Last weekend, the Wall Street Journal caused a minor frenzy when they reported on the meme-du-jour among the online design community, the #shelfie. For the unacquainted, the shelfie is the cousin of the ubiquitous selfie, but instead of focusing the lens on one’s own visage, the camera is pointed toward a pleasing still life arrangement. According to the paper, “these portraits of one’s taste [are] hopeful bids for attention in which one’s aesthetic and one’s ego overlap.” The article attributes some heady motivation to the posting of shelfies, alternately positing that they may be a form of meditation, addiction, or narcissism. That’s a lot of subtext for one little Instagram.
Our take on the trend? Don’t overanalyze. We’re proponents of beautiful design images, full stop. Which is why we asked our Instagram followers to jump on the bandwagon and post their own #1DShelfie. The submissions covered a variety of stylistic ground, but were uniformly gorgeous: well-composed, well-edited, and full of highly personal touches. Click through the gallery below to see some of our followers’ best work.
This blue-chip shelfie by @Susanalmrudinc boasts appearances by Jeff Koons and the Campana Brothers.
Bold geometry is nicely balanced by a neutral palette in this snap by @Vanguard_Shel.
Disparate pieces look cohesive due to their delicate proportions in this photo by@SarahWLederman.
The vintage globe in @SarahWLederman's pairs perfectly with retro-chic tech accessories.
@Robyn_Mizrach's #1DShelfie has a lovely watercolor quality—and a great reading list.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, @Rhana10 shows that sometimes, more is more.
This shelfie from Toronto-based designer @montanalabelle has a great sense of texture.
Fresh blooms and a little bit of Hermès—we can't resist—nicely offset the orderliness of the arrangement in this shelfie by @montanalabelle.
A black-tie shelfie from @Haceryeni gets extra plaudits for having bubbly on-hand.
Like the author, @MarionFasel's shelfie deftly mixes vintage pieces for a refined, elegant composition.
The less, the better. @Hookandnail nicely illustrates how to take a minimalist shelfie.
Cheers! Cocktail accessories make @GallerieNoir's submission a particularly festive shelfie.
Bold geometrical patterns are winning alongside vintage medical paraphernalia. Shelfie submitted by @Evanhues.
This shot by @CCVintage combines two decor trends: the shelfie, plus the Wes Anderson-inspired gallery wall.
This shelfie by @Allicators is all the more chic for its casual, lived-in feel.
@3dnstl's caught our eye for its witty twist on symmetrical interiors.
Submit your own #1Dshelfie — or just silently judge ours — by following 1stdibs on Instagram.
