Rack or Shelf Design: Key Principles and Stylish Examples. Shelving as the best storage system for a balcony Close the shelving with a roller blind

Prefabricated shelving structures have gained well-deserved popularity as a solution that allows you to expand the usable space of your home and properly organize the storage of things. The kitchen space, service premises of the dwelling first of all need to be added to the interior of racks that increase the functionality of the premises. Due to its airiness, such cabinet furniture makes a limited space lighter, “breathable”; allows you to avoid the feeling of pressing heaviness that occurs when decorating small-sized rooms with bulky wooden sets of a classic look. There are a great many variations of shelving structures from light decorative elegant solutions to sections with an increased margin of safety that do not differ in attractive appearance.

Reasons for use

Among other types of furniture, shelving has a number of obvious advantages:

  1. The price of racks is significantly lower than for furniture sets;
  2. At a relatively low price, the decorative component is in no way inferior to full-fledged cabinets. Rather, on the contrary, there is always the opportunity to refresh the look of the room by rearranging the contents in a different way, repainting, decorating the shelves;
  3. Shelving can serve as a partition when solving problems related to the correct zoning of the surrounding space;
  4. Designs occupy a minimum area, providing space for storing the maximum number of things;
  5. Collectors, art lovers will appreciate the opportunity to showcase their exhibits without having to search for the right thing for a long time in the bowels of a dusty closet, the same goes for storing books, the easiest way is to get a massive volume from an open shelf;
  6. Such furniture is a universal solution for any size, purpose rooms;
  7. Racks harmoniously fit into the interior of any style due to the combination of simplicity of appearance with ample opportunities for selecting shapes and sizes of shelves.

Types and their application

Regardless of the form, purpose, all racks are united by the presence of horizontal shelves located between the load-bearing partitions, the absence of a facade, often the absence rear wall. They are divided into several main classes:

EmbeddedThe shelves of such racks are attached directly to the walls of the niche, they are common in the decor of office premises, kitchens due to their compactness, ergonomics, this also includes plasterboard partitions with through shelves.
Standard StraightThey are simply cabinets without a front door, the design has autonomous support points.
cornerCompared to straight lines, they have a large usable area and are used when it is necessary to accommodate a large number of things.
SuspendedThey have rather a decorative function, they are distinguished by lightness, intricate forms of execution.

Some sections are partially closed with doors, complemented by bedside tables, representing an almost full-fledged closet.

Zoning

The use of shelving structures instead of a wall allows you to divide the space of the room into convenient functional areas. Any room may need zoning: it is appropriate to divide the cooking and eating area, such a distinction is suitable for separating the living area from bed. Workplace located in the bedroom is also isolated. In children's rooms, shelves separate the bed from play area, sports corner.

Through design allows you to adjust the level of transparency of the partition. How more distance between the shelves, the easier the design will seem. Adding a back wall to the shelves transforms, designing with abutment to the ceiling turns the rack into a full-fledged wall with additional storage function, a plasterboard shelving partition is much easier to erect than a blank brick wall.

Use in decor

The correct use of shelving for decorative purposes allows you to enliven the atmosphere, visually expand the volume, give a more modern look to the classic interior, some secrets of proper shelving decoration:

  • Shelves made of solid wood, dark in color, need to be illuminated from the inside. So the rack will not resemble prison bars, especially if the sections are square in shape, densely arranged. Spotlights located from top to bottom are able to advantageously beat ceramics and other decorative elements standing on the shelves;
  • Through racks are painted with paint of an accent interior color scheme, the technique allows you to combine all the interior items together. The back wall also serves as an element of decor - modern style, for example, provides for its contrasting coloring, pasting with textured wallpaper. Racks of icy white shades of strict geometric shapes have become classics of the Scandinavian style, as an example, the Kallax collection;
  • Cramped narrow rooms are optically expanded when the back wall is made of mirror glass.

Such shelves should not be unnecessarily loaded with objects, because of the specularity they double, there is a feeling of clutter.

Embedded

Built-in shelving allows you to make the most of every square centimeter of housing, which can be useful for small spaces. Shelves of built-in structures are attached in the recesses of the walls, between other furniture elements, around window openings. Long rows of shelves are mounted on the entire wall area. Private houses are equipped with additional shelves under the flights of stairs, in the attic.

An original solution for irregularly shaped recesses is the development of asymmetric furniture with shelves of different heights, different depths. Multi-layer sectional shelving is built in, creating the illusion of additional volume. Some sections of this type of shelving are made mobile, wheels are mounted to their legs, allowing you to change position.

floor standing

The classics of the genre are shelving resting on the floor, in other words, cabinets without front doors. The height of the furniture changes the purpose of the upper surface - it is either a countertop or another functional shelf. This type is typical for:

  • Living rooms - help store prints, display art, memorabilia, family portraits. The upper part serves as a TV stand, home theater. One of the types of floor racks is a glass slide, an item that has become an obligatory attribute of the vintage style; crystal, valuable chinaware, bottles with elite varieties of alcohol are displayed on it;
  • Bedrooms - replaces an uncomfortable chest of drawers, compact models are installed instead of bedside tables, a dressing table;
  • Children's - cope with a pile of toys, bright small things, magazines, books. All this splendor is faster, easier to put on open shelves.

original models

Urban, loft interiors are complemented by racks of original designs. Imagine a lattice formed by a bizarre interweaving of metal, rattan, plastic elements diagonally, vertically, horizontally. Lattice racks are devoid of sidewalls, rear wall, can be installed against the wall, suspended.

Racks molded from bright plastic, round shape, with shelves in the form of zigzags, waves are inherent in modern style. The location can also be original - the shelves can float in the air in the middle of the room, this is achieved by connecting them with a strong transparent fishing line. Sections of the rack can be designed in such a way that they can be easily interchanged, combined in the form of a three-dimensional collapsible composition resembling a sculpture.

Decorative

Shelving, mounted in order to improve the overall aesthetics of the room, is not very functional, but attractive, original in appearance. Decorative furniture can be so skillfully, uniquely executed that it becomes an artistic value in itself. It does not have to be convenient in terms of spaciousness, ease of cleaning, installation. The main goal is to become the center of attention, catch the eye, be a highlight, the design of the racks should be remembered.

The purchase of an author's rack can be an investment in appearance apartments for decades, but at the same time, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe dwelling should allow the placement of sometimes impressive design works, you need a place to maneuver - the usual location over the years can get bored. Small areas can also be decorated with a decorative shelving, a good example is miniature shelves built into the door for pleasing little things.

materials

Cheap mass models of the economy segment are made by joining parts cut from MDF, chipboard. Despite its cheapness, such furniture is versatile - suitable for any interior style. More durable, expensive options are made of wood, as the basis for the luxury class is wood of valuable species.

Glass shelving looks good in a modern theme, business style. But they are quite fragile, I require very careful handling, the surfaces of the shelves are quickly covered with scratches. The racks of such furniture are either metal or, for classic forms, wooden. Representatives of Art Nouveau are cast from high-quality polymeric materials. Eco style allows rattan, bamboo cabinet furniture. Stamped models made of cheap Chinese plastic should be reserved for laundries, basements, dark closets.

Location rules

Large bright rooms allow you to install racks without restrictions in the place of installation: in the center, in the form of a partition, in the entire wall, replacing the long-obsolete Soviet "walls". The most important thing is the color, the shape must match the rest of the furniture. The situation is a little more complicated with miniature rooms - the furniture should not additionally clutter up, it should be selected in such a way that it makes up for the lack of space, does not oppress the general atmosphere, and performs its organizational functions perfectly. Do not neglect mobile options on wheels, they are easy to remove into the next room during general cleaning, out of sight if an influx of guests is expected.

Original architectural solutions for the construction of housing often imply the presence of recesses, hidden niches, nooks and crannies. Do not miss the opportunity to put built-in furniture in them. Irregularly shaped rooms are simply asked to be supplemented with author's models, so the decor will become even more original.

In the interior of different rooms

In the living room

The common room is constantly used by all family members, the most spacious, functional, voluminous furniture is installed in it. Dark, clumsy "coffins" of living room sets, typical for the Soviet interior, have long been replaced by more relevant shelving structures. It is planned to combine open shelves with closed ones, all kinds of bedside tables, lightweight cabinets. A mandatory attribute is a place for a TV, home theater, audio system. Behind the upholstered furniture, narrow bookshelves are installed, complemented by spotlights.

Bedroom

In addition to traditional solutions, the head of the bed is often equipped with shelving in the bedroom. In this case, the rack has the shape of the letter "P", this non-standard move allows you to additionally use the usable space. An alternative to closed bedside tables is installed at the head - small racks in a couple of shelves, glasses, magazines, creams are stored here for evening reading. A medium-sized rack, complemented by a mirror, successfully replaces the traditional dressing table. Open furniture is used to store everyday clothes with the exception of underwear.

cabinet

The personal office is equipped with furniture to match the desktop located at arm's length so as not to be distracted from the busy work process. Shelves in the interior of the office are installed according to general rules placement of cabinet furniture. A separate position is occupied by the furniture of the personal library - the shelves are massive, deep, reach the ceiling.

Children's

The main requirement is juicy, eye-catching colors, shapes in the form of cars, houses, huts, allowing you to use furniture as a game element. The design must comply with safety requirements, be light, firmly fixed, suddenly the baby wants to climb on it. The height of the shelves should not be large, the child reaches the very top with an outstretched hand.

In the kitchen

Shelves in the form of partitions delimit a large kitchen into a working, dining area. More compact types serve as a replacement for grandmother's sideboards, they store a "strategic" crockery stock. Mobile metal versions on wheels help facilitate the movement of utensils and equipment around the huge kitchens of private households. small kitchenettes apartment buildings it is equipped with shelving almost along the entire perimeter, so every piece of kitchen utensils finds its place.

Shelves are quite often used not only to complement and decorate the overall interior of the room, but also for a clearer and more appropriate organization of space. Thanks to their use, the owner of the apartment gets the opportunity to conveniently arrange a huge number of small things that are simply lost in the cabinets.

To date, the market offers a lot of different models that are made of different materials. They also differ in design.

You can choose not only products with a classic design, but also ultra-modern designs.

But more and more people prefer to make such interior details on their own. Asking how to make a shelf with their own hands, they re-read a lot of literature and look through a lot of catalogs.

However, this does not mean that independent production shelves are complex and beyond the power of a person who does not have special skills. No, this is absolutely not true.

Familiarization with the literature in this case is necessary in order to create a product with beautiful design that will fit into the overall interior. Let's consider in more detail what shelves are.

Types of shelves

Any specialist will tell you that before you start creating a product, you need to decide for yourself what kind of design you want to get and whether it will be combined with the interior. And only after that you can start creating the product.

Indeed, for a house decorated in a classically seasoned style, it is completely unacceptable to use trendy and modern shelves. They will look extremely awkward.

The most popular and widely known subspecies of shelves is the classic shelf. This is due to the fact that it is quite easy to install, and the appearance, thanks to its simplicity, seems refined and sophisticated.

Used with success and open, closed shelves. Closed products are most often used for decoration and installation in rooms decorated in more modern styles. Glass and sometimes plastic are used for their construction.

Open structures can be used both in modernly designed houses and in apartments with a classic design. Over the past few years, this particular type of shelf has gained immense popularity and therefore is gradually replacing the classic options.

In small spaces, it is quite common to see corner shelves, which have a special way of fastening. They are mounted on adjacent walls that are adjacent to each other. Most often they are used in bathrooms, kitchens and utility rooms.

In addition to the above types of shelves that are mounted on the wall, there are suspended and floor structures. Hanging shelves are mounted in an unusual way.

They are installed using cables and vertical racks, and are attached directly to the ceiling. This mount looks quite unusual and original.

Floor structures are most often used in hallways. After all, do-it-yourself outdoor shoe racks not only look beautiful, but also help you organize the space of a small hallway. It is quite easy to make them though.

How to make a simple shelf

To create the claimed product, you should purchase or prepare some tools and materials in advance. As connecting elements, you can use whatever suits you best. But the most popular are ordinary screws, brackets and dowels.

Note!

For example, take a photo of the shelves with your own hands, which is presented below. It depicts a product with the following parameters: width 250 mm, height 300 mm, length 1100 mm. The manufacturing process for convenience will be divided into stages.

Stages of work

At the first stage, you need to markup. To do this, you should lay the boards on a table or any other flat surface and transfer the measurements from the drawings. The side walls must have a height of exactly 268 mm.

This marking is optimal because the side walls will be located between the two parts.

At the second stage, it is required to cut the boards. To get even and neat cuts, you need to use an electric jigsaw. After cutting, you will get 2 fairly long blanks and 2 shorter ones.

At the third stage, you can start processing the received blanks. The resulting segments should be covered with a special protective varnish or stain, after sanding them.

Note!

In the event that you plan only to paint the shelf, you can get by with a conventional antiseptic primer. So you will increase not only the service life, but also achieve a more even distribution of paint.

At the fourth stage of making a wooden shelf with your own hands, you proceed to its direct assembly. The bottom board should be laid on a flat surface. Step back 8 mm from the ends of the workpiece and draw two lines parallel to the cuts.

They should mark 2 points with a distance of 5 cm from the edge. At the marked points, it is necessary to drill holes for self-tapping screws. With the second workpiece it is necessary to do the same manipulations.

After that, you should install the side blanks on the bottom of the board and secure them. Once you're done attaching the side panels, move on to installing the top panel and securing it.

At the fifth stage, you should fix the brackets on the ends of the side panels, and make several holes for the dowels in the wall. After that, screw in the screws so that they protrude by 5 mm. And now your shelf is ready.

You can make acoustic shelves in the same way, but you need to take into account the dimensions of the equipment itself. Measurements should be taken carefully, because if you make a mistake, the work will have to start over.

Note!

DIY shelves photo

Currently, shelving structures have become quite firmly established in our everyday life. If earlier such facilities were used exclusively within wholesale depots, grocery stores and industrial enterprises, today they are very widely used in everyday life. Racks are installed on balconies, in pantries, in garages, basements, as well as in various utility rooms.

As practice shows, shelving modules are often used to store clothes. The main problem is that “open racks” are used for these purposes (the design is not equipped with doors, a lid, etc.). As a result, items on the shelves may become covered with dust.

It is quite possible to cope with the indicated problem on your own. In this case, you can use one of several methods:

  • The use of bedspreads. You can close the open shelves of the rack with your own hands with the help of small bedspreads. For these purposes, it is not necessary to use any expensive materials. A regular fabric purchased at a hardware store is fine. Cutting the material to the desired size will not take much time, all the necessary operations can be performed in a matter of minutes.
  • Buying containers. Containers will help to make an open rack more practical and convenient. They can accommodate a significant number of things, ranging from fishing outfits to dresses. Containers are easy to install on open shelves, due to their rectangular shape they have a fairly high stability. It is important to note that in this case, the owner does not have to worry about the design of the rack. Containers with clothes will be succinctly located on the shelves, the design will have a pleasant and neat appearance.
  • Using packages. A budget option. In this case, the clothes can also be protected from dust, but the design of the rack may suffer. Moreover, filled packages are quite unstable. If handled carelessly, they can simply fall off open shelves.
  • The use of curtains. A good solution is to close the rack with curtains. In this case, open shelves, as well as all their contents, will be completely hidden from prying eyes. In order to bring such an idea to life, you should purchase the right amount of material, as well as organize a specialized fixation mechanism. Before you close the open rack with a cloth, you need to carefully check everything (here the rule is more relevant than ever: measure seven times - cut once). Making a choice in favor of curtains, you can not worry about the design of the design.

Before you finally decide on the solution of the issue, how to close the rack, it is recommended to carefully read the photos published on the Internet. The presented images will allow you to choose the most successful design. Also, through a photo, you can learn about quite original engineering solutions invented by the owners of open shelving.

In conclusion, it should be noted that when thinking about the question of how to close the rack, you should not rush to conclusions. In this case, everything needs to be carefully considered. Haste in making decisions can lead to unnecessary time and financial losses.

The current developers, unlike their colleagues of the past generation, do not seek to equip the living area with storage rooms. This increases the living space, but does not allow you to optimize the space and have the storage area that is sometimes necessary.

The presence of a pantry in the apartment becomes a gift for the hostess and sometimes a luxury that is inaccessible to others.

Unfortunately, the storage room is not always equipped shelves and racks for placement and storage of things , so install shelves in the pantry have to do it yourself.

Making shelves in the pantry with your own hands is a simple task.

Before you start creating shelving, necessary decide how it will look shelves in pantry and the design itself, as well as what fasteners shelves connect to the wall.

There are only two options for how to make a rack, namely to make a free-standing shelf, or simply fix the boards directly to the wall.

The first step is to get your idea on paper. This will visualize the desired rack , take measurements and most successfully place it, taking into account the wishes and intended storage items.

In order for the pantry to be equipped with shelving, it must have enough space.

It must be taken into account that shelves should be arranged in width from bottom to top, that is, the bottom shelf will be the widest, and the top, respectively, the narrowest. This is due to the fact that the lower shelves the most dimensional items that are inconvenient and impractical to lift up will be stored.

It is necessary to carefully consider the distance between the shelves and correlate it with the items that are planned to be stored.

Depending on the wishes of the owners racks can have any shape that will allow you to realize the place chosen for fastening the structure.

You need to take into account the amount of free space - if the racks take up too much space, then it will be inconvenient for you to walk in the pantry.

More often, U-shaped and L-shaped are chosen, this type of shelves is the most practical. For installation, it is better to prefer metal brackets and fasteners, they are the most durable, they can withstand any weight on the shelves.

Choose any option that suits you.

Necessary materials

Deciding how to make shelves in the pantry, you need to decide on the material from which the structure will be made. There are several options.


Except wooden materials, you can choose others, the main thing is strength and the possibility of self-assembly. Apart from shelves you should stock up on fasteners on which they will be installed shelves , consumables required for work.

In order to make wooden shelving for the pantry, you will need not a lot of materials and serious tools.

Tools for the job

To understand which instrument needed to work, you need to clarify what exactly needs to be done. If the material for the shelves is not prepared and needs to be cut and sharpened to the desired dimensions, then it is imperative to have a jigsaw or a hacksaw for wood and a planer. They will help make shelves the right size. And you will also need sandpaper to process the edges of the cuts and give the shelves a finished look.

Tools needed for the job.

Requires a puncher to create holes in wall under the dowel-nails to fasten the brackets, a screwdriver to connect the parts to each other, if necessary.

This is enough to have good and reliable shelves in the pantry, on which you can store anything.

Without fail you will need:


Choice of shelf space

Thinking how to make shelves in the pantry, it is important to determine the place. The place where they will be attached shelves, should be chosen based on many factors.

The wall on which it is planned to mount must be load-bearing.

This is a guarantee of strength and durability of the structure. A thin interior partition may not withstand the load and shelves , forced by heavy objects, will collapse.

In addition to boards, particle boards, plywood and other suitable materials can be used.

If fastening is not carried out directly to wall, then you can dream up in accordance with the desired form of arrangement.

Consider the dimensions of the items to be stored.

It is important to prepare the storage room itself, align and tidy the walls in advance in order to shelves stood up straight and there was no need to adjust them to the terrain walls.

It is worth taking care of the lighting before the rack is installed.

Manufacturing and assembly process

So, a place under the rack selected, all tools and materials prepared, layout shelves on paper, and all dimensions are verified and calculated? You can proceed to the main process of manufacturing shelves and assembling the structure.

  1. The first thing you need to do - using a tape measure and a building level, mark the wall, which will act as the basis for fastening.

    Using a tape measure, the height of the shelves in the center of the room is marked and horizontal lines are drawn using a laser level.

    Use a puncher to make holes in wall in the places where the brackets will be attached.

    With the help of dowel-nails, guide profiles are attached to the walls.

    Fasten the bases for the brackets and install them.

    Their number depends on the desired number of shelves, and the distance between them determines the height of the shelves.

  2. The next step is the manufacture of shelves. Need a jigsaw or saw to cut out of wood shelves according to the required dimensions.

    It is better to clarify the dimensions again and, for greater accuracy, cut out a template from cardboard.

    After checking them with the installed brackets, you can start trimming. After shelves the desired sizes will be cut out, it is worth processing the cuts with sandpaper to remove the roughness.

    This will give the shelves a decent look.

  3. Fixing the brackets and cutting to the desired size shelves, it is necessary to install the latter in the place of the planned location and secure with fasteners and a screwdriver.

It is better to have shelves with a higher height at the bottom.

Rack with shelves in the pantry ready! You can safely use it for storage of things and optimization of the environment.

As you can see, there is nothing particularly difficult in this, and after installing racks and shelves, you will be able to store items in the pantry in the most rational and convenient way.

In interior design, aesthetics is not the last place, thanks to it the house becomes cozy, acquires style and pleases the eye. When choosing materials and furniture to create the overall look of a home, not only their quality is important, but also their visual appeal.

In addition to the main design elements, in the form of furniture, great attention given to decor items. Gradually, the interior is supplemented with various memorabilia: figurines, books, paintings, vases and other trifles. In this article, we will tell you how to make these memorabilia a harmonious continuation of the interior of your home.

Advice. There are never many memorabilia, but it is not necessary to put all of them in a conspicuous place, they should not clutter up the space, but be a pleasant addition to the decor. Therefore, it is recommended to use beautiful containers or wicker baskets for their storage. To store your home accessories, you can choose containers that match the style and color of the shelves, which will not only organize all the little things, but also look more tidy.

Ideas for decorating shelves and racks

  • Maintaining balance

The lack of harmony or its presence affects the overall impression of the interior. When there are a lot of decor items and they are quite diverse in terms of size, shape and color, this can easily create an imbalance and the effect of overloading the interior with details.

To avoid disturbing the harmony in the appearance of the house, decor items must be placed on the shelves in such a way that they match or alternate in size, height and shape. For example, next to a massive-looking book, you can put an elegant figurine, and next to a narrow and high vase, several books can be neatly folded. It is important to remember that objects should be combined and look like a single composition.

  • Symmetry

The essence of symmetry, as a technique for creating a composition, is the principle of placing objects, according to which: on the shelf there should be decorative elements of similar sizes, shapes and matching colors. In this case, the composition will produce pleasant impression and succinctly complete the look of the room.

Items on the shelf should be distributed in such a way that one side of it is in harmony with the other. For example, if there is a large vase on the upper right side, then it is worth filling the lower left corner with several small items.

  • Knowing of limits

The rack should not be overloaded with a large number of things over its entire area, this will create the impression of chaos. And beautiful things can get lost among simpler trinkets. It is necessary to leave about 30 percent of the shelf space free, and fill the rest of the space with decor items.

  • Combination with colors

The overall color scheme of your interior determines the shades of colors for decor items. In the foreground, things of the main color should be put, and objects of neutral colors, matched to the tone, will serve as the background. To avoid imbalance, it is worth using no more than three colors when choosing a decorative component of the interior. Shades of decor items should be derived from the colors used in decorating the room. It is also worth paying attention to textiles, for example, the color of curtains can also serve as the basis for selection decorative elements.

It is recommended to use a neutral rack colors(white, black, gray, beige), in the case when the decor items are varied. At the same time, do not forget about the compatibility of the shelves with the environment and the decor item, they should succinctly fit into the interior. For example, a dark wood rack will fit perfectly where there is wood furniture of the same shade and texture, and decorative elements will be red, red and gold.

  • Top shelves

Placing massive bulky things on the upper shelves creates a feeling of heaviness that presses from above. It is short-sighted to place voluminous objects above the horizon line. Decor items should be distributed so that all these heavy items are left on the lower shelves, and from eye level and above, it is worth distributing things of a more elegant plan, fragile items in light colors.

  • Selection of accents

If, after all the efforts for the competent organization of decorative elements, the rack looks boring and faceless, then you can add accents to the composition that can enliven and create a more favorable impression of the decor.

Accents involve the use of things that differ from the main composition in color, shape or purpose. They can be placed so that the result is geometric figure. Such accents can be bright vase, textured figurine, books in golden covers, accents can be placed both in the center and along the edges of the shelves at any height.