The Best Wall-Mounted Display Shelf
Our Review Process
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Our Picks For The Top Wall-Mounted Display Shelves
- 1. HAO Mini Floating Wall-Mounted Display Shelves, 5-Piece
- 2. SUPERJARE Rustic Particle Board Wall-Mounted Display Shelves, 2-Piece
- 3. Display4top Clear Acrylic Floating Wall-Mounted Display Shelves, 2-Piece
- 4. Greenco Intersecting Wood Cubes Wall-Mounted Display Shelf
- 5. BAMEOS Concealed Bracket Floating Wall-Mounted Display Shelves, 2-Piece
- 6. EACHPAI L-Shape Corner Wall-Mounted Display Shelves, 4-Piece
Hao's set of five matching mini floating display shelves is excellent for creating a unique style statement. Each one measures 4 inches (5.5 inches is also available) and can hold up one or two objects that you can coordinate with different designs.
Minute Size; High StyleWhy buy one large shelf when you can get a set of five to express yourself in a more unique way?
If you prefer the rustic look of wood, this set of two 7.9-inch diameter, 23.6-inch width and 4.3-inch thickened particle board shelves and matching powder-coated metal brackets is right up your alley. They are easy to put together and install with the included hardware and instructions.
Traditional, Classic and SturdyUnclutter your space and add some design interest to that wall; each can hold up to 20 pounds of books and decorative items.
These clear acrylic floating shelves are always in style and forever versatile. They have a simple, casual, timeless look, and you can mount it in two different ways: one measures 16 inches by 6 inches, and the other is slightly smaller at 12 inches by 6 inches.
Modern/Retro: Your ChoiceThese superb shelves look especially good in dorm rooms, kitchens and bathrooms, but feel free to use them in any room!
Greenco's multi-functional shelves aren't just flat; they're intersecting medium-density fiberboard (MDF) cubes that offer extra space on the tops to display items. You can set them up in different configurations, and all the mounting hardware is included.
Box-on-Box AppealYou'll enjoy putting these shelves together, hanging them up and adding your own touches to show your personality.
Buying Guide
Wall-mounted display shelves can double duty to store items, keep you more organized or improve the space for purely cosmetic reasons. They can optimize your living space and add design interest, and best of all, you can find a wide range of colors and sizes.
Most (but not all) come with their own mounting hardware, but you’ll need basic tools like a measuring tape, hammer or screwdriver to hang them up.
Before making your purchase, measure the height and width of your available space and check the shelves for these measurements; you’ll also want to know how far out the shelves extend so they don’t stick too far from the wall. If the space is narrow, consider purchasing several smaller display shelves to separate vertically.
Shelves come in plenty of different materials, and one of the most common is solid wood. This material is generally the heaviest and can also be the most expensive. Engineered wood like MDF is less costly, durable and looks lovely. Other options include plastic, metal and acrylic.
Wood is the most traditional choice, and the others can look contemporary, minimalistic or anything in between. Read the product reviews carefully because the shelves need to be easy to install and strong enough to support what you place on them.
Wall-mounted display shelves are attached to walls with brackets, and many come with them included. Standard metal brackets get drilled into the wall, and the shelves get installed onto them. With floating shelves, though, the brackets aren’t visible, which is where the term “floating” comes from. These provide a cleaner look and are easiest to install in front of wall studs.
What to Look For
- If you want to hang the shelves on drywall, use toggle or butterfly anchors.
- Hollow wall anchors work fine for installing shelves on plaster walls.
- If your shelves don’t have the proper hardware, you’ll need to buy what you need; think about how much weight the shelves will hold and choose anchors rated for that weight.
- Shelves with more complicated designs can look great but be harder to clean. Keep this in mind, as they will accumulate dust.
More to Explore
Today’s office and household shelves are descendants of the aumbry, which were small cupboards in ancient churches. This aumbry is where medieval scribes stored their religious writings and preceded bookshelves which date back to 544 in the Song Dynasty.
After Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1440, large libraries with bookshelves were built to house them at places like Oxford University. This evolution naturally led to the invention of wall shelves. But now that the world has gone digital, shelves are used less and less for books and hold up other valuable and treasured items.
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