Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with shelf

T-shirt with shelf bra?

Chick Pea — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:33:48 -0800

Where can I find a short sleeve or long sleeve cotton shirt with a built-in shelf bra? There are many tanks and camisoles available with a shelf bra, but I am looking for a shirt with sleeves. I am looking for something that I can wear lounging around the house for those times when I want to be comfortable, but not let it all hang out, so to speak. I am not really interested in exercise-type shirts that contain a really supportive built-in bra. I would prefer something looser, and ideally made of a light cotton. I take ladies size large, and I am in Canada. Does such a shirt exist?

Knick knack hoarder organization

MaryDellamorte — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:53:41 -0800

Help with affordable storage for a knick knack hoarder. I'm looking for some sort of wall shelfing unit to hold a ton of various knick knacks for under $100. I may be tempted to spend more if something blows my mind. I've come across this which I really like and this, although I would need more than one from the second picture. None of the knick knacks are very big, no more than 5 inches so I'm not looking for book shelves that will have a lot of unused space from where the knick knacks end and the next shelf begins. I've already looked on Ikea and didn't see anything I liked. Or if there is another creative way to store and display my things that I'm not thinking of, I'm open to suggestions. Thanks!

Shelving that doesn't collapse on anyone's head.

A Terrible Llama — Tue, 05 May 2009 07:01:27 -0800

Please help me work out a plan for my wall-mounted shelf project.
Between the cavernous aisles of Home Depot and the 30,000 web pages on this topic, I'm a little overwhelmed. In order to contend with the increased mobility of baby llama and our decision to stay in the small house we're renting, I need to get some shelves on the walls.

I want to hang a couple of different shelf types in different rooms. Let's say the function is to hold books (even though in some cases it'll be lighter stuff -- I want them to at least support a bunch of books.)

I want to have (in several rooms):
A single long shelf about a foot from the ceiling
Multiple shelf system on brackets (several above each other)

The various questions:

My concerns are: the walls are pretty crumbly, so I have to use the stud finder to find a solid place to drill. When I've done this in the past, despite my using the stud finder, I found that the top screw slowly pulled away from the wall, making everyone uneasy. I did use an anchor, but can't remember what kind. What kind of anchor should I be using, and how do I use it?

What's the best way to deal with the single shelf design? I want to not spend thirty dollars a bracket for some curlicued bit of fanciness if I can get away with something else that's lots cheaper that's tucked away and labeled something else somewhere in the depths of Home Depot where I'd never think to look. Or I wouldn't be able to find because I need some perfect L-shaped thingy for the job because they don't have an L-shaped thingy aisle.

What kind of wood should I use? Should I spring for oak or can I get away with pine?

Can you help me figure out the simplest and safest, most effective, least pain in the ass way to do this? Very specific and Home Depot friendly answers are especially appreciated.

Sorry about the jumble of questions. I'm having a hard time parsing my needs. Because I don't really know what I'm doing.

The opposite of out of the box thinking...

rileyray3000 — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 08:30:22 -0800

I'm looking for a box shelf - one foot by one foot square - that's wall mounted. Black brown wood. I've been looking the length of google but clearly I'm not doing it right. Help. I wanted to go with regular nightstands but there wasn't enough room. So ten I was going to go with tall pedestal night stands but they kept falling over when I hit the snooze. So then it hit me: wall mounted cubes on either side of the bed. One foot square. Black brown wood. Perfect.

Except I can't find what I'm looking for.

My guess is they have some sort of cutesy name that I'm not in the loop on and that's why all I'm getting are complicated "cubing systems" or just industrial shelving.

So please, for the love of my clock radio, help me find it.

Help me get my records off the floor

girlmightlive — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:17:25 -0800

I'm having trouble finding a credenza/shelf that meets the following specifications I need a shelf that:

a) has enough room for my record player, receiver, and a few records to store upright, so at least two shelves would be nice
b) is fairly low to the ground
c) is affordable (less than $200 or so)
d) isn't from IKEA (long story)

I like this but it seems expensive for something I have to assemble myself. I went to thrift stores but those item are too big and bulky for my smallish apartment--same with what I found on Craigslist. Haven't tried freecycle yet. I'd love any other suggestions before I do.

Does anyone sell spring-loaded shelves?

CunningLinguist — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:50:57 -0800

Does this exist? A shelf that is mounted via pressure. I have a weird alcovy space in my kitchen that would be perfect for a much-needed shelf. I'd rather not have to do any drilling or whatever, and wondered if there was some sort of shelf-equivalent to those curtain rods that stay up through pressure from a spring inside.
I suppose I could buy a bunch of those, stick them up and lay a board across them, but that might be a little wobbly. It seems like an obvious product, except I can't seem to locate one. Can you help?

One-off Hanging Stemware

Ambrosia Voyeur — Sun, 04 May 2008 22:39:46 -0800

I want to hang stemware upside down under a shelf in my kitchen, but it isn't a deep enough shelf for the racks I've used before, or really for more than one glass. What can I use? Hanging them in a track that runs lengthwise under the shelf is an option. Does that track exist?

Looking for funky hooks and shelves to spruce up a hallway.

melodykramer — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 23:11:37 -0800

I'd like to decorate the hallway in my apartment with funky hooks and shelves like these and these. Like the entire wall. All different. I'm looking for as many funky shelves and hooks as possible. I have tons of books, and I want to display them in as many different ways as possible. I also want to create a wall of hooks, for things like jackets and raincoats and to spruce up the hallway. I've found hooks shaped like darts and hands...do you know of any more? The hallway cannot be boring! Also, the hallway cannot be expensive (I might plaster of paris my own hands, because 77 dollars is a little pricey....)

Outstanding online furniture stores for medium to high end furnishings?

Bob Dobbs — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:50:23 -0800

Hi All, I just moved and have a new job that will, fortunately, give me the opportunity to purchase nice furniture for the first time in my life. I'm more into modern designs, but with a quality touch. If there is a manufacturer that makes super high quality, modern stuff that would be the ticket for me. Anyway, I'm looking for online stores to shop on. I'm looking for literally everything a typical two person home needs. We currently have no furniture save a recliner, so we need a lot! I'll admit I don't know the first thing about design, furniture history, etc. But I do want to learn. The ideal shops will offer quality and education. I'm not looking for IKEA or super cheap options. Basically, just give me some links of some kick ass online furniture and furnishing joints!

Need products that had a shelf life and were thus a huge deal when ending (like Halo 3)

faunafrailty — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 16:32:06 -0800

I need examples of products that have/had a shelf-life/end date/end-of-series, like Halo 3. It could be the end of a trilogy or just a product that, for whatever reason, the manufacturer decided to produce a series of it for a limited time. This is a little nebulous but I'm not looking for a product that is always in limited editions (like Beanie Babies or Threadless T-Shirts or couture fashion).

Rather, I'm looking for something a bit more epic where it was known the product or item always had a limited life because it was a series or trilogy or just a weird quirk of the business. When it comes to the end, it's a huge deal for fans. Halo 3 is the main example. The last Harry Potter book is another example.

Extra love and kudos from me if you can think of non-movie and non-book examples.

How do I pick the right screws for my wall?

pinksoftsoap — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 06:59:33 -0800

How do I tell what type of wall I have? This is so elementary, I'm sure, for the handy people on AskMe. I want to hang up IKEA shelves which do not come with any sort of screws. They recommend me to use the correct type for my wall. I rent; I have no idea what my wall is made of. How can I tell? Can I tell after I start drilling holes? Also how long do the screws need to be? Thank you!

Remove the glare from a shelf.

Mr_Zero — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 08:31:36 -0800

I need to coat the bottom of a wood shelf with a material that absorbs as much light as possible. The shelf is about 10 inches above a TV and I get a lot of light reflected off of it. My first thought was flat black paint, but there must be something better out there.

Can you help me build the perfect piece of furniture?

TheNewWazoo — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 12:26:37 -0800

Calling all woodworkers! Can you help a noob build a very unbalanced but sturdy piece of furniture? Googling about joinery has proved fruitless and my woodworking skill is lacking. Feel free to also tell me to give up and recommend custom furniture makers in the Atlanta area! I'm wanting to build an entertainment center that's... unusual, but seemingly-simple. I'm envisioning three completely open shelves (no back, front, or side panels) of approximately 50"x15"x2" spread evenly over a total 32" height supported by a single, strong "spine". The shelves will not be arranged symmetrically left-to-right - I'd like them to unevenly "hang" off to one side or the other by about 12" or so, and I'd like the support (the "spine") to be tucked all the way toward the back of the piece so that the shelves are unsupported in the front. As a final point, I'd like to use an attractive medium-hardness wood like cedar or maple to build it.

Will a 4" square piece of hardwood (oak?) support the sort of loads that such a big shelf will put on it, given the 12" overhang's torque? Will some simple triangular wedges and beefy wood screws be enough to hold it all together? Should I instead be thinking about some sort of plane-to-post joint that I can't seem to discover? It won't be holding anything much heavier than books but I'd like it to withstand providing infrequent and brief support to drunkards.

I'd considered notching the spine and shelf with some sort of dovetail and using a tight interference fit but I'm afraid that will weaken the spine... and be hard to build with just a circular saw. And how about joining the top and bottom shelves to the spine? Should I notch the shelf around the spine and plane it smooth? Will this require power tools I don't have? (I'm not afraid of a hacksaw!)

Oh hell, should I just give up and stick to building computer programs?

Long shelf life batteries?

krisjohn — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 04:59:06 -0800

Are there any (disposable, AA) batteries that specifically have a long shelf life? I'm looking to put together an emergency kit and I'd like to include a couple of packs of double As, but I don't want them leaking or discharging if they're not used/checked over, say, a five year period. Are there any AAs advertised as having a long shelf life?

I can't STAND it anymore. RACK your brains and help me respect mySHELF.

adamk — Sun, 07 May 2006 17:42:07 -0800

Looking for the perfect rack/stand/shelf for the home theatre equipment in my living room. Specifics inside. I recently picked up a new coffee table, a new 42" LCD HDTV (black), and a media unit for the TV to sit on.

I have more electronic equipment than will fit in the media unit, including a few items that run warm (stereo receiver, tv computer), so I'm looking for some sort of open case (if I wanted a closed case I would probably get the companion unit to the EQ3 media unit I bought) or shelf to put next to the TV.

Something like this might be nice, but I need a unit in black to match the things I already have. The Elements Audio Tower shown here might be good, but my local Circuit City stores (Los Angeles area) don't carry it.

Any suggestions? I'm sure the perfect thing is out there somewhere, but I'm pulling my hair out trying to find it.

Why is the shelf life of organic milk so much longer than non-organic?

ParisParamus — Tue, 07 Jun 2005 09:47:16 -0800

Can anyone tell me why the expiration date of organic milk is so much longer than conventional milk..like > 1 month? Any farmers out there? Scientists? Cows? Thank you.