Living in a small apartment in NYC (or anywhere for that matter) means constantly figuring out where to put your belongings without making your space feel cluttered. In my living room, I needed something that could hold a lot but still look good, and after having a hard time deciding between a few, I landed on the Miller Low Shelf from Schoolhouse in shell. It’s simple, sturdy, and makes my apartment feel more put together without taking up too much space.
When looking for the perfect shelf or credenza, I had a few criteria: I was hoping to find something that could hold the overflow of my kitchen items, including plates, cookbooks, my fruit bowl, and a few of my prized copper pots, without looking like a messy storage unit in the center of my dining room.
This shelf is the perfect middle ground–it’s lower to the ground, open, and fairly long, making it easy to press up against a wall, all while having enough space to actually be useful. The best part about this shelf? It’s a versatile piece of furniture that I could just as easily place under my wall-mounted TV or fill with storage baskets in an entry way ( unfortunately, I don’t see myself having an entry way for many more years).
How I Styled It
I might have an eye for baking decadent desserts, but styling a room or furniture doesn’t come as easily. That’s why I love this shelf—as long as you know how to stack a few plates and books, chances are it will look good no matter what. You can look at the photos I’ve added to see examples of my styling, but here’s what I currently have stored on my new prized possession:
- My fruit bowl that’s too big to put anywhere else and holds a rotating assortment of near-expiring fruit.
A glass pitcher filled with matches I’ve collected from NYC restaurants (how original of me). - Too many cookbooks and books to count, many of which are my boyfriend’s business books (that I could probably slowly start to get rid of).
- And lastly, an obscene amount of serveware, which I can’t seem to get myself to dwindle down even though we’re only two people, and I rarely host.
In just one piece, the shelf solved my storage woes, and the best part is that it also comes in a forest green, as well as different sizes, so regardless of your style there’s a few options to choose from. Though I’m sticking with mine forever.
Do you have any favorite storage pieces? Let me know in the comments!
