28 Stylish Floating Shelf Ideas for Every Space in the Home

Mary Cornetta, Jessica Bennett

Tue, June 9, 2015 at 2:24 AM UTC

9 min read

Maximize space and show off your favorite pieces by installing floating shelves.

If you’re short on storage, consider a floating shelf idea for something different from the expected wall art. Floating shelves are easy to install in the kitchen, living room, or office. Plus, they provide just enough surface area to keep everyday essentials within reach and decorative items on display.

Use the following ideas as inspiration and easily combine storage with style by hanging floating shelves throughout your home.

Floating Shelves for a Kitchen Nook

Make the most of a sliver of open space between a cabinet and the wall. Hang a set of understated shelves to showcase your go-to cookbooks, decor, and storage containers. This floating shelf idea adds visual interest in the corner of the kitchen and helps keep the countertops clear.

Pantry Shelving

An awkwardly sloped corner of a pantry or prep kitchen can be made functional by adding a custom floating shelf idea. Set out extra glassware and food storage containers filled with decanted pantry goods so they’re accessible whenever needed.

Corner Shelving

If there’s a bit of wall space left over where your upper cabinets end, don’t let it go to waste. Tack on a trio of short floating shelves that jut out from the cabinet and use them to store some of your prettiest pieces. A set of pink glass vases, a vintage tea kettle, and an assortment of greenery work together to create a beautiful yet functional area in this kitchen.

Bathroom Floating Shelves

Bathrooms often lack the space required for standalone shelving units and other storage furniture. Floating shelves provide a smart alternative that boosts bathroom storage and doesn't require floor space. To provide space for practical items, from cosmetic brushes to towels, or for art and decorative accessories, hang open shelves in the empty wall space above the toilet or near the vanity.

Long Floating Shelves

<p>Annie Schlechter</p> — Annie Schlechter

You can dress up a white brick wall in the living room or den by filling it with floating wood shelves. Aside from books, use them as an opportunity to show off family photos and unique or sentimental decor.

Stylized Kitchen Shelves

<p>Robert Peterson</p> — Robert Peterson

Sure, the kitchen is mostly a functional workspace—but it should also be infused with a sense of style. Use a pair of floating shelves on a blank backsplash wall to exhibit select items such as sentimental cookbooks and painted pottery that doubles as storage. Install a sconce just above the top shelf so that you can put a spotlight on the space at nighttime.

Floating Closet Shelves

Shop your own closet by strategically placing acrylic floating shelves on one wall and neatly arranging your handbags, using risers if needed. In addition to the display creating a boutique experience every time you walk into the space, it keeps the bags in top condition.

Shelves for Small Laundry Room

Finding storage space in a small laundry room isn’t always an easy task. Most times, it’s up to you to create it but, fortunately, a simple approach is to hang floating shelves. As you can see in this sunroom turned laundry room, two shelves were added above the washer and dryer for supplies. A third shelf was placed just on top of the machines to provide room to fold freshly washed clothes and linens.

Built-In Bookcase Shelves

<p>Kritsada Panichgul</p> — Kritsada Panichgul

Mimic the look of a custom built-in bookcase for less by using floating shelves in an already recessed space. You’ll have more than enough room to organize books, framed art, houseplants, and more throughout the various shelves.

Floating Kitchen Shelving

Aim for a minimalist aesthetic in the kitchen by forgoing upper cabinets and installing open shelves instead. In order to prevent the room from looking and feeling cluttered, only store the essentials on each shelf. Placing matching dishes, glasses, and bakeware on them is one of the best methods to streamline the space.

Shelves Above Desk

A drop-down secretary’s desk is a smart way to conceal visual clutter, especially if your home office is in a shared living space. While they provide some storage, you can instantly add more by hanging a couple of floating shelves just above it. Place the books you reach for regularly on them so you don’t have to open the desk each time you want to flip through them.

Related: 9 Small-Space Desk Ideas

Contrasting Floating Shelves

Perk up a stark white kitchen wall with a set of block shelves in a dark wood that pops. A couple of cutting boards, landscape art, and all-white ceramic crockery keep the space simple and classy.

Craft Station Shelves

For simple craft or gift wrap storage, hang a pegboard above a small desk and include a few floating shelves on it. Include cute containers that hold supplies alongside succulents and artwork to inspire your next project.

Recessed Floating Shelves

Create the look of built-in bookcases by equipping alcoves, niches, and bays with floating shelves that span the recess. Consider proportion when selecting your shelves. Large and deep recesses call for thick shelves, while slimmer wood, metal, or glass shelves are best for shallow, narrow niches.

Living Room Decor

Liven up a bare corner of the living or family room by installing a handful of wooden shelves. This is a low-commitment and low-cost way to display books and decor pieces including art and antiques.

How to Hang Floating Shelves

Floating shelves provide storage and display space without cumbersome brackets or braces that might distract from the view. To install them correctly, you'll first need to attach a hidden bracket to the wall, then slide the shelf onto the bracket and secure it with screws. So the shelves remain secure, it's best to mount them on wall studs.

Functional Storage

Conveniently pour yourself a glass of water, coffee, or wine by arranging different glasses, mugs, and pitchers on open shelves. Choose a spot within close proximity to the refrigerator, wet bar, or coffee station to set up.

Craft Storage

<p>Better Homes & Gardens</p> — Better Homes & Gardens

The avid crafter knows that sufficient storage space for supplies can be hard to come by. Create enough for yourself by hanging a pair of long floating shelves above a desk or table in the room where you do most of your crafting. Line up matching baskets and clear jars to corral and sort supplies so they’re obvious to spot.

Ideas for Floating Shelves

Floating shelves offer plenty of options for accessorizing. They can stand alone, in a group, or in a stacked arrangement. However you hang them, they offer space to display more items and the ability to easily switch out artwork and decor. For a narrower version of floating shelves, try picture ledges, which feature a small raised lip at the front that prevents artwork from sliding off.

Floating Kitchen Shelves

Not only do floating shelves allow you to supplement kitchen storage, they let you place things exactly where they're needed most. In this breakfast area, open shelves provide grab-and-go storage for everyday dishware. Coffee mugs, cereal bowls, and small plates remain at the ready for quick breakfasts.

Floating Shelves in Bedrooms

In bedrooms, floating shelves let you store necessities close at hand while preventing other surfaces, like nightstands and dressers, from becoming cluttered. They can be particularly helpful in small bedrooms where storage space is limited. For a streamlined look in a tight spot, you can even hang the shelves in place of a traditional nightstand.

Floating Storage Shelves

Properly placed floating shelves make life easier in nearly any room. Set them within arm's reach of a desk chair or locate them so they can be accessed by someone in a standing position. Unlike storage cabinets or very deep shelves, which can become a muddled mess when items in the forefront hide items in the back, floating shelves allow you to immediately see and access what you need.

Where to Hang Floating Shelves

Hang floating shelves at various heights to carry attention from floor to ceiling and around a room. Here, simple shelves subtly mimic the mantel beam's line and shape, while beautifully filling the empty space below. An eclectic display of collectibles and abstract artwork gives the shelves personality.

Floating Shelves for Office Storage

Move in a sturdy desk and a cushy chair, and you've got the makings of a functioning office. But hang some floating shelves and your operations are sure to run more efficiently. At this artist's workstation, open shelves hold books, artworks, and other items meant to inspire creativity. To boost organization, outfit the shelves with baskets and organizers to hold office supplies and paperwork.

Floating Shelves Across Windows

Stretch your storage and display abilities by outfitting a kitchen window's upper reaches with a pair of floating shelves. Paint or finish them to match the adjacent cabinets, so they recede, letting your backlit displays take center stage. Use the shelves to hold decorative items, or, to free up cabinet space, to hold frequently used dishware.

Floating Shelves Media Center

Use floating shelves to form a media center that's customized to your entertainment needs and equipment. First, make a list of the things you want to display and store on the shelves. Measure the height and depth of all the objects, so you can select the proper size shelves and space them accordingly. Use weight-appropriate wall anchors, so they won't tumble and destroy expensive gear.

Floating Corner Shelves

Wrap a kitchen corner with floating shelves to take advantage of the empty space for storage. Unlike solid-door cabinets, the open shelves keep kitchens from feeling top-heavy, while still supplying generous storage for pantry staples and dishware. Take it up a notch by choosing shelves with beveled edges, decorative details, or crown-molding forms.

Kitchen Storage Shelves

Floating shelves are ideally suited for showing off pantry staples and kitchen decor. Use them to stash pretty glass jars filled with spices, rice, flour, sugar, coffee beans, and tea bags. Incorporate kitchen-related artwork, cookbooks, and pretty dishes to create displays that are both stylish and functional.

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