One of the hottest trends in home design right now is built-in shelving. Floating shelves, recessed shelves, built-in shelves, fixed bracket shelves…Personally, I’m so thankful that storage is in style! It seems like we can ALWAYS use more storage space in our house! If you’re in the same boat, read on. From bedroom corners to kitchen walls, here are a few built-in shelving ideas and DIY tips to create them.
Shelving styles and definitions to get started:
- Built-in shelf – constructed permanently onto or within wall
- Floating shelf – mounted directly onto the wall where all hinges and supports are not visible
- Fixed-bracket shelf – brackets are mounted on wall and visible as shelf rests on top
- Recessed shelf – installed within wall, between two studs, so it doesn’t protrude into the space of a room
The sneaky, recessed shelf
Limited floor space is one of the biggest challenges with creating room for storage. There isn’t always a good spot for a cabinet, bookshelf, dresser, or hutch. With these recessed shelves, all you need is a wall with two sturdy studs. They are especially great for bathrooms, kitchens, or hallways. Doors are optional. You can stick with the open shelving, if you’d like, or install doors if you’d rather leave room for some clutter!
Click here to get detailed instructions from Family Handyman.
The stock cabinets shortcut
If building built-ins from scratch sounds daunting or too time consuming, this is a great option! Get some basic cabinets from your local hardware or cabinetry store. Measure to make sure they fit your space perfectly, and then start building your bookshelf from the cabinets to the ceiling. Using cabinets as your base can save you time while achieving the custom look you’re going for.
Click here for tips from More Like Home.
The cleverly placed shelf
Built-in shelves can go almost anywhere. Homedit recommends framing your bed with custom, built-in shelves, cabinets, or cubbies. Built-in shelves create a unique and functional storage space, especially for smaller bedrooms. Another idea: fill the space between two windows with a built-in shelf. This is a great solution if you’re having trouble finding the perfect piece of furniture to fit just right.
What about that weird space under the stairs? This is a great spot for built-in or floating shelves; Perfect for things like shoes, bags, books, and backpacks or just displaying decor. This video is chock-full of tips and techniques to build floating shelves in an awkward space.
The building process
With a little bit of elbow grease and a few tools, you, too, can build your own shelving. This blog is another helpful resource that outlines the step-by-step process of creating a custom, built-in bookcase. Check it out!
- Design
- Calculate materials
- Build
- Accommodate a doorway
- Trim
- Wood fill
- Paint
Ready to paint? Click here to check out the top trending paint colors of 2021.
