Open shelving has become a popular design element in today’s new homes thanks in part to home design guru Joanna Gaines. In her most recent blog post for her brand Magnolia, she explains the technical aspects of construction, installation, and space planning for metal, wood, and glass open shelves. Check out her construction notes below.
Here are a few questions to consider before beginning this open shelving feat:
1. Why do you need shelves? What will you want to store on them? This will be important for determining which type of unit will be best for supporting the weight of your items.
2. Where will your shelves be hung? How much space do you have to work with? This will help determine if a standard size will work for you or if you’ll need to hire a professional to do something more custom.
3. Where are your anchor points? Anchor points are where your nail will be drilled into the wall to hang your shelving. Whether you are choosing to install custom or prefabricated shelving, it’s important to know what you’re screwing into. This is something you need to think about especially if you’re considering custom shelving. Whenever possible, be sure to hang open shelving where you’ll be able to drill into a stud (the vertical framing members in the wall.) This will give the shelf extra support and ensure that the nails do not rip out of the wall.
Apply these questions to your specific space and situation. Once you have an idea of what your space needs, you can move to deciding what kind of shelving will work best for you.
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