There’s a wide and diverse range of wooden shelves; choosing the right one just depends on how you want to use it and the space you have. You could ask a custom furniture company to create and install your shelves or you could try doing it yourself. It’s not a difficult project and the installation can a family activity, with personalized results.

It can be a bit tricky deciding on what type of shelf to go with, so here are some examples and tips on wood shelves to choose from.

What Type of Shelf Do I Need?

Before you fall in love with a particular wooden shelf, think about how you will use it. For example, a shelf where you’ll put souvenirs, photos and decorations doesn’t need to carry much weight, so you can get creative with its distribution and shape. But if it’s a bookcase or a shelf for a large collection, you’ll have to think about having solid support, strength and a board that will not bend. On the other hand, if what you need is storage, the shelf should be even sturdier and located in a strategic place that makes it easy to use. And if the idea is just to fill an empty space in your house, you can decorate it however you like and experiment with new shapes and supports for the shelves.

1. Fixed Bracket Shelf

This is the most common type of shelves; usually a solid board anchored to a wall with brackets that can help support even large book collections.
Make sure that the wooden board is horizontal with the help of a level or leveling ruler, and that the brackets are not placed too close to the ends. Also, if it’s for a long shelf, add an extra bracket in the middle of the board.

 

2. Floating Shelf

Floating shelves are usually attached to walls in a way that does not show the brackets, providing a cleaner and more minimalist aesthetic. They’re generally used for souvenirs, photographs and lighter decorations.

 

3. Recessed Shelf

As the name suggests, these shelves are usually custom-made to fit into a specific space in the home so that the walls hold the structure. Depending on use, it’s possible to install several shelves and even add a door.

 

4. Hanging Shelf

These shelves are less common and don’t support much weight. They’re hooked either to the ceiling or to a high wall and the dropped shelves are connected by a rope or chain.
Hanging shelves have gained popularity recently as a place for plants in tight spots with ample daylight.

 

5. Freestanding or Floor Shelf

Although these are often made of metal, wooden shelves always feel cozier. These are freestanding because they are not anchored to the walls, but can be placed in an open space or leaning against a wall, since they rest on the floor like a piece of furniture.
These are ideal for displaying large collections or for storing office supplies next to a desk.

 

6. Open and Closed Shelf

This piece of furniture has exposed shelves for decorations and other interior shelves, protected by a glass door, for fragile or wooden items, in case you only need them for storage.

 

Arrangement and Shelf Types

Now that we've seen some of the different types of shelves you can find, let's talk about choosing shapes and arrangements to fit your tastes and spaces.
It may surprise you how many different types of shelves there are, but let's list the main ones:

Fixed: Depending on the design, these can be normal, in other words, a flat board, or with triangular or rounded corner pieces. If the space you want to cover is mostly vertical, you can install several of them and cut them from top to bottom.

Floating: The most popular wooden shelves, floating shelves feature supports that are not visible, so you can experiment with different shapes. From a simple board to a box with more surfaces where you can put your things, there are also pentagon-shaped shelves and other unusual ones with a horizontal base in the middle. For placement, you can arrange them however you like. Some creative ideas are a set of several shelves that look like stairs or a puzzle on the wall, or several arranged in the shape of a beehive.

Embedded: It’s difficult to experiment with the shapes of this type of shelf because they’re custom-made; however, you can be innovative with the shape of the doors and how to open them.

Hanging: As we mentioned, these can be attached with a rope or chain, and, because it’s like a swing, you can experiment with infinite shapes for the base. Also, if there are several suspended one above the other, all the bases can have a different shape. Large or small, you can make them on your own easily.

Freestanding: One form of this type of wooden shelves that we like a lot is the ladder style. By joining several pieces together, you can assemble them to reach high things or arrange them like this for fun. They're also ideal for narrow spaces with a vertical arrangement.

Whatever you pick, make sure it reflects a color palette that best represents you, as these are spaces that you’ll see often and usually hold important, sentimental objects. Get creative, let us know on social media which one you like the most and if you dared to make one yourself!