Adding shelves to your home is one of the best ways to increase your home storage. Adequate storage will keep your bedroom, bathroom, office, craft space or garage tidy. Shelving is affordable, easily installed and well-suited to traditional, modern or casual spaces. Experiment with unusual shelf solutions to make the best use of small or awkward spaces. Does this Spark an idea?
Garage, Attic or Basement Shelving
Shelving in a storage space is all about function. If you are looking for a purchased home shelving solution, consider inexpensive and sturdy metal shelves. Look for shelves that are wide enough to hold plastic storage bins or other large items and can bear enough weight to handle your needs. A track-style shelving system is another possibility if you need to store smaller items. Install tracks at regular intervals and use shelf supports to place shelves where needed. Inexpensive board lumber can create basic shelves to hold holiday decorations, out-of-season items, or anything you might want to store. If you have exposed wall studs, consider using these studs as a support for a simple and cheaply built shelving unit with wider oriented strand board (OSB) or plywood shelves. Finally, the classic student shelving solution also works well in dedicated storage areas: Use board lumber and cinderblocks to assemble small or large shelving units.
Small Space Shelving
If you live in a small apartment or house, or simply don't seem to have enough space for your collections, you may find that specialty shelving options are ideal for your home. Using your space well, particularly vertical spaces, can allow you to store books, knickknacks, dishware, or essentials more effectively. Consider installing a shelf along the top of the walls, just above doorways and windows. If you have high ceilings, this may offer substantial storage; however, even a shallow shelf will work well for books. Choose shelving units or build shelving that reaches the ceiling. Use upper shelves to store less frequently accessed items. Consider narrow shelves in hallways and along staircases.
Create the Look of Built-Ins
A small, freestanding bookcase can look out of place or be harder to decorate, but consider installing a wall of bookshelves to offer ample storage. You can custom build your shelves or adapt purchased shelving units. To make your store-bought units look like built-ins, add crown-molding-style trim along the top of all the units, and use scrap lumber or moldings to fill in any gaps between the units. Consider topping a sturdy, low, two-shelf unit with a cushion and centering it between larger units to create a window seat (remember to check how much weight the top shelf will be able to hold). Install and mount purchased shelving units and hang curtains as covers to create ample storage in a bedroom. Use ceiling-mounted crown molding to hide the curtain hardware.
Making Your Shelves Work
While some items, like books and attractive home accessories, are easily displayed on open shelving, others may not be. Wicker or wire baskets can be used to corral small items. Choose lined or even covered baskets to hide messier items. Canvas bins work well to store toys or craft supplies on open shelves. For a more playful look, consider checking the garden and hardware sections of your local home improvement store for containers. New paint cans, galvanized buckets or terracotta pots can all work well on your shelves.
Tags: shelving units, work well, your home, ample storage, board lumber