Today, we’ll be delving into a popular debate in interior design: floating shelves versus traditional shelves. Homeowners of all sizes regularly seek to maximize space while maintaining a chic and organized home. With the rise of floating shelves, a question lingers: Are they a passing trend or a lasting design solution? Let’s explore some pros and cons of each to help you decide.

Floating Shelves: The Trendy Favorite

Pros of Floating Shelves:

• Aesthetic Versatility: Floating shelves offer a contemporary aesthetic that effortlessly complements any décor style, from minimalist to bohemian. Their clean lines and invisible support brackets create a modern, uncluttered look that is perfect for showcasing your favorite décor items. 
• Space-Savers: By mounting directly to the wall without bulky brackets or support legs, floating shelves maximize floor space and create the illusion of a larger room. This use of the vertical space in a room makes them especially ideal for small areas or rooms with limited square footage.
• Customization Freedom: With floating shelves, you’re not confined to standard sizes or configurations. You can customize the length, depth, and spacing between the shelves to fit your specific storage needs and design preferences.
• Easy to Install: Unlike traditional shelving units that require complex assembly, floating shelves are relatively easy to install with a few basic tools. Since they don’t rely on visible brackets, they’re left with a seamless, professional-looking installation with minimal effort.

Cons of Floating Shelves:

• Weight limitations: Floating shelves display lightweight items like books, plants, and picture frames. However, they may not be as suitable for heavy objects or large quantities of items. 
• Potential Instability: Incorrectly installed floating shelves may sag over time, especially if not anchored to studs or wall anchors. Maintenance and occasional tightening of mounting hardware may be necessary to ensure stability.

Traditional Shelving: The Timeless Classic

Pros of Traditional Shelving:

Cons of Traditional Shelving:

Still Not Sure Which Shelving Type to Choose?

If you’re still unsure which shelving type is best for you, we will set a scene: You’re browsing for new living room furniture to fill your home with your unique style. You take a day to do some shopping, and one of the furniture showrooms you’ve entered greets you with two living room configurations:

• The left side of the room houses a wall of beautiful deep mahogany bookcases filled with trinkets, photos, and décor. The elegance is radiant, but you quickly notice that some items are awkwardly spaced. As you sit down to test one of the sitting chairs beside the bookcase, you cannot see any of the décor, and the bulk of the bookcase seems to cut the chair off from the rest of the room. It’s beautiful but almost…. cold, with a spec home vibe. 
• Now, as you wander to the right side of the room, you’re greeted by sleek, minimalist floating shelves. These, too, are lined with trinkets and bits of décor, but your eyes are quickly drawn to the pieces of artwork hanging on the wall above them. Artwork that pairs aesthetically with the beautiful wall color behind the shelves! And the subtly draped greenery looks like it was made to be there. The whole space feels open, airy, and modern. It feels…. like you.

So, there you have it. There is no one-size-fits-all approach in the battle of floating shelves versus traditional shelves. It comes down to storage needs, design preferences, and your space's unique characteristics. But if you’re seeking a modern, minimalist look that maximizes floor space, floating shelf units might be the perfect choice.

Interested in purchasing handcrafted shelves? Order online or contact us today! Still have questions? We love troubleshooting, answering questions, and offering tips and tricks, so email us at customerservice@jthomashome.com. 

Locals interested in purchasing a collection of handcrafted shelves for a renovation can schedule an appointment with us to get started.