Decorating Your Living Space With Shelves

Style Without The Clutter

What can be more attractive, yet more functional to a living space than a set of shelves! Shelves range so widely in size, shape, and function, that one should take plenty of time to decide which set will most meet the current need. A local search can be augmented with an online one, just to get a good idea of what is really out there among the numerous possibilities.

A special note for all stand-alone shelving: In an earthquake active area, any large piece of furniture adjacent to a wall should be earthquake mounted. These mounts, consisting of adhesive Velcro straps that also use screws, can be purchased at any home center in the area.

Traditional Shelving

The shelving with which we are all familiar is, of course, book shelves, decorative wall shelves, or divider shelves.  The simplest shelf assembly consists of plywood boards with bricks or cinder blocks to determine shelf spacing, depth, width, and height. In their original form, these shelves are not attractive but fulfill their purpose. Many college students or persons on a strict budget spruce them up with adhesive shelf paper, or spray paint both shelves and blocks and add little decorations or knickknacks for the cinder block holes. Plywood used should be no less than one inch thick. These shelves can be as long, wide, or tall as you need them, with as few or as many shelves as you need. They can be secured against a wall, or they can stand perpendicular to the wall, acting as a divider. People use them for books on the bottom, with lighter objects on top. When assembling this set, do not skimp on cinder block reinforcements.  Also, remember when adding knickknacks to the cinder blocks – LESS IS MORE – don’t fill every available spot or you’ll be starting from the beginning with decluttering in a few years.

If floor space is scarce, the bracketed wall shelves may be a solution. They consist of vertical strip mounts that screw into the wall the approximate length of the shelves. Support braces for the shelves are fitted into slots along the mounts to adjust shelf height. However, if you use these as book shelves, you should invest in bookends.

For sturdy use in the garage or basement, there are metal, fiberglass and PVC shelves that do not need to be attractive, but are functional, to hold tools, boxes, etc. An easy, mobile set of open backed shelves can be purchased that snap together. Spacing is not adjustable, but the number of shelves is.  Decorative storage shelves can be installed in these areas too, just in case you have your storage areas looking nice.

Decorative Shelves

This is where the choosing becomes fun. There are so many shapes, sizes and materials from which to choose. For example, a single wooden quarter-round corner shelf and brace installed at the right height can serve as an end table when furniture is close to a wall, or telephone table in a vestibule. Small glass or wooden shelves can be attractively staggered to display special objects, and have either straight or curved edges.  Decorative corner shelves are a nice addition to any room, as well.  Just remember to keep the clutter to a minimum and don’t overload them with knickknacks.

Floating Shelves

These unique and fascinating items can be used to hold many things. The secret of the floating look is the mounting, or cleat, which is first attached to the wall, then slides and snaps into the hollow floating shelf. These units give a clean, attractive look to any room.

Whatever the decision, know that the shelves used will maximize your floor space and organize your storage.

–J

Related posts:

1. Hidden Dangers of Closet Organization Systems and How To Correct Them
2. Decorative Storage Boxes are the Key to Getting Organized!
3. Taming Your Closet Organizer