Start with an empty surface
Remove everything and clean the shelf. Put back the things that are used regularly before adding objects that are only displayed. This makes the result easier to live with, not merely easier to photograph.
Let a few differences remain
Books, ceramics and a small framed drawing need not share a colour. They can relate through scale or material instead. Leave a gap between groups so that each object has a readable outline.
Stop before it is finished
A shelf should have room for the next book or the cup that needs somewhere to land. An arrangement with no spare space becomes a task to maintain. The useful test is whether you can take something down and put it back without adjusting everything around it.
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