Decorating
10 Reasons to Make Shelving a Feature in Any Room
Fed up with the standard floating shelf? Here are a dozen delightfully different platforms upon which to rest your books and treasures
Shelves are so often an afterthought: it’s only when a room’s all decorated and you start to fill it with your possessions that you realise you’ve forgotten to include enough storage for books, ceramics and treasures. Here are 12 ideas for making shelving a key feature in any space.
Go up and over
Instead of decorating your walls with patterned paper or painting them in different hues, cover them in shelves crammed with books, vases and ornaments. You can stick to a particular colour scheme or fill a white bookcase with multi-coloured spines and decorative objects, as the architect owner of this London home has done here.
In this room, the shelves have been designed to go around the doorway and cover the entire double-height wall to create a truly eye-catching feature. Just be sure to consider how you’ll access the highest spots; a bespoke built-in ladder is one solution.
Instead of decorating your walls with patterned paper or painting them in different hues, cover them in shelves crammed with books, vases and ornaments. You can stick to a particular colour scheme or fill a white bookcase with multi-coloured spines and decorative objects, as the architect owner of this London home has done here.
In this room, the shelves have been designed to go around the doorway and cover the entire double-height wall to create a truly eye-catching feature. Just be sure to consider how you’ll access the highest spots; a bespoke built-in ladder is one solution.
Reuse and repurpose
A little creative upcycling is all you need to make a shelf or even a whole bookcase. Here, numerous wooden crates have been stacked under the stairs to create an assortment of different-sized shelving areas.
Discover the experts’ secrets of successful upcycling
A little creative upcycling is all you need to make a shelf or even a whole bookcase. Here, numerous wooden crates have been stacked under the stairs to create an assortment of different-sized shelving areas.
Discover the experts’ secrets of successful upcycling
Screen it
Two-way bookshelves that offer display space on both sides make ideal room screens and, unlike a more traditional partition wall, they won’t stop light filtering through, either. In this compact studio, a bespoke shelving unit subtly separates the bedroom from the living area.
Two-way bookshelves that offer display space on both sides make ideal room screens and, unlike a more traditional partition wall, they won’t stop light filtering through, either. In this compact studio, a bespoke shelving unit subtly separates the bedroom from the living area.
Step up
Staircases often provide the perfect spot for bespoke shelving – a whole library of books has been crammed into this little nook. By walking past your book collection so frequently, you might be tempted to dip into it more often, too.
Find out how you can make more of your staircase
Staircases often provide the perfect spot for bespoke shelving – a whole library of books has been crammed into this little nook. By walking past your book collection so frequently, you might be tempted to dip into it more often, too.
Find out how you can make more of your staircase
Don’t hang art, shelve it
If you’re stumped by trying to hang your art collection so it looks just right, consider shelving it instead. A picture ledge filled with paintings and other artwork can look very effective, and you can also change pieces around very easily for a fresh look.
Try these budget-busting ways to bring art into your home
If you’re stumped by trying to hang your art collection so it looks just right, consider shelving it instead. A picture ledge filled with paintings and other artwork can look very effective, and you can also change pieces around very easily for a fresh look.
Try these budget-busting ways to bring art into your home
Exploit a niche
If you stop to consider it, you might find your home is filled with lots of redundant spaces that could hold interesting-looking shelves. You may even discover an existing shelving space you’ve never considered as a shelf before – the tops of kitchen units, the roof of a wardrobe, a deep windowsill, or an exposed RSJ, as in this image, could all be put to work holding stuff.
If you stop to consider it, you might find your home is filled with lots of redundant spaces that could hold interesting-looking shelves. You may even discover an existing shelving space you’ve never considered as a shelf before – the tops of kitchen units, the roof of a wardrobe, a deep windowsill, or an exposed RSJ, as in this image, could all be put to work holding stuff.
Style with tiles
Particularly suited to bathrooms and kitchens, tiled shelves are a little bit different, especially if you go for a strong patterned look, as shown here. They’re also incredibly sturdy and waterproof.
Be inspired by different ways to add style with patterned tiles
Particularly suited to bathrooms and kitchens, tiled shelves are a little bit different, especially if you go for a strong patterned look, as shown here. They’re also incredibly sturdy and waterproof.
Be inspired by different ways to add style with patterned tiles
Dig in
If you’re extending or adding a partition wall to your home, this is the perfect opportunity to embed shelving nooks. As the shelf sits inside the wall, rather than protruding from it, it will make a room feel more spacious than it might with traditional shelving.
If you’re extending or adding a partition wall to your home, this is the perfect opportunity to embed shelving nooks. As the shelf sits inside the wall, rather than protruding from it, it will make a room feel more spacious than it might with traditional shelving.
Hide behind closed doors
Hidden shelving can come in useful as well – and not just for clothes and shoes. Here, an alcove has been created in the chimney breast to hold books; when it’s not in use, it’s covered by a painting suspended on the door’s exterior.
Shelves holding a TV and entertainment unit could be cleverly concealed in this way, too.
Hidden shelving can come in useful as well – and not just for clothes and shoes. Here, an alcove has been created in the chimney breast to hold books; when it’s not in use, it’s covered by a painting suspended on the door’s exterior.
Shelves holding a TV and entertainment unit could be cleverly concealed in this way, too.
String it up
Shelves can be made from many surprising materials. Here, a set of looped straps holds piles of books in an innovative take on a traditional theme.
Shelves can be made from many surprising materials. Here, a set of looped straps holds piles of books in an innovative take on a traditional theme.
Work a wheely good idea
Shelves can hold big things, too. The bike in this room could easily be cluttering up floor space. A clever little ledge, however, allows it to be hung on the wall, like a sculpture.
TELL US…
Have you been creative with shelving? Tell us how and show us your photos in the Comments below.
Shelves can hold big things, too. The bike in this room could easily be cluttering up floor space. A clever little ledge, however, allows it to be hung on the wall, like a sculpture.
TELL US…
Have you been creative with shelving? Tell us how and show us your photos in the Comments below.
Shelves don’t need to be horizontal – they can snake across a wall and, with a little clever engineering, will still hold stacks of books. Here, this swirling stream of metal – Ron Arad’s Bookworm – becomes a huge piece of ever-changing artwork on this dining room wall.