Small Space Decorating Idea: Floating Shelves

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Small Space Decorating Idea: Floating Shelves

Staff Writer · Dec 20, 2009

Floating shelves provide a way to eliminate clutter in tight quarters while still preserving a polished and cohesive look. They serve as a perfect supplement to apartments that come with minimal built-in storage spaces such as cabinets or closets and can even enhance the design scheme of any room. Affix them to walls individually or group them together to create a faux bookshelf. The simplest, horizontal floating shelves can cost as little as $15, including the metal fixtures needed to hang them, making them a practical way to transform a small space.

Make Floating Shelves Work in Any Room

In addition to being cheap and accessible, floating shelves are immensely versatile. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Hang simple wood horizontal floating shelves in the kitchen to free up counter space. If your bathroom is lacking an ample medicine cabinet, nail small, rectangular floaters to the wall to store bottles, lotions and q-tips. Use a sleek metallic horizontal floating shelf above the toilet to store tissues and air freshener. Thicker, more elegant wooden shelves serve as great display cases for bedroom decor. Use the boxier floating shelves of varying sizes to store keepsakes, pictures or even small vases on walls.

Storing with Style

If your apartment is lacking the storage or space necessary to properly stow away all your belongings, you might be inclined to sloppily stash things away in cardboard boxes or shopping bags. Use floating shelves to your advantage and store your gear with a bit more finesse. If you’re lacking closet or dresser space, nail several shelves to the wall to house neatly folded colorful sweaters. Get the added bonus of giving your bedroom the look of a boutique in the process. Use shelves alongside your desk to clear the space of clutter. Place paper, pens, scissors and other office essentials in artsy boxes on a floating shelf next to the place where you do most of your work. Affixing a cube-style floating shelf next to your bed to stow your alarm clock and other essentials you would typically keep on a nightstand.

Substitute for Clunky Furniture

Floating shelves offer great a la carte options to create storage where you most need it, but you can certainly go further than this with them. Grouping the fixtures together can lend the look of a signature furniture piece without consuming limited floor space in small apartments. Stack horizontal floating shelves high on the walls of your bedroom to store books without taking up an entire corner of the room. You can even stagger them geometrically to add interest to the look. Grouping floating shelves of different shapes and sizes around your TV is an excellent way to achieve a makeshift entertainment center. Hang the more linear shelves directly above the TV screen to store DVDs. Place rectangular floating shelves along the sides of the television to store speakers. Stick to shelves of the same color or material to create the truly uniform look of a signature furniture piece.

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