Wall Shelf – Is Yours For Display Or Convenience?

Let’s face it and get it right out in the open. Our society never throws anything out. We either have our houses cluttered or boxes filled to the top in our attics and basements. From every vacation memento to our first present that our child made for us, we just can’t bare to throw it away. In the back of our minds we keep thinking we will use it or need it.

There is not a cure, but a solution for us pack rats and I have found it. It is a clever, practical and decorative piece of art in its own right called the wall shelf. These devices simply help keep your floor space open while adding additional storage space in a decorative way. As a rule, we underrate the role that wall shelves play in our daily lives. You can put them in every room of your home. Just imagine your possibilities are endless.

The variety and styles are also abundant. From classic to contemporary pieces they will fit like a glove with the rest of your decor. Take a look around your home and see all the wasted space.

Here are some of the shapes that are offered: such as: round, rectangular, square, curved and triangular. There are hanging, free standing, modular, adjustable, floating and fixed units to choose from. Some of the materials are glass, wood, metal, acrylic, plastic and wrought iron. The result is a shelf design for all kinds of settings and purposes.

The typical wall shelf mounts on the wall with several anchored screws or brackets which are usually driven into studs within the wall. Hidden bracket systems have also gained in popularity. These brackets slide into slots drilled into the shelving surface that faces the wall. The floating shelving units conceal the mounting hardware between the wall and the shelf. They are made a little thicker in order to properly conceal the hardware. For the mechanically challenged person, don’t worry about installation, at your disposal are kits that come ready to hang with a built in mounting system.

Most of us are not at a loss for what we want to display, but we may not know which wall shelves to choose or where to place them. Here are a few ideas to help you get started. This is what I have done in my own home.

For my living room, dinning room and bedrooms I have chosen wood which gives these rooms a very classic and elegant feel. With the many colors and finishes I had no problem matching the shelves with the rest of the decor in the rooms. I was able to obtain mahogany, oak and a cherry finish.

For my daughters room there was country white with a sculptured lattice at the edges. For my bathrooms I have used glass for a clean modern look. Modern wall shelves are usually composed of linear forms with sharper angles.

Throughout all the rooms I used different size corner shelves. Some were wood and others are metal. For my kitchen and laundry rooms the materials of choice were plastic and acrylic. It is such a good feeling to know where everything is and be able to find it without having to search around.

One of the many benefits is that my children aren’t constantly screaming out mom to find things for them. Of course you do have to train them to put it back after they use it.

My conversation starter and whimsical shelf that I acquired is in my garage. In fact I purchased two. One is a Mustang and the other is a Cadillac rear bumper. They are a unique and clever solution for all the tools we have collected over the years.

Now you know how to get your life in order and display your treasures at the same time. Start dressing up your walls with this versatile piece of art.

Barbara Tobiasz is an expert in interior/exterior decorating. Along with her husband Joe, they own and operate Wall-Decor-Concepts.com. For more information on Wall Shelf, go to Wall Shelf at: http://www.Wall-Decor-Concepts.com

Quick and Easy Shelving – Do it Like the Pros

Shelves are almost always the most useful and hard-wearing “parts” of the house. Raised above the prying hands of children and unruly pets, shelves provide a private storage space where food or heirloom silver plates can rest quietly until they are used again.

Old parts of the house are good

According to Shaun Myer, a home improvement consultant in London:

“Taking away original features? Disaster! We’re awash with TV shows and magazine stories telling us that we should savor the past and take it with us into the future. Ripping the heart out of a property will be seen as a heinous design crime.”

Myer continues with:

“Original features are part of estate agency parlance – not having them is a serious disadvantage. Original features are a steady comfort in a fast moving world of fickle tastes and almost anything new can be made to work well along side them. Never get rid!”

Add shelf space, add life

Since getting rid of the old shelves aren’t a good idea, financially, DIY shelving seems to be a good recourse. The materials that you will need are 1.5-inch screws (for masonry walls), rawl plugs (for masonry walls), no 8 screws (for stud partitions), screwdriver and shelving planks (cut to your desired size) and of course, a small sander.

The first thing to do is make sure that your brackets are secure before you install the planks. If you’re dealing with a masonry wall, simply drill 1.5 inches or 1.25 inches into the wall and insert rawl plugs. Insert the 1.5 inch screws into the rawl plugs.

Extra support counts

The problem with brackets on both sides of shelving is that there is a tendency for the middle part to actually bow. According to Stefanie Mann, a design artist and DIY enthusiast from Edinburgh:

“Extra brackets don’t cost much, but they add that strength to make sure that there are no accidents after you use the new shelving.”

Instead of putting two brackets, put three or four. Make sure that the middle portions of the new shelving are amply supported. An ideal size for the planks of wood for the shelving would be between three feet to five feet, depending on the location of the shelving.

For kitchens, the optimum size would be three feet or even less. For bedrooms (such as bedrooms with small study areas), you can go beyond five feet. `

Sand it correctly

It’s up to you if you want to paint or varnish the planks before installation. But a deciding factor here is whether the sanding has sufficiently evened the surfaces. Sanding should be done evenly on both sides of the plank.

Begin with the corners and slowly work to the center of the plank. The rhythmic sideways movement should always have consistent pressure so that when you sand an area again, the result would more or less be the same throughout.

You can use a small broom to remove the shavings from your work area. Be careful with the sander, as many sanders have thick, hard blades that can skin a hand if misused.

For DIY and home improvement projects Benedict recommends Dekorbeton Decorative Concrete and Roof Bond Roof Insulation.

Wood Shelf Plans Can Get You What You Want – Nice Wooden Shelves!

Why Would You Need Wood Shelf Plans?

You have landed here because you are obviously looking for a way to make some new wood shelves, right? First, you are doing the right thing by researching it. If you are not an experienced carpenter, it certainly helps to have some helpful tips to guide you in the right direction. Keep reading – we will get you through this!

I guess before we go any further, let’s address why you may be looking at some wood shelf plans -

1. You choose the design! You no longer need to be constrained to what your local hardware store has in stock. If you want a bigger wood shelf, then you build a bigger wood shelf. It is called freedom!

2. It is inexpensive! The cost comparison between building versus buying them from a store is dramatic. You can build some awesome shelves if you have the right wood shelf plans!

3. Knowledge, knowledge, knowledge! When you take the time to learn something outside of what you normally do, you are expanding your horizons as well learning something useful!

If you’re really considering building your own wooden shelves, it’s important to remember that if you’re new to carpentry, there is going to be a learning curve that you will have to adjust to. This is OK. Think about this for a moment – everyone needs to learn how to do everything. It’s true. You had to learn how to walk and talk, right? People are not born knowing how to build shelves, they need to learn it! The same goes for you. If you want to make shelves, it’s important to remember that you aren’t going to just “get it” overnight – it will take a bit of effort. But with anything, you get what you put in!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope that I was able to point you in the right direction!

My name is Mike and I am woodworking enthusiast. It is this enthusiasm that drives me to get the word out about woodworking products that I have found useful in my life. Whether you’re looking for some wood shelf plans, a shed, cabinets or just refinish your basement, I believe that this is the most useful resource available to you – Wood Shelf Plans. Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!