Shelves

Cabinets and cupboards are all well and good, but shelves are more versatile, varied and they can go up wherever you want them whenever you want them. You can have deep shelves, shallow shelves, floating shelves or attractive brackets. For every price point and priority, there is a shelf to meet the need. Wooden Shelves, metal shelves, mesh shelves, basket shelves and bamboo shelves. All have a place. Many of us are starting a deep clean and declutter at home and we get rid of the dust and the spiderwebs, we start to look at updating our homes. You might not want to commit to the time, inconvenience and cost of fully redecorating, but shelves are a great way to update the look of the room without having to take on the large scale jobs. They allow you to cultivate an atmosphere without committing to anything permanent. When the next year’s new trends come out and you want a change, shelves won’t stand in your way. If you want some of your treasures on show and some of them hidden away then you could consider some open shelving and some shelving with doors. The option to have some cabinetry, complemented by shelves is a great way to get the best of both worlds, combining the practical with the pretty. If your staircase is in your living room or kitchen then you have the option to use it as a storage feature. You could even put a tall fixed shelving unit in place of a bannister and make your living room a clutter-free zone. You could also use the underside of an exposed staircase for some slim wooden shelves or install a high shelf for your precious books up above the stairs in space that would otherwise have no use. Shelves are a great way to reinforce industrial-chic decor. There are so many creative options. Rep-purposed pipe shelf supports for timber shelves and redeployed filing cabinet and storage locker style shelves. Metal mesh basket shelves are another trend-focused, utilitarian option. Open shelves are a convenient option in a functional space but it can also be a way to use your most beautiful items as a point of interest in the room. You could use your recipe books, beautiful wine glasses or preserving jars and spices to make a food-focused feature shelf. Arrange your framed photographs or souvenirs alongside precious ornaments and reading materials. For extra design credit, co-ordinate the material of your shelf with the display items. Sanded wood looks beautiful with shells, earthenware or ceramics. Glossy varnish looks especially good with hardback books, a sophisticated combination that gives a high brow aesthetic. A tidy space is important but having only smooth surfaces facing into your room can take all traces of your personality out the room. Shelves can make your home orderly without robbing it of character. In a sunny spot, you could even use your shelves to give your houseplants a home or display a bonsai tree or terrarium. Kitchen shelves could be small and act as a spice rack or large and provide a neat home for your pots and pans within easy reach or even a suspended shelf over your kitchen island. A hallway shelf could be anything from a tiny lacquered key rack to a ladder of shelves for your ornaments. A bedroom shelf for your jewellery box or a bedside lamp could also come in handy. No matter if you choose pine floating shelves or scrollwork oak shelves, they hold the necessities to keep your home neat and your floor space clear. Even in your bathroom you could get a bit more breathing room with a compact over toilet shelf or a small shelf over the door for extra towels. No matter what your clutter is, make a virtue out of shelving it.