12 Living Room Shelving Ideas
If you are new to this channel,.
I previously talked about 12 Clever Living Room Furniture Ideas and Arrangement.
It is informative, but I think it would feel more completed with this next presentation.
It is twelve ideas on how to optimize the vertical space of your living room.
Most of these ideas are DIY friendly, and to complete your learning experience;
you can always head on to the resource link posted inside the description area.
As usual, this list is presented for you by Simphome.com
12. DIY MCM Wall Mounted Track Shelving
These wall-mounted shelf tracks
from Rubbermaid are a great way to display some of your favorite items in your living room.
You can get four 4” Twin Tracks and 15 11-1/2” brackets online,
although the cinnamon shelving may not be available.
However, you can use any 1x12” boards and apply the finish you want.
It’s best to spraypaint the tracks with primer first, then color to match your living room.
The tracks allow you to easily change the height,
but you can get creative with the bracket placements.
You’ll also need a stud finder to install them securely to a wall.
11. DIY Modern Wood Mantle
A potentially great addition atop a contemporary fireplace is this easy DIY modern wood mantle.
Start by cutting three 1x8” pine pieces to the length you want.
They’ll form the top, front, and bottom of the mantle.
Join them with glue and brad nails.
Cut small 5.5x7.5” ones and attach them flush to the mantle ends.
After sanding all the outer surfaces thoroughly,
glue a matching wood veneer on both ends to hide the joins.
It’s handier and doesn’t darken like wood putty and provides a more solid wood appearance.
Install two L-shaped mounting brackets made with 2x4s over the fireplace.
Ensure they’re level before you slide the top of the mantle over them and screw it in place.
10. DIY Crate Shelf Statement Wall
At first glance,
I admit I was a bit intimidated by this DIY statement wall shelving.
That’s until I realized it consists entirely of small, creatively arranged crates.
First, paint all the crates with dark matte charcoal.
Next, spray them with a clear matte protective finish.
After waiting for them to dry,
start joining them together and securing them to the walls one at a time using screws.
For the same layout you see here, you’ll need a total of 41 crates.
Five are for the feet laid out horizontally. For the shelving,
there are 36 crates arranged in an alternating horizontal and vertical pattern.
9. How to Style a Bookshelf
Shelves are an essential element in any living room to enhance its design.
However, it’s crucial to balance the objects’ colors and their scale to see if they blend well together.
That’s why books look better when grouped.
Always use unique art pieces to elevate your décor, and add plants but don’t overdo them.
For uneven or recessed walls, try floating shelves.
Build 2x2” frames the length between two protruding walls and at the right depth.
Add support bracing perpendicular to the back wall.
Next, cut two 1/4” plywood precisely the same size as the frame.
Nail the bottom one first with brads.
Then screw the back and sides of the frame
to every stud it crosses on the three walls before nailing the top plywood.
Adding a select pine strip on the front edge will hide the plywood seams.
8. Bookshelves Inside a Living Room
More often than not, bookshelves in a living room hold a variety of stuff other than books.
You can also display attractive containers of various shapes and sizes, décor,
sentimental items, and even plants, along with your book collection.
Several homeowners have devised creative ways to integrate them
smoothly into the design to enhance the living room further.
For example, they can be a part of a home entertainment system surrounding a widescreen TV
and house audiovisual components.
You can sometimes see them wrapped around the living room’s entrance.
Or they can be a backdrop of books behind the main sofa.
Large ones can act as dividers or fill a wall that separates the living room from another area.
7. Smart Shelving Tricks That Will Fake a Built-In Library Look in Your Living Room
Many homeowners who own an extensive book collection also dream of having a library
with built-in shelves in their living room.
However, they don’t always have the necessary space.
If you’re one of them, you can fake it to achieve similar results.
The trick is in using track shelves.
For the best library effect, start low with the bottom shelves and go as high up as the ceiling.
While it might not be the most attractive solution,
it won’t matter if you’ll fill it with books and other items to hide the tracks.
The track shelving systems from Rubbermaid are very modular.
You can cover any wall space with shelves of different heights.
6. Best Alcove Shelving for Living Room with Light
For alcoves beside your fireplace chimney, you can add floating shelves.
Then install warm LED lighting strips under each of them for a stunning and cozy effect.
First, cut 1/2” MDF for the shelves’ back, sides, top, and bottom panels.
Make sure they fit the dimensions of the alcoves and the thickness you want.
You’ll need about six of them.
It’s crucial to provide a 1/2” bottom extension when cutting the front.
That’s where you’ll place the LED strips so they’ll be out of plain sight.
The wiring will run along grooves you’ve chiseled on the walls
and corner under the MDF that you’ll later fill with putty and paint.
5. Corner Shelves for the Living Room Idea
Corners are some of the most neglected areas, especially in a large living room.
However, if you have a small one, you can maximize the space with corner shelves.
To achieve a cleaner look, try floating corner shelves minus the L-brackets or unsightly cleats.
They could be L-shaped, round, or diagonal.
There are also hanging ones connected with ropes that you attach to the ceiling.
For example, you can fashion three L-shaped shelves and put a house plant under them.
You can also consider freestanding corner racks or a diagonal corner cabinet with open shelving.
They come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and styles.
4. DIY rustic modern floating shelves
You can try your hand at building four DIY rustic shelves with a modern touch.
Begin by cutting all the 1x3” pieces of the rectangular frames to the length you like.
For four shelves, you need eight long pieces and eight 8” ones.
Predrill all the holes and attach two sides to each back piece
with two flathead screws on each joint.
For the front, use hex head screws with washers for a more rustic effect.
Line the inside frame walls with 1/4” plywood about 1/4” below the top.
Then add two 1x2” bracing about the same level as the plywood.
That way, you can insert and glue a 1/4” plywood top flush to the frame.
After staining the frames, leave the plywood as-is for a two-tone look.
3. Accessorize your stairway
That bare side under a staircase in a living room is an excellent candidate for installing floating shelves.
It’s up to you if they will serve a more decorative or functional purpose.
The critical thing to remember is to avoid cluttering these shelves up.
Picking a floating shelf design is one way to lessen visual clutter.
You won’t see brackets or cleats under them, resulting in cleaner lines.
Another way to ensure an uncluttered look is to follow a simpler color scheme.
Decide on a few colors and pick display items from those palettes.
Black is always a safe bet and a terrific choice.
Maybe add some glass or crystal elements, or even metal.
You can also include some green to go with a few small plants.
2. Two Ideas for that Blank Wall behind the Sofa
Other than the typical painting or wall art,
there are more ways to beautify that wall behind your living room sofa.
One is with a gallery wall.
A set of nine square frames also arranged in a square layout
can dramatically enhance your living room’s appeal.
Black and white photos set inside a white border of identical black frames are effective.
You can also try mirrors and artwork.
Or, it can be a collage of various sized frames and content.
Another idea is to install ledge shelves
where you can place your decorative pieces and pictures, and even small plants.
You can try simple DIY shelves made of narrow 1” wood
with a backing and a small lip to prevent the items from falling.
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Lastly, Number 1. Leaning Bookshelf
The design is more for whimsy than anything else, but don’t be fooled.
This leaning shelf from Urban Outfitters will be excellent for displaying your décor and books.
The bookshelf is a decorative piece in itself and has a beautiful natural finish.
I can imagine it becoming a conversation piece in any home.
It looks like a ladder with shelving instead of rungs.
It’s almost as convenient as a ladder to lug around anywhere in your living room.
The tops of the “side rails” have cutouts that allow the bookshelf to lean flush on a wall.
Moreover, the feet are also at an angle flush to the floor.
For even more stability, the backs of all the shelves touch the wall.
That means the ones above the lowest shelf get progressively narrower the higher they are.
Conclusion
While built-in shelves are a terrific way to integrate display storage that blends well with a home’s design,
it’s not a minor upgrade and can be expensive.
As you can see,
there are several creative alternatives to add shelving to your living room that won’t break the bank.
It’s even better if you have the DIY passion and know-how to try them.
Get over to Simphome.com if you want to learn more ways to improve your living room
or any other place in your home.
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