Flower Love
Storage space and decorative space are the key to a pleasant interior design. Floating shelves are a great way to display decorative items, framed pictures, and books. A floating shelf offers a sleek surface that fits any style.
They work especially well for modern, minimalist designs as they are a modern invention. Their lack of obvious supports means they don’t spoil the overall aesthetic with additional details. They can also go with more traditional interior designs as they can have all sorts of details and looks that don’t break the support.
Here are some great ideas for floating wall shelves.
Modern floating wall shelves
Block colored floating shelves are a great storage solution for a modern interior. They can be painted in any number of colors or even made from light wood.
Image source:Laura Kirar Design
If you don’t have enough wall speed, consider installing floating shelves on the banks of your windows. This works very well if your windows are narrow enough that supports can be placed between them. The items you put on these floating shelves should be light and airy so they don’t block the natural light coming in through the windows.
A good idea for floating kitchen shelves is to swap them out for closed cabinets. Not only does this provide great showroom with easy access, it also opens up the kitchen. Color or paint the shelves to match your existing cabinets and woodwork in your kitchen. Also, if you can, try matching the wood type of your shelves.
If your home has oddly shaped corners, fill them in with custom floating shelves. This makes optimal use of the space and gives it a unique look. Dealing with weird corners and cutouts this way means that they don’t just become bizarre little spaces, they serve a purpose. Place small decorative vignettes on these shelves or use floating bookshelves as the basis for a small reading corner with your favorite books.
Image source:Serenity design
Long floating shelves create a kind of gallery space where you can easily rotate art and decorative items. These long floating shelves are clean and streamlined. They offer a lot of freedom in choosing the display. You can place all kinds of artwork on these floating shelves without nailing them to the wall, while still maintaining a balance with space.
Thick floating wooden shelves add substance to a bare piece of wall. You can also carry larger and heavier items. These shelves are also the easiest DIY floating shelves as their installation mechanisms are quite large and solid.
Stacks of small floating shelves can be an excellent use of open wall space. They transform an empty room into a complex art exhibition. You can sue it for boxes of items or books for smart storage. For even more storage space, put a small bar cart under these tiny floating shelves.
Floating bathroom shelves
Bathrooms are usually very small rooms with little wall space. This means that floating shelves are great solutions for both storage and decoration. They offer storage space and don’t take up too much wall space.
Make sure you choose floating shelves and anchors that hold up well in humid environments. Small floating shelves are a good idea as they won’t protrude too much in a confined space and will also blend better with your decor.
Image source:IN Studio & Co. Interiors
You can place decorative or even practical items such as extra soap or towels on these shelves. For an extra touch that saves even more space, consider using floating shelves with hooks or hangers on the bottom to hang towels, swimsuits, robes, or other items.
Rustic floating shelves
Floating shelves are great for modern decor, but they also go perfectly with rustic themed areas. Most rustic floating shelves are made of wood, often reclaimed wood, or wood that has been stained to look weathered. There are also metal options for rustic floating shelves. They won’t be smooth but will look weathered and possibly have corrugated iron.
One cool look for rustic floating shelves is that they look like beams sticking out of the wall. These shelves are often long and narrow, so they may not be the ideal option if you want to store books or larger items on them. However, it’s a unique look that adds a bit of texture to the wall.
How to hang floating shelves
Most floating shelves allow you to easily hang them yourself using simple tools, including a drill and a level. Take your time and do not rush. Follow these steps:
Use a finer stud to find wall studs that you want to hang the floating shelves on. You should try to put at least one fastener into a stud for maximum stability.
Mark the desired location for each fastener with a pencil. Use a level to make sure the marks are straight.
Image source:Smith Homes
If you are not going to attach the floating shelves to a wall stud, use anchors. Each anchor is rated based on the weight it can hold. Use anchors that will hold more weight than you want to put on the shelves just to be sure.
Make sure you choose the right type of anchor as there are many choices depending on the type of walls (drywall, brick, plaster, etc.) and what you want to hang from. Talk to someone at the hardware store about which one is best for you.
Make sure you test how well the floating shelves hold up before placing items on them. Do not put objects that are too heavy on the shelves or they will eventually collapse, even if they last for a while.
Final thoughts on floating shelf ideas
Floating shelves are a common feature of many homes as they make a great addition for storage and decoration. They have many different styles and uses that are great for your decorating and storage needs.