What Are Floating Shelves And When Should You Use Them
Floating shelves are a gorgeous modern decorating tool and they should be considered by anyone looking to maximize decorating space and bring a pop of eye-catching beauty to the home. The concept of floating shelves is simple, but the impact is significant. Floating shelves, as the name suggests, appear to be floating due to the manner and mechanisms with which they are installed. Traditional shelves have some kind of support visibly securing them to the wall – those may be a bracket underneath the shelf, a backboard to hang, or any number of methods. By contrast, the mounting mechanisms on floating shelves are virtually invisible, giving them the appearance of being unsupported and minimizing the unnecessary visual clutter on the surrounding walls.
Floating shelves offer a lot of versatility when it comes to your decorating options. As an example, rather than hanging a photo on the wall, you can install a beautiful shelf and rest it against the wall with no installation. Plus, you can then add in other photos or wall decor of various sizes to give a multidimensional and layered aesthetic, or you can surround it with small knick-knacks. If you have children, a great example is placing a baby photo with their first shoes sitting right next to the frame. Once the shelves are installed, it truly opens up a world of decorating options.
The shelves themselves can also add a touch of drama, or be understated. Before mounting them to the wall, you can paint them with accent tones found elsewhere in the house to really pull a cohesive theme together, or you can complement the color of your walls for something more subtle. If you use them in the kitchen, you can match them to your cabinets or kitchen table, and store mugs or any other number of useful or beautiful items. In addition to what the shelves look like and what you choose to put on them, there are also options regarding where you place them and how you use them. A home office would be a great place to use multiple shelves to form a pseudo-library and store books without the need for a giant bookcase. A bedroom could be a great place to position shelves side-by-side, yet slightly, offset to create a compelling use of wall space storing wedding photos or personal mementos.
Walls are big spaces that are both open and full of possibilities, but also intimidating at times to feel confident you’re using well. By implementing floating shelves, you’re sure to create a visually beautiful way to show off the items that make your home unique.
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