Joanna Gaines' diagonal shelving tip – copy this styling secret for beautiful displays

While shelves are often considered more of a practicality than a staple of home design, celebrity interior designer Joanna Gaines has just made shelving feel instantly more exciting. 

The Fixer Upper star has curated spaces of every style in front of a global audience, but her diagonal shelving tip is one of her most versatile and straightforward to date – but despite its simplicity – it will completely transform your scheme.  

So, how can you use your shelving to rebalance your space? Joanna reveals her interior design tips – and her shelving secret.

'When I'm doing open shelving, a trick that I like to use is using a grid that goes in a diagonal form,' Joanna Gaines says.  Therefore, if you have a purple vase at the top right side of your shelf, Joanna suggests placing another purple-toned item diagonally below to exhibit a cohesive design. 'It's a simple trick that I use on all built-ins; it's a way to balance things out,' she adds. 

While Joanna has made her tip sound effortlessly uncomplicated, designer Tom Howley explains that the design process behind a perfectly decorated shelf involves a 'fusion of mathematics and creative intuition.' However, armed with Joanna and Tom's tips, the science behind stylish storage no longer needs to feel like a mystery. 

For a truly curated space, Tom suggests looking beyond the shelf and at the scheme as a whole. 'I look at the room as a whole and create a balanced design with pleasing symmetry wherever possible and cabinetry of the right scale for the room,' Tom explains, whilst sharing his bespoke kitchen ideas. 

'Would you prefer everything to be hidden away, or do you like to have items on display?  Do you want seating on the island?  Do you like curved or linear shapes? Or, for example, if you love entertaining, you will know that guests flock to the kitchen at dinner parties to catch up with their hosts,' he says. 

As both Joanna and Tom suggest, your shelves are far more than storage. Instead, they hold the mathematical key to a cohesive space. The top home ideas to steal from their expertise? Always consider the wider scheme – and above all – always go diagonal.