The Top 85 Floating Shelves Ideas
Do you have a blank wall that you wish you could do something with? Large, bare walls that have nothing on them. What you need is a floating shelf.
This gives you the freedom to do anything with it. You could use it as a display space for decor or use it to create additional storage.
What’s nice about floating shelves is that you can install them in any room of your home. You can use them in any style of interior decor. You can also use them in any sized room.
These floating shelves ideas will help you choose and install the perfect floating shelf in your home.
Contents
1. Bathroom
Adding a floating shelf or several shelves to your bathroom is a great way to create a decor display space or extra storage in your small bathroom.
Your bathroom floating shelves are the ideal extra storage space that you need for arranging spare towels and toiletries.
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Your bathroom is in a high moisture environment. So choose a shelf material that will be impervious to the extra moisture.
You also don’t want to install your shelves in a place that will experience constant moisture, such as splashing from the shower. A good place to mount a floating shelf is above the toilet or vanity.
2. Corner
Take a look around your home and count how many empty corners you have. It’s probably a lot more than you think you have. These are corners that are essentially dead space. Why not put them to work with a corner shelf?
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Install a single floating shelf over a countertop. Or you could install multiple floating shelves in an empty corner. You can size the shelf to fit the amount of wall space that you have.
You can put these corner shelves in any room you want, from the bathroom to the kitchen. You also don’t have to put them in a corner that’s created by two walls.
If you have a cabinet mounted on the wall, you could have mini corner shelves mounted on the side of the cabinet.
3. Decor
Mounting your shelf on the wall is the easy part. The hard part is arranging your floating shelf decor.
There are several decorating ideas out there, but not all of them are good. The easiest thing to do is to pick decorative items that you like and then worry about arranging them later.
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Visually balance the display you create. Have a single central high point or two high points on either end.
Layer the decor with taller items in the back and shorter items towards the front. Use pieces of varying widths and layer items left to right across the shelf. Balance the color across the shelf.
4. DIY
Build your own floating shelf and have a custom piece to display your decor. Your DIY floating shelf could be made of wood, metal, glass, stone, or any other material you choose. What’s nice about a DIY shelf is that you’re only limited by your shelving ideas.
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Just like any other shelf you hang on your wall, you need to do it the right way. This means mounting it to the wall studs behind the drywall.
You’ll also want to use drywall anchors. You can use a stud finder to easily find the studs in the wall.
5. Industrial
Certain rooms of your home don’t need fancy decorative shelves. Instead, they need industrial shelves that are sturdy and strong.
Your laundry room is a perfect example of this. Floating shelves can give you the extra storage space that you need.
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These shelves are typically made from metal that’s been coated. They aren’t the most attractive, but they’ll get the job done. You’ll also see them in closets. Here though, they’ll have a track that they hook into. This lets you customize the height of each shelf to fit your storage needs.
6. Kitchen
The open shelving look has been popular in recent years for the kitchen. The problem with this is that it lacks functionality. Who wants to have all of the items on display in their kitchen?
Take a modern approach to the trend by installing a few floating shelves on an empty wall. Then you can keep the functionality of your cabinets while also enjoying the open wall shelf trend.
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If you have an open layout for your floorplan, you can tie your kitchen and dining room spaces together.
Use the same wooden floating shelves in both rooms. Or have one long shelf that extends from one room to the other. This visual continuity creates a cohesive design throughout your home.
7. Living Room
Create a stunning display on your living room wall with a large floating shelf that extends the length of your living room.
Mount it above your sofa and create a focal point in the room. You can also use a rustic floating shelf to create a faux fireplace.
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You don’t have to commit to a single large floating shelf. Instead, try using several white floating shelves that are small and mounted among other decor.
You could have small wooden crates, photographs, and art. This creates a custom gallery wall with various textures and colors.
8. Metal
Give your home an industrial feel by choosing metal for your floating shelves.
This style of floating shelving unit also works well in your kitchen or bathroom. Metal is a smooth material that doesn’t have crevices for bacteria to get in. You can clean and sanitize the metal.
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Try mixing metal with your wood floating shelves for an industrial look. You can build a hanging shelf by using a metal pipe for the framework and then using wood planks for the shelves.
Another beautiful option is to use bold metal straps to mount the wood shelf on the wall.
9. Small
Adding a small and simple floating shelf can create a beautiful accent in unexpected places.
Your floating wall shelf needs to only be big enough to hold a candle or small figurine. Install several of them in a single corner to create a complete display.
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These smaller shelves work well in places that are limited, such as your bathroom. Or they could be on the outside edge of your kitchen cabinets.
Try using them in your bedroom in the corner behind your bedroom door. The small size and angled edge of the open shelf won’t interfere with your door opening.
10. Wooden
Adding a wooden shelf to your interior design is an easy way to bring nature indoors. Wood is warm and has texture.
Reclaimed wood is perfect for creating an authentic look to your rustic or farmhouse decor. Elegantly stained wood is perfect for a luxurious or elegant feel.
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When picking your wood shelf, look at the length and thickness of the wood.
Thicker planks look more substantial and visually balanced on the wall. You may even want to build boxes to create a custom look for your shelves.
Floating Shelves FAQs
Start by buying a shelf that is the right length and depth for the room. This will keep it looking balanced on the wall. Your next step is to arrange the decor on the shelf.
Balance the visual heaviness of the items on the shelf. Then consider their height. Finally, consider the color scheme that you’re using. Bolder colors will demand more attention.
If you’re hanging a floating shelf over your sofa, it should be at least ten inches higher than the sofa.
Floating shelves in your hallway should be somewhere between five and six feet off of the floor. Your living room and dining room can support floating shelves that are between four and five feet off of the floor.
The weight that your floating shelf can hold will depend on the size of the shelf and how you install it.
Most floating shelves that are mounted directly into the studs can hold somewhere between thirty and seventy-five pounds. However, some floating shelves could hold up to 300 pounds.