Guide to Shelves

Guide to Shelves

Guide to Shelves
Create beautiful displays using shelves. In this guide you’ll find everything from shelf brackets to making your shelf look on point with the right décor.


All About Shelves



Looking for ways to optimize your space? Shelves are an excellent option to instantly gain more storage space. Not only that, these decorative pieces are full of personality – they can be bold, fun, and very easy to incorporate into any décor. For use in living rooms, bedrooms, offices, kitchens, and garages, basically anywhere additional storage space isneeded.

There are plenty of shelf options available that cover virtually every design taste! Here we’ve compiled the most popular shelving styles in interior design with a how to guide on how to rethink your interior and add shelves.

All About Shelves

Let's start with Shelf Supports!

All About ShelvesShelf supports are a must have item for all shelves. Shelf Brackets are responsible for securely holding the shelf in place against the wall, whether exposed or hidden. Choosing your shelf support can be really fun and there are numerous options for every style. Shelf Support types include: standard shelf brackets, floating shelf brackets, and shelf track systems.

Shelf Bracket Supports are very versatile and most of them are easy to install. The brackets are visible when installed, so choosing the right style is key to ensuring it works with your overall design. Determine whether you’re going for a modern, minimalist look or a rustic, antique design. Then select your material type and finish, whether a plated metallic finish, aluminum, satin stainless steel, or even powder coated paint or plastic materials.

All About ShelvesFloating shelf supports are simple and sleek. As the name suggests, floating shelves appear to be floating off the wall, a cool complementary effect for a modern minimalist design. Creating this illusion is very simple - the shelf support is either a post hidden inside the wood shelf or is a sturdy low profile bracket that provides support underneath the shelf.

All About ShelvesShelf track systems are another unique way to display shelves. They are designed to support multiple shelves on a track that can be moved and reconfigured easily at any time. You simply affix the aluminum track to the wall and slide the brackets into the track. The number of brackets needed is completely up to you and your custom application. Perfect for displaying products in retail settings or for use with multimedia storage in living rooms and more.

Tip: Think ahead about what you will actually be placing on the shelf to determine weight capacity requirements.


See Related Items

SH56A

Triangle Shelf Brackets

SH50

Tripod Shelf Brackets

SH44B

Large Straight Shelf
* NO LONGER IN STOCK



Installation

After selecting the best shelf system for your application, it’s time to install it. The good news is that installation is typically pretty straight forward and any avid do-it-yourselfer can manage their own DIY project. Here are the easy steps to get started in applying beautiful shelf brackets to accommodate your shelves.

1. Tools Needed: A leveler, measuring tape, drill, screwdriver, screw anchors, pencil for marking, and of course, your shelves and shelf brackets.

2. Survey installation location: Maybe you already have a location in mind where you want your shelves, but before installing check if the wall is suitable for installation (you will ideally want to mount into studs).

3. Mark position of the shelf support: Hold the shelf against the wall. Set a leveler in the center of the shelf to make sure it is completely level, then lightly draw a straight line across the wall for reference with a pencil. This may require some help to have someone hold the shelf in place.

4. Drill mounting holes: With your shelf location marked, hold shelf in place and hold bracket underneath shelf against the wall. Mark your drill holes through the bracket and prepare for drilling. Note the leveler should still.

5. Install the brackets: Secure the bracket to the wall using screws and screw anchors. Tighten screws.

6. Place the shelf: Lastly, place your shelf on top of the shelf supports and affix to the brackets. Depending on the type of shelf bracket (excluding floating shelves), this typically means screwing from under the arm of the bracket into the shelf.

7. Your shelf is now ready to use!



More on Shelves

All About Shelves
How to Decorate Shelves



Organizing Shelves

AYour shelves are installed and ready to use. Now what? Get organized! Is the shelf mainly serving as a decorative piece as an accent to your interior design motif? Or are you planning to use it for storage? Or maybe both? Either way the key for good-looking shelves is organization.

For bookshelves, try to create symmetry by stacking the books horizontally and vertically. Add bookends to spruce it up a little bit and try to have some free space in between the book stacks. Leaving some free space will give your shelf room to breathe and look more organized.

Shelves can also be used for added storage space in offices. Store files and other objects inside boxes with labels for easy identification and place on the shelves. Also great for garages and other storage areas.

If your shelves are simply to complement your interior design, here are three simple rules to follow:

1. Color Palette: Choose 3 colors that complement each other; these colors will link the shelves together and create balance.

2. Use the Triangle method: Place the objects that have something in common such as color or shape on the shelves forming triangles. It will create symmetry between all the objects.

3. Grouping objects: Separate objects into groups and group those objects in odd numbers. Feel free to mix vertical and horizontal groupings to create an eye-catching ensemble.


We hope you are inspired to apply this to your own interior design and open up some extra storage space with some stylish shelves! For more inspiration, be sure to follow our Shelf Support board on Pinterest.

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