Are you looking for living room shelf ideas and inspiration? Look no further! This blog is the perfect first step if you are looking for direction, inspiration, and a vision for which shelves will work best in your own living room.
After assessing the bigger picture of what the purpose of your living room shelves will provide, we will explore the top 7 most popular types of living room shelves including built-ins, freestanding shelf units, floating shelves, alcove shelves and more.
Decorating shelves is what we love most, here at Shelf Love Collective, and we are thrilled for you to be embarking on your own shelf designing journey for your living room! Let's get into it.
Living Room Shelf Ideas
Table of contents
How to pick the right shelves for your living room
Though you may be more excited about decorating your living room shelves, let’s pump the breaks just for a moment. Perhaps equally important is functionality and making sure you select the right types of shelves for your needs and space. After all, committing to and installing shelves can be a bit of an undertaking! Be sure to take into consideration the following.
Living Room Shelf Function
What is the primary function of your living room shelves?
The main things to consider are space constraints, overall aesthetic and the types and quantity of items that will call these shelves their home. Are you looking for a storage solution? A room divider? A display for decorative items? A statement wall? Or most likely a combination? This assessment of your space and your “stuff” will lead you in your design decisions.
Living Room Shelf Ideas for Storage
If you know you need lots of storage space for practical items like movies, cords and cables and other not-so-pretty things and you have a minimal amount of decor items you would like out on display, you may opt for a hybrid - one or two open floating shelves above counter-height cabinets with closing doors. This offers the best of both worlds - open display shelves plus the convenience of "hidden" shelves.
Living Room Shelf Ideas for Display
If you have a large collection of display-worthy items such as awkward family photos, frog figurines, or perhaps a shocking quantity of candles, you may lean towards all open shelving. Maybe you need miles of open shelving to display your extensive collection of books, records or movies. Floor to ceiling built-ins or floor to ceiling floating shelves may be your best design option to display your collections in the light they deserve.
Shelf Love Pro Tip: You can store a small quantity of useful yet unsightly items in attractive baskets or boxes on your open shelves. Style meets practicality!
Living Room Shelf Ideas
We are going to explore 7 popular types of living room shelves and shelving units so that you can get inspired and start designing and planning the perfect shelves for your own living room.
Looking for a practical guide on how to style your living room built ins? Download our totally free step by step guide, jam packed with the A to Z of shelf styling here: The Ultimate Shelf Styling Guide. You won’t be sorry!
1. Built-Ins in the Living Room
Built-in shelves are attractive more permanent living room shelf idea, creating statement walls and a focal point. They can range from filling in narrow alcoves to spanning enormous walls. Built-ins are popular along either side of a fireplace, a window, or a TV, creating an entertainment area.
Shelf Love Pro Tip: Consider elevating your built-in living room shelves with down facing light fixtures or recessed lighting.
2. Floating Shelves in the Living Room
Next on the list for living room shelf ideas are floating shelves, an extremely versatile and timeless option. They can be added virtually anywhere and come in every size imaginable (from fun size to ginormous). A single floating shelf can be installed above the couch or as a mantle, a set of two or three can be added above any piece of furniture in the living room or a bare wall can be transformed by a stack of floating shelves.
There are various styles of brackets for floating shelves to complement your favorite decor style such as industrial, modern, vintage, etc. However, the most popular and timeless style is hidden brackets, creating the illusion the shelves are floating. These brackets mount to the wall and the shelves are designed to slide over them, completely hiding the hardware. Now you see it, now you don’t!
Image credit: Pinterest
3. Mixed Open with Closed Shelves
When it comes to living room shelf ideas, open shelving above cabinetry is the best of both worlds. If you need both functional storage as well as a display area for your decor, this is a great option. Guests will make a mental note of your sound judgment and keen eye for practical shelf design.
Image Credit: Pinterest
4. Free Standing Shelf Units
Free standing shelving units is one of the living room shelf ideas that can make a big statement. There are many types of free standing shelf units with open display shelves such as bookcases, cube shelf units, glass door display cabinets, and ladder shelves. Don’t forget to add a safety attachment to the wall to prevent unwanted catastrophes, calamities and other misadventures.
Image Credit: Pinterest
5. Ladder Shelves
Ladder shelves know how to get their lean on! You can think of ladder shelves as the "fun" cousins to more traditional bookcases and free standing shelf units. Check out Ladder Shelf Decor Ideas for decorating ideas and tips.
6. Custom Shelves
Despite all the living room shelf ideas in the world, sometimes prefab shelving units just won't cut it for your unique space requirements. There are many types of custom shelving solutions that can be designed according to your unique needs and vision.
7. Room Dividing Shelves
Even though open concept floor plans have people knocking down walls left and right, sometimes one large formless space is tricky to decorate.
A creative way to separate a large open living room into areas or zones is by placing shelving units perpendicular to the wall. Shelving units that do not have backs will not impede on the room’s openness as much while still adding function and interest. A win-win!
Image Credit: Pinterest
Image Credit: Pinterest
Once you have considered all of the living room shelf ideas and select and install the perfect living room shelves for your space, it is time to have a shelf styling party! This happens to be our favorite pastime here at Shelf Love Collective and we have put together a completely awesome, completely free guide to prove it. Check it out here: The Ultimate Shelf Styling Guide.
From all of us at Shelf Love, may you love your shelves!
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