Types of shelves in Modern life
Wall shelves become a very important part of our modern life. They are made of wood, plywood, laminated chipboard, fiberboard, there are shelves made of glass.
The same materials are used as racks, but they are also made of metal, plastics and other absolutely incredible things — for example, pipes or bottles.
In living rooms, it is not so important what material the shelf is made of. It is important that its design is in the same style as the interior. Even the functionality is not always important: some play only a decorative role. On them, if there is something, then one or two items. Their role is to give the interior of the home a special style and color.
If we talk about the shelves in the technical rooms-the kitchen and bathroom, in particular, then the aesthetic considerations are almost everywhere added to the requirements for practicality. Even decorative shelves in the kitchen should be well washed.
For shelves in the bathroom in general, the requirements are high: periodically there is very high humidity and materials are required that transfer it without any harm. There aren’t many of them. It is plastic and stainless steel. They also make decorative shelves for the bathroom made of MDF, but they are normally operated with good ventilation in the bathroom.
What to make shelves out of?
Perhaps, for the implementation of the task of creating shelves on their own, almost any material is suitable, of course, within reason. It is hardly appropriate to attach bulky structures made of bricks, since this will additionally hide the free space. However, any of the relatively different materials is quite suitable:
A tree is a classic option, since the vast majority of users choose it. It is very easy to work with such material due to its low weight (with small dimensions of the product) and it will last a long time if you operate the wooden shelf in optimal conditions, that is, at a normal value of humidity in the room.
Glass-these shelves look very modern and will never go out of fashion. However, to create products from this material, you need to have a special tool for cutting on glass.
Plastic is an affordable material. It is easy to handle and is not susceptible to mold formation, as in the case of wood. Especially if the shelves are built to be placed on a loggia or balcony.
Metal-to work with such material, you need a welding machine, if you plan to have a completely metal shelf. For combined products, it is enough to use a standard set of fasteners, and it is better if these areas are not visible to the eye.
Chipboard or an alternative
Option-chipboard. The second of these materials is more wear-resistant due to increased resistance to indoor humidity, temperature changes and mechanical deformations, such as abrasion.
Drywall-most often used when the shelf is part of the design of the room, that is, through this material, a niche in the wall is formed.
The choice of the option should be determined not only by the financial capabilities of the owner of the premises, but also by his skills in the construction field.
Otherwise, the material will be irretrievably damaged, and the product at the output will turn out to be sloppy and generally unsuitable for operation, especially in a prominent place.
Shelves on the wall
In any room on the wall there are places on which you just need to hang something.
After all, most modern furniture occupies only the lower part — sofas, tables, couches. The upper part remains empty and there is a dissonance: the overloaded lower part of the room and the half-empty or completely empty upper part. These voids on the walls are organically filled with shelves.
The corner shelf is an excellent solution. Structurally, most shelves consist of the actual shelves and lintels. But these components are combined into so many variants that it is impossible to count them. Simple design is good: you can make any shelves with your own hands. Moreover, these products can be the first self-made things. It’s really simple.
How and what to attach it to
We do not start with fasteners for nothing. The design of the shelf on the wall depends largely on the type of attachment. Or maybe it’s the other way around. It depends on what to dance from traditional loops.
Traditional hinges for hanging shelves
There is a traditional way-on the loop. It is suitable for wood and fiberboard, any other materials that are thick enough to attach them. They are screwed with screws on the side parts.
Then, the distance between the centers of the loop holes is measured, and it is placed on the wall (keep an eye on the horizontal position).
At the marked points, holes are drilled for the dowel, a dowel is inserted and a dowel nail with a small cap is screwed into it, which is included in the loop or bracket (a pin slightly bent up). Then a shelf is hung on them.
Not all materials can be drilled. For example, glass shelves. You can’t really screw anything into them. Fasteners for glass shelves are special: they consist of two parts, between which the glass is inserted. Often, elastic gaskets are installed between the holders. At the bottom of the fastener, there is usually a small pressure screw for fixing.
Fasteners for glass shelves
The most popular mount for glass shelves is called “pelican” – for its peculiar shape. It looks good itself, it is available in different colors. The thickness of the glass that it can hold is from 8 to 34 mm. You can insert into it not only glass, but also any other material of this thickness. Just with glass, it looks stylish.
It is easy to make glass shelves on the wall with it: you buy a mount, in a glass workshop you order the right size and shape pieces of glass with processed edges (or cut them yourself, if you know how). The actual assembly remains.
Attach the pelicans to the wall. Two dowels each. The case is collapsible — the decorative cover is removed, and there are two holes in the mounting plate. One in the case above, the second-below. Fixed it, installed it in place of the trim.
The glass was inserted.
We screwed up the screw. That’s it.
There is another form of similar fasteners. The photo below shows a few of them.
Decorative brackets
Another type of mounting is brackets. They are reliable, some are decorative, and so much so that they themselves are an ornament.
Countersunk mounting-shelves without support and the most amazing device for secret mounting. It allows you to hide the fasteners. At the end, a seat is cut out for the pin and the holder body, and the shelf is simply put on it.
As you can see, even a simple board or a piece of glass on such mounts is already not bad. But there are still a lot of ideas.