Wall-mounted shelving for a tiny room?
October 14, 2010 7:59 AM Subscribe
In need of guidance on utilitarian (read: cheap) wall shelving. I have one set that came with the room that are precisely what I need, but I can't seem to find them anywhere. Help?
I just moved into a tiny (10x10) room. I have lived in small rooms before, and the key is always copious amounts of shelving on the walls.
Freestanding shelves only work so well in this room due to my bed and my dresser. Above my bed there is a shelving system already installed that is perfect for what I need, but I can't seem to find it anywhere online. Picture here:
http://www.soundsneu.com/dropbox/public/shelving.jpg
I know I have seen shelves like this many times before, I just need to know where I might find them.
The goals are:
1. cheap
2. deep
3. sturdy (again, they will be holding books over my bed)
4. don't give a crap if they are pretty
I just moved into a tiny (10x10) room. I have lived in small rooms before, and the key is always copious amounts of shelving on the walls.
Freestanding shelves only work so well in this room due to my bed and my dresser. Above my bed there is a shelving system already installed that is perfect for what I need, but I can't seem to find it anywhere online. Picture here:
http://www.soundsneu.com/dropbox/public/shelving.jpg
I know I have seen shelves like this many times before, I just need to know where I might find them.
The goals are:
1. cheap
2. deep
3. sturdy (again, they will be holding books over my bed)
4. don't give a crap if they are pretty
What you have pictured there looks to me like Elfa, which is not cheap, but they do have all the other attributes you want. They are having a sale right now at the Container Store, so that might help.
posted by decathecting at 8:12 AM on October 14, 2010
posted by decathecting at 8:12 AM on October 14, 2010
Best answer: Home Depot and Lowes sell that shelving. Just bought ugly, cheap, deep shelves for our basement last week.
posted by iconomy at 8:13 AM on October 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by iconomy at 8:13 AM on October 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
Three components to that system:
* Standards that screw onto the wall. The screws should go into studs in the wall. The standards come in colors. Some have wood-grain finish.
* Brackets that hook onto the standards. The brackets can be located anywhere on the standards. they come in colors, too.
* Shelves that sit on the brackets.
All of these are available at hardware stores.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 8:32 AM on October 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
* Standards that screw onto the wall. The screws should go into studs in the wall. The standards come in colors. Some have wood-grain finish.
* Brackets that hook onto the standards. The brackets can be located anywhere on the standards. they come in colors, too.
* Shelves that sit on the brackets.
All of these are available at hardware stores.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 8:32 AM on October 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I have been very pleased with a similar product available at Home Depot. If you can get the vertical standards screwed into a wall-stud, you could probably sleep on the shelf--they are quite sturdy.
posted by bjornarneson at 8:36 AM on October 14, 2010
posted by bjornarneson at 8:36 AM on October 14, 2010
I put up that exact shelving in my basement, and iconomy and Kirth Gerson have it. You get lengths of track, cut them to length with a hacksaw if needed, screw into studs along the whole width of your shelf. Get brackets as deep as you want (I think I've seen them as deep as 2 or 3 feet) and slot them in. The track is 10 or 12 bucks and the brackets are a few dollars each for big ones.
The tricky part is that deep shelves are expensive, so what you do is get a 4' x 8' sheet of MDF ($20 or so?) at the same hardware store where you got the track and brackets, and have them cut the shelves to the appropriate size for you, which is something like a dollar a cut. Presto, you've got shelves for next to nothing. Unfinished MDF will swell up on any contact with water, though, so if they could ever get damp or have damp things set on them, you'll want to finish it somehow or use plywood or real shelving.
My shelves were on 16" center studs with big screws, heavy duty brackets, and 3/4" MDF shelves, and I had a few hundred pounds of stuff on them no problem. Probably could have had twice as much on there.
posted by pocams at 8:49 AM on October 14, 2010
The tricky part is that deep shelves are expensive, so what you do is get a 4' x 8' sheet of MDF ($20 or so?) at the same hardware store where you got the track and brackets, and have them cut the shelves to the appropriate size for you, which is something like a dollar a cut. Presto, you've got shelves for next to nothing. Unfinished MDF will swell up on any contact with water, though, so if they could ever get damp or have damp things set on them, you'll want to finish it somehow or use plywood or real shelving.
My shelves were on 16" center studs with big screws, heavy duty brackets, and 3/4" MDF shelves, and I had a few hundred pounds of stuff on them no problem. Probably could have had twice as much on there.
posted by pocams at 8:49 AM on October 14, 2010
decathecting has it. It is Elfa shelving - which is not cheap. I would post to craigslist though asking for used shelving that is Elfa.
posted by Brent Parker at 9:49 AM on October 14, 2010
posted by Brent Parker at 9:49 AM on October 14, 2010
The container store is having a sale on Elfa at the moment, but they still seem rather pricey to me. The wire shelves instead of the solid wood shelves are a lot cheaper.
This is a similar line from ikea.
posted by 8dot3 at 10:11 AM on October 14, 2010
This is a similar line from ikea.
posted by 8dot3 at 10:11 AM on October 14, 2010
You don't have to go with Elfa. I was just in Home Depot and Lowes yesterday, looking at shelving alternatives for my pantry, and they both have that kind of shelving.
posted by misha at 10:43 AM on October 14, 2010
posted by misha at 10:43 AM on October 14, 2010
That's not elfa. Elfa's hanging standards (the vertical pieces next to the wall into which the shelf brackets insert) have two holes per bracket.
I would definitely try a hardware store for components for that system -- bring your photo and some pieces if you can. Go in person if possible since most non-elfa shelving systems are difficult to find online.
You might find that elfa isn't as expensive as you might think (especially with the sale going on). Container Store will do a free space plan for you and you can compare costs. (Disclaimer: I used to work there -- don't anymore, but I have a lingering love for elfa.)
posted by hansbrough at 3:19 PM on October 14, 2010
I would definitely try a hardware store for components for that system -- bring your photo and some pieces if you can. Go in person if possible since most non-elfa shelving systems are difficult to find online.
You might find that elfa isn't as expensive as you might think (especially with the sale going on). Container Store will do a free space plan for you and you can compare costs. (Disclaimer: I used to work there -- don't anymore, but I have a lingering love for elfa.)
posted by hansbrough at 3:19 PM on October 14, 2010
Assembly tip: when putting the brackets onto the standards, tap them down with a hammer to make sure they're seated. Hit the brackets close to the standards, and don't hit them too hard. Plastic hammers are good for this, but you can use a steel one if you're careful.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:52 PM on October 14, 2010
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:52 PM on October 14, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by aloiv2 at 8:02 AM on October 14, 2010