The “Triangle” Method Transformed My Shelves (It’s So Simple!)
If your home lacks storage space, the one thing you can always add is shelves. Whether you choose DIY shelves or pick some up at the store, they’re a tried-and-tested way to make sure you have space for books, knickknacks, candles, and whatever else might strike your fancy.
I confess that up until now, I largely saw shelves as functional — not an opportunity for added style. I love my books, so my shelves, more often than not, are a haphazard pile of my favorites and TBRs, peppered with the odd knickknack — which unfortunately means they don’t add much to my decor.
So when I came across the “Triangle Method” from TikTok creator Nick Lowry (@nikil0w), I was intrigued. The method is simple: You create “visual triangles” using your books, decor objects, and other items that “draw the eye to the center or top of a specific shelf,” as Lowry explains in their video. The triangles can be vertical or horizontal, but importantly, you need to make sure you don’t repeat the same arrangement in adjacent shelves; otherwise they may end up looking unbalanced.
The only shelves I currently have are the built-ins in my living room, on either side of my fireplace. One side usually features my books, while the other side holds my knickknacks. I decided to start testing the Triangle Method by styling the side with my books, to see if I liked the effect before I committed to it on both shelves. I picked up my various vases, fake plants, and pots from the knickknack shelf to balance out the books.
I cleared out my shelves to start from scratch, and then used my biggest books to set up “triangles.” I set up each shelf with a knickknack of some sort on one side and a triangle on the other, switching between 90° and equilateral triangles.
As you can see, my triangles weren’t perfect — in the third shelf from the top, my books are creating more of a “concept” of a triangle than an actual angle. I also accidentally got a more similar triangle than I was aiming for in the second and third shelves from the top. However, when I stepped back, the final result was more polished than my shelves have ever been.
On the one hand, the “Triangle Method” definitely works — my eye is immediately drawn to the candle and handmade ceramic pot on top of two of the triangles. Overall, my shelves look more intentional, and have a little more personality than before. Combining books with my ceramic pots, candles, and plants also adds more color and texture, turning my formerly functional area into something actually decorative.
However, if you have as many books and as little shelf space as I do, this simply isn’t sustainable. I have nearly 100 books, and space is at a premium. Granted, half of them were still in boxes until last week, but I can fit them all on one side — as long as I don’t try styling all of them.
Setting up my shelves in this way means I wouldn’t be able to fit all my books even using both sides of my shelves, and risks leaving some of my books out. While I could add more DIY shelves to my walls, it seems a waste when I already have built-ins. My books are also a mix of new and thrifted, with many different sizes — it can be hard to get the perfect “triangles” I’m going for.
The “Triangle Method” is a great way to make your shelves look more polished and intentional — but it might not work if you have a lot of stuff you want to display. If you’re willing to add more shelf space, find alternative spots for some books, or want to create a cute shelfie moment, it might be a fit for you.
It also helps show off anything you’re particularly proud of — the candle in my photo is one I poured myself, and I made the ceramic pots as well. I love this aspect of the method, and might try to fit triangles in some shelves instead of all of them to leave space for my books.
Further Reading
I Tried the 90/90 Rule and My Closet Is Now Fully Decluttered
Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Article’s DTC Furniture
See How a Stager Used Paint to Transform a 1950s Living Room
