Shelving it.

February 18, 2018 9:24 AM

My apartment comes with deep, built in shelves that run the length of the wall. I've been using them for books, but that's only in the first row and in the lower shelves so that they stay visible and accessible. I haven't quite figured out how to utilize all this extra space in a useful fashion. Difficulty: my apartment is a veritable dust magnet so whatever I put there would need regular dusting. Any ideas, clever people of MeFi?
posted by Nieshka to Home & Garden (10 answers total)

Best answer: Sounds like maybe bins/shelf baskets are the solution? So the bin sits on the shelf, and you pull it out to access what's inside -- books or whatever. Bins could be open or lidded, and made out of just about any material. Plastic, wicker, metal, fabric -- whatever goes with your decor. (Pinterest is a good place to start looking for ideas.)
posted by BlahLaLa at 9:44 AM on February 18, 2018 [7 favorites]

You need boxes! Ikea has some good ones. You can put everything you need to store in them and label them, and it will look great if they are all the same.
posted by mumimor at 10:37 AM on February 18, 2018 [4 favorites]

Best answer: Less is more. Put a few pictures or a vase and leave the rest empty. Looks so relaxing.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 10:48 AM on February 18, 2018 [3 favorites]

Yep, boxes. I have something of a Box Problem, but for display areas I really like the photo boxes you can often get 2 or 3 for $5 at Michael's (probably all other craft/home decor stores too). They've got solid and patterns and seasonal and plain white or kraft brown if you want to decorate them yourself or go minimalist.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:50 AM on February 18, 2018

Best answer: MOAR BOOKS.
posted by ikahime at 11:51 AM on February 18, 2018 [9 favorites]

Definitely boxes and bins. You can get nice-looking ones at The Container Store.
posted by radioamy at 12:46 PM on February 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

At Goodwill I often find luggage-shaped wicker baskets that were gift packaging for wine, food or picnic goods. I use them on the top of my book cases to store miscellaneous stuff.
posted by theora55 at 1:02 PM on February 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Do you need storage for things that aren't particularly lovely to look at?
Boxes? Bins? Curtains in decorative fabric?
posted by BlueHorse at 1:26 PM on February 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Find a gorgeous fabric that you love! Buy some iron on hem tape. Cut the fabric to be 1" wider than the shelf opening, and 1.5 - 2" taller than a single shelf span. Hem in the sides 1/2" with the hem tape. For the top and bottom, use hem tape but when you fold over the fabric, move it down/toward the middle of the back of the fabric so that you create a small tube or pocket going across the top or bottom.

Buy suspension rods, slip them through these two pockets, and block off an entire shelf by mounting close to the outside of the shelf. Gorgeous, cheap fabric panels instead of stuff!

If this doesn't make sense, pm me and I'll try to find an online example.
posted by wwartorff at 4:43 PM on February 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thank you! I'll do some boxes, some bare.
And ikahime, I'm afraid I already have a book hoarding problem, but when it comes to books more is always better, right? RIGHT?
Thanks, everyone!
Wwartorff, memailing you.
posted by Nieshka at 9:57 PM on February 22, 2018