Creative Ideas for Shelves

Shelves are incredibly versatile furniture items that are vital in organizing, decorating, and maximizing efficiency in various spaces, including homes, businesses, and industries. Crafted from a wide range of materials and available in numerous designs, shelves enhance compact environments by adding flexibility and easy access. With this in mind, we've compiled suggestions to elevate these ubiquitous solutions — temporary additions or integrated architectural features — into prominent elements within interior design.

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Mixing Elements

Besides the wooden boards forming the shelves, one can add hooks, ropes, or metal tubes. These additions enhance the versatility of the shelving unit within the available space.

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Casa Ibi / Arkitekt Associados. Image: © Evelyn Müller

Invisible Shelves

Depending on the objects to be stored and the material used to shape the shelf, it can be practically invisible, whether due to its thin thickness - especially in the case of metal sheets - or to the use of colors that can camouflage it on the wall.

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Apartamento Sumaúma / COTA760. Image: © Cris Farhat

Vertical Organization

You can arrange the shelves on one wall, creating a bookshelf-like setup to maximize space. To achieve this, using metal tracks or other solutions that allow for easy adjustment of the spacing between shelves is a smart strategy. This approach simplifies making future changes to the layout as required.

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Green House / ES Arquitetura. Image: © Everson Martins | arq.em.foto

Composing the Environment

The design of a shelf can shape how the space feels, creating an environment that encourages people to explore it visually. This design choice also makes the objects displayed on the shelf stand out more effectively.

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Casa C + JP / Solange Cálio Arquitetos. Image: © Denilson Machado

Exploring Creativity

Beyond the usual horizontal lines, shelves can have several arrangements based on the designer's creativity. When integrated into walls, the cutouts can feature more organic shapes, offering a unique composition that deviates from the standard expectations.

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Café Caramelía / Belotto Scopel Tanaka Arquitetura. Image: © Fábio Jr. Severo

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Cite: ArchDaily Team. "Creative Ideas for Shelves" [Ideias criativas para prateleiras e estantes] 08 Sep 2023. ArchDaily. (Trans. Simões, Diogo) Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1006040/creative-ideas-for-shelves> ISSN 0719-8884

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