Wall mounted shelf: types, models, materials and DIY manufacturing methods

Tags:Balcony and loggia, Bathroom and toilet, Living room and bedroom, Children's room, Interior Design

In addition to textiles and furniture, the interior of the house is filled with various design elements: framed photos, donated or imported souvenirs, flower pots, and more. They need to be placed somewhere. Usually, all kinds of shelves and niches of different sizes and configurations are used for this. In this article, we will deal with one type of storage space - a wall mounted shelf. Consider what varieties are, what materials they are made from and in which rooms which types are better to use.

A huge variety of wall shelves makes it possible to choose a single option that fits into the interior of the room

Types of wall shelves

As such, there is no classification of wall shelves. They are simply divided according to purely design features, calling them one or another term. For example, if the shelves are closed on all sides, then they are called closed, if there are few bounding planes, then open.

The installation location also determines the types of models. The walls installed on a plane are called classic, in the corner of the room - corner. We must pay tribute to the designers, who today offer a huge range of wall shelves. They are striking in their appearance, but at the same time they do not lose the purely functional qualities of the product.

Simple and complex, open and closed - the variety of models does not lend itself to account

Closed wall mounted shelves

Closed shelves are a classic. The Soviet furniture industry produced them in large quantities, so in every house there are such shelves, especially for bookswere part of the interior. They took up a lot of space, loading the space with their presence.But if it was possible to distribute them along the wall not at the same level (horizontal or vertical), then Interior Design the room was quirky.

The same shelves were used in bathrooms and kitchens. Most often these were glass structures. But gradually, with the advent of new requirements and opportunities, they began to get rid of them in favor of open models. The closed shelf itself is made of laminated chipboard or a solid wood box, which was covered with glass from the front side: transparent or corrugated.

Closed shelf

Open-type wall mounted shelves: wood, glass and metal

Light open shelves have been in the trend of design filling the space of residential and non-residential premises for a long time. Their advantages include:

The space of the room is visually unloaded, which relieves the pressure of closed shelves.
Space is effectively organized due to the skillful distribution of the width and depth of the structure.
The attention is not focused on the shelves themselves, but only on their filling.
The room is filled with air due to the lightness of the models and the absence of a large number of limiting planes.
Item availability. There is no need to open or move something. This is especially convenient in the bathroom and in the kitchen, where you constantly have to use everyday items and dishes.

As for the shortcomings, the main one is the openness of the structure in terms of dust collection. And this will require the mistress of the house to constantly clean, which not everyone likes. The second negative side of open hinged wall shelves, even the original look, is order. It will have to be constantly maintained on the shelves. Third, open models are not suitable for all styles. For example, such shelves do not fit into a design with a classic filling, so designers refuse them in favor of closed ones. And the last drawback is the small capacity.

Open wall shelves

And some useful tips for those who decide to install hinged shelves on an open wall in their home:

The wall on which the shelves will be hung should be dim and monochromatic. Thus, the objects placed on it will be clearly visible and partially stand out on the wall.
If the room is small, then you should not install large shelves. Even open ones will look awkward.
If this option is used in the kitchen, then do not place utensils on it that no one will use. It will have to be cleaned from dust all the time.

Designer wall shelves

You can talk about designer shelves for hours, because this is not a classic version, where certain proportions are used. This takes into account the flight of imagination, plus ease of use. Although in terms of a convenient arrangement of objects, it is not necessary to speak when the task of an original approach is posed. We will not describe the pros and cons of the designs, just designate some of them in the form of a photo and description.

The original design of the shelves in the form of a ladder

Ladder shelves are a decision in favor of not just an original approach to manufacturing, it is an opportunity to make a room strict, fill it with discipline. Moreover, this design is very roomy with its lightness.

Shelves-screens, combined with one another

This type of wall shelving is usually used when creating interior of children's rooms... Multifunctionality is the main design feature. Playing with the size of screens makes it possible to use shelves to accommodate objects of various sizes.

Shelves for decorating an area with a TV

A huge variety of pieces of furniture and various devices that play up the place TV installation, is amazing. In this regard, the shelves were no exception.This vertical combination makes it possible to arrange the TV and its accessories in the same style. In addition, the shelves have an open design for easy access to each appliance.

Shelf material

What do manufacturers of modern wall-mounted shelves in the room (open and closed) offer today in terms of the material for their production? In principle, there are few options. These are classic wood products, MDF and Chipboardas well as metal. Plus the original ones made of plastic and glass. We must pay tribute to the plastic models for their variety, not only in terms of creating a shape, but also in terms of a huge variety of colors.

Plastic shelves on the wall

Wooden shelves

This is a classic that will fit into the design of any interior. It is believed that such structures are universal, they are durable, with a great load-bearing capacity, so books, dishes and other heavy utensils can be put on them without fear that the shelf will fall or collapse.

Wooden hinged shelf will support a large weight of items

Glass shelves

This is primarily about style and fashion. Hanging glass shelves can be classified as unusual models. Today, manufacturers offer a wide range of them, which uses plain glass, tempered, colored and embossed glass. This allows you to choose the option that fits exactly into room design... At the same time, glass gives the space an airiness. The walls are not burdened with weight, lightness and the presence of an unusual filling of the space appear.

Open-type glass shelves in the interior of the room

Plastic

The advent of plastic made it possible to create various products of any shape. And this is the first plus of shelves made of this material. A huge variety of color schemes is also added here. The low price also belongs to the positive characteristics. That is, these are three components that relate to the main selection criteria. You can also add here:

one hundred percent moisture resistance;
good strength characteristics, although this parameter depends on the wall thickness;
the ability to choose the size and shape, taking into account the style of the room.

Original shelves made of transparent colored plastic

An expert's point of view

Yaroslava Galayko

Lead Designer and Head of Ecologica Interiors Studio

“Usually plastic models are installed in bathrooms and balconies. Today, the emergence of new polymeric materials and technologies for their processing makes it possible to obtain shelves of various shapes, which means that their scope has increased. "

Hinged metal shelves

Metal products entered the house interiors and apartments not immediately. Previously, it was considered an element of production facilities. Then they gradually migrated to offices, and from there to living quarters.

First of all, it should be noted that metal structures are the most reliable with a high bearing capacity, even if not the thickest metal was used for their manufacture. At the same time, today manufacturers offer quite original designs, which can be talked about as masterpieces of fine art. For example, as in the photo below.

Metal shelf with carved wrought iron finish

Wall shelves for different rooms

The model line of wall mounted shelves is not only a variety of sizes, materials and shapes, it is an exact fit of the product to the required operating conditions. Of course, there are no strict rules in this regard, because the purpose of this furniture element is the same - the storage of things and household items. But in any case, one must be aware that, for example, a large wooden shelf, which will look good under books, will not fit into hallway interior, there is not enough space in it. Here you have to look for something smaller, taking into account a completely different functionality.

Photo of hinged shelves for the kitchen

The main purpose of the shelves on kitchen - purely functional with decorative elements. That is, they are designed to store dishes, kitchen utensils, cereals and spices. Therefore, both open and closed structures can be used here. In the photo below there is a mixed type model: the stands on which the base is attached are metal, the shelf itself is made of solid wood.

Wooden shelves with metal supports in the kitchen

The following photo shows the classic style kitchen shelves. The white color is set off by the dark shade of the countertop, which gives the kitchen an unusual sterile look. Although it doesn't look like a hospital design.

White kitchen with white shelves

The following photo shows the original open type wall mounted shelf for the kitchen. In fact, this is an opportunity to save space by installing not on a wall, but on a refrigerator. This does not mean that you cannot call it a wall. This is a fully wall mounted version. Moreover, it is not only original, but also convenient. Everything on the shelf is always at hand at the right level.

Wall-mounted version with installation not on the wall, but on the refrigerator

To the living room

Modern wall shelves in living room Is a huge assortment offered by both manufacturers and designers. It is difficult to say what should carry a certain semantic load, taking into account the functionality of the object and its appearance. Therefore, designers recommend choosing elements of this type in living rooms, taking into account the design the interior of this room.

As practice has shown, and photographs confirm this, shelves look optimal in living rooms only in those interiors where a minimum of other furniture is used. That is, if the living room is decorated in a minimalist style.

In the bathroom

Since the operating conditions of furniture in bathroom quite extreme, shelf manufacturers do not pay attention to the material from which they will be made. For example, metal objects are made of stainless steel, or plated with chrome. Even wooden models are present in these rooms, because they are treated with special protective compounds. That is, there are no restrictions in this regard. As for the shape and size, everything will depend on the size of the room itself. Therefore, we suggest looking at some photos showing various shelves installed in the bathrooms.

Hanging shelves for books

I would like about the hinged wall shelves for books talk separately and put them in a separate category. First of all, one must realize that this piece of furniture is a classic of the genre. Therefore, most often used for the manufacture of wood or wood-based material (chipboard or MDF). As for the shape, the classic model is a rectangular box that is hung horizontally on the wall. It can be covered with glass, or it can be without it.

Today, designers approach the design of rooms with bookshelves in different ways, including one hundred percent fantasy. And despite the seeming simplicity of the form itself, it seems to be difficult to change it, all the more to make it unusual. But professionals do it. Therefore, a few photos on this topic.

Photo of hanging bookshelves

The classic version with a slight asymmetry in the arrangement, which gives the structure an unusual appearance

These shelves are best used in children's roomswhere the teenager lives. Hanging over the desk, it will add to the functionality of the room.

The original design of diametrical shelves that will decorate any room

The unusual arrangement of the books will give the room an original content. But at the same time, such constructions are less convenient, because it will not be so easy to get the book. You will have to lift all the others in order to pull out the one you need, especially if it lies last.

The originality and compactness of book stands

The option is interesting in that these are glass shelves on which books are stacked one on top of the other. A large number of such structures can be placed above the desk, while maintaining the functionality of the space.

Corner wall mounted shelves

Another kind of constructions that should be separated into a separate category. There are two types of corner shelves: for the outer corner of the room and the inner one. More often, the second option is used in apartments and houses. It is more functional and takes up space that is usually difficult to fill rationally.

How to make a hinged wall shelf with your own hands

Picture	Description of work
	For manufacturing, you need a birch shield 150 mm wide
	Furniture dowels are the simplest fasteners for assembling wood furniture. Take with a diameter of 8 mm
	You will need two ears to attach the finished product to the wall.
	The tools will require a metal square
	Ruler with pencil
	Saw
	Screwdriver
	It is necessary to sketch a drawing on paper indicating the dimensions of the future structure
	The purchased shields are marked according to the drawing
	Now with a saw we cut the shields according to the applied dimensions
	Now you need to apply the markings for the fasteners, for which you will need a special tool - a thickness gauge. Although you can do everything linear. To do this, draw a line parallel to the planes at the ends of the elements to be connected. It should run exactly in the middle. For example, if the thickness of the board is 20 mm, then the line should pass at a distance of 10 mm from the planes
	There is a needle on the thicknessing gauge, which is set to the size of the application line, that is, with an arrangement of 10 mm
	At the same distance, it is necessary to postpone the lines, but already on the plane of the shield. And set aside 30 mm from the edges. This will be the location of the fasteners (dowels)
	We attach the ears to the places of the future attachment and outline them with a pencil
	According to the markings, we first drill holes in the ends of the shields. The drilling depth is 20 mm, because the dowel is 35 mm long. The rest will go into the adjacent board
	Now you need to drill holes in the planes of the furniture boards. The main thing is not to drill through. Therefore, with a shield thickness of 20 mm, a drill from a drill or screwdriver should stick out from the chuck within 15 mm
	And the last process associated with drilling is the lug holes.
	Further, grooves must be made from the holes for the ears, for which a chisel and a hammer are used
	This is how the suspension (eyelet) should enter the prepared groove
	Now you need to install the dowels in the prepared holes and connect all the elements of the shelves to each other
	The next task is to connect two finished shelves to each other.
	Therefore, one shelf should be placed on the table, and the other on it. And make marks of intersections, for which a simple pencil is used
	The next stage is disassembling the assembled shelves and applying the places of the connecting grooves according to the marking
	We cut out the grooves
	The connection is made with wood glue. No screws or other fasteners
	This is what one of the finished shelves looks like.
	It remains only to paint the shelves in different colors, for which a special oil for wood products with the addition of color is used. Although can be painted with any paint
	And the final stage is the connection of two shelves into one common structure. It is necessary to apply a little glue into the grooves, insert two parts into one another and hold a little until completely glued

Of course, today it is not a problem to buy wall mounted bookshelves of different shapes and sizes. But making it yourself makes it possible to show imagination. This is how designer products are created.

Video: do-it-yourself shelf

How to mount shelves to the wall

There are several ways to attach shelves to a wall surface. The simplest, it is also standard, is using self-tapping screws.For this, holes are drilled in the wall, plastic dowels are driven into them, and screws are screwed into the latter. The ears of the shelves are put on their hats. The main task of the work manufacturer is to set the screws along one horizontal line at the required height.

Installing the wall shelf with cords

The second option is for suspensions in the form of belts, cords or chains. Here you will also have to make two fasteners, to which the suspensions will be attached. So, we examined several options for wall-mounted shelves of different types. They even showed how you can make one of them with your own hands. If you still have any questions, we are ready to discuss them with you in the comments. Write, and we will definitely answer them.

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