, go to Target or something and pick a neutral color plus a texture, say..cream, and wood, or cream and metal and grab a few things that speak to you. A big paperweight, glass jar, first letter of your last name. etc. Maybe put 1 or 2 objects on each shelf, plus some books stacked horizontally, maybe some vertically. Less is more! And target is killing it lately with their accessories.
Also, love your furniture choices.
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
@aprild: I love your room and built ins! I just bought a house and we want to do built ins pretty much exactly like that. I also hate tv's over the fireplace, and much prefer to set up the room to center around conversation and interaction rather than a tv
pomelo / 5866 posts
Books with a few favorite ones displayed forward; framed pics; a few small framed paintings faced forward on little stands; basket
hostess / papaya / 10540 posts
We have a very similar setup and we have our TV in the center, so I'm no help there. But for the shelves, it has taken years for them to finally feel like they are almost finished. We have a bunch of frames, some books, and treasures that we've collected from trips to fill our shelves. I also picked up a thing here or there at the store when it spoke to me. I'm not a huge collector or a knick knack person either, so I think that's why it took me longer.
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