Free Standing Shelves

Throughout the home, you will no doubt have many different storage solutions both displaying and hiding different items and possessions – on shelves, bookcases and surfaces, and inside cabinets, drawers and boxes.

Shelves are a solution which encompass the most basic design, and yet we are constantly seeing new and innovative ideas hitting the market which give shelves a unique and focal design fit for any style of home – whether traditional or contemporary and modern. Free standing shelves are one such item which has achieved wide recognition and popularity in recent years with a huge shift in the amount of styles available; with a move away from the standard bookcase style shelving units, and towards some more modern and fun solutions.

Free standing shelves for different rooms

While more traditional shelving units are encased by three walls with only the front side open, some of the more modern shelves available are open-ended; achieving more of a streamlined use of space which becomes less confined and which works really well in a modern room.

If you are dressing your bedroom or living space with free standing shelves then these open ended options are both stylish and unique, while a child’s bedroom or kitchen may benefit from the confines of a closed free standing unit for safety purposes and to keep the contents more securely balanced.

For a kitchen, free standing shelving units can be useful places to store everything from wine to vegetables, plates and cups, and even pots and pans. Dressing your kitchen with a free standing shelving unit can be a really stylish way to replicate the look of a proper country kitchen, without a full revamp, with some of our favourite solutions available at homeware and outdoor stores who specialise in sturdy wooden furniture pieces.

Things to consider when buying a free standing shelving unit

We know that some of our members approach free standing units with caution, carefully understanding the importance of balance and acknowledging that their room may not be well suited to a standalone unit due to uneven flooring or a shaky surface. For these homeowners, we suggest looking into free standing shelves which standalone but can be fixed to the wall from behind – to provide the most secure base possible. Another option to ensure stability is to choose a free standing unit which stands on four legs rather than two – distributing the weight of the shelves across four corners and so keeping the unit grounded safely in place.

And finally, why not consider the leaning ladder shelving units which are becoming increasingly popular in recent years; available across both high street and designer homeware retailers in a range of different styles and adaptations. The art of these free standing shelves is that they progress upwards as a ladder would, with each shelf becoming smaller as you climb, to create the illusion of the room being bigger than it is, and to create a focal point which you can dress up with plants and decorative accessories as well as your essentials.

When it comes to finding your perfect free standing shelves, consider the room you will be placing them in and how much stuff you need to store. Some of the best retailers include department stores and home renovation retailers who dedicate much of their in store space to showrooms – providing you with the perfect place to go and see how things look in real life, and to pick up some ideas and inspiration around how to turn your boring shelving unit into more of a focal design feature in your home.