5 Best Corner Shelves
Best corner shelves
Whether you live in a tiny apartment or a big house, you want to make the most of the space you have. An awkward corner might be one space that doesn’t seem to have any use, but that isn’t true. A corner shelf sized to fit just such a space is a readily available solution.
Corner shelves come in a multitude of styles, designs, and configurations to transform an empty corner from wasted space to an eye-catching focal point. A utilitarian corner shelf can turn an unused part of a kitchen or bathroom into efficient and attractive storage.
If you’re thinking about getting a corner shelf but don’t know where to start, a good buying guide and some recommendations can help narrow your choices.
How to buy the best corner shelves
Rooms
There are corner shelves designed to work in every room of your home.
Living room and bedroom: These corner shelves can be decorative as well as functional. They can transform an unused space into a display area for photos, books, or knickknacks. Look for attractive corner units that complement or accentuate your existing décor.
Kitchen: These corner shelves usually function to expand work areas and organize utensils and other items. These units include racks that sit on the floor and countertop shelves that remove clutter from counters while leaving the items accessible. A coffee or tea bar and a spice rack are two examples of uses for these shelves in the kitchen.
Bathroom: This room is probably the first that comes to mind when you think about corner shelves. Units here primarily function as storage for toilet paper, personal care products, soap, or towels. You can find attractive glass or metal shelves for bathrooms.
Type
You’ll find corner shelves that function as racks, bookcases, or cabinets.
- Racks have open, usually adjustable shelves and serve primarily as storage or display.
- Bookcases can have open or enclosed shelves and can be as decorative as they are functional.
- Cabinet corner shelves have doors and are used for storage.
Mounted or freestanding
Corner shelves can be attached to the wall or freestanding.
Wall-mounted corner shelves can have visible brackets for support and may come as units of two or three shelves in a frame. Floating shelves attach to the wall with anchors or hidden brackets. They present a clean, decorative, functional surface and are popular in modern and contemporary décor.
Freestanding corner shelves sit on the floor, usually on three legs. They might need to be attached to the wall for stability. Many of these units can support more weight than wall-mounted shelving.
Materials and design
Many decorative corner shelves are made of wood or wood veneer and can be stained, painted, or unfinished. You’ll also find shelves made of metal, glass, or some combination of wood, metal, and glass.
Many utilitarian corner shelves are made of metal tubing with wire shelves.
Floating corner shelves made of glass are popular for use in bathrooms, but you can also find moisture-resistant wood and metal shelves.
There are also corner shelves made of plastic and other synthetic materials, but these are more functional than attractive.
You can hang a small corner shelf from the ceiling as long as you don’t exceed its weight limit. This is a great way to display a plant.
Features to look for in corner shelves
Shape
The shape of the shelves determines the amount of storage space the unit has.
Triangular shelves are an excellent choice for displaying items.
Rounded shelves have a curved front edge. They are deeper than triangular shelves and so can hold more.
Square, rectangular, and L-shaped shelves maximize storage but take up the most space.
Adjustable shelves
Corner shelving with adjustable height provides more flexibility for storage, especially in kitchens and bathrooms where you need to store a variety of objects of different sizes. Adjustable shelves are more convenient.
Feet
The feet keep the corner shelves stable. Many racks for kitchens and bathrooms have rubberized feet to minimize damage to countertops or flooring. Look for shelving with adjustable feet if the flooring isn’t level, such as in a shower stall, but this feature can be useful in other rooms too.
Doors
Doors are useful if you want to use your corner shelves primarily for storage and keep the contents, such as kitchen utensils or toiletries, out of sight. Doors help the room look less cluttered.
Cable cutouts
Some corner shelves include cutouts for cables and wires. For example, you can run the cable for a clock radio or wired speaker through the cutout to keep it against the wall and out of your way.
How much do corner shelves cost?
Inexpensive
Many corner shelves of every size and style cost less than $99. The main difference is in materials and construction. You’ll find a lot of plastic and PVC racks and shelves, particleboard shelves with wood veneer, and countertop units at this price.
Mid-range
These corner shelves cost from $100 to $299. These include tall freestanding racks made of metal tubing and wire shelving, as well as display shelves and bookshelves made of wood or MDF, floating shelving kits, and units with cabinets.
Expensive
Spend more than $300 and you’ll find corner shelves with the look of fine furniture made of hardwoods, polished metal, wrought iron, and glass. You’ll also find bigger, taller shelves in this range, as well as eye-catching designer pieces.
Corner shelves are ideal for a child’s bedroom. Choose rounded shelves to avoid injury, and set the unit at the right height for your child.
Tips
- Note the weight limit. Corner shelves have a limit to how much weight they can safely support, especially wall-mounted units. Check the product information or the online listing for this information. Overloaded shelves can sag, tilt, lean, or collapse.
- Choose shelves with an unusual shape or material. Pick a unit for a living room or bedroom that is unique or decorative. It doesn’t have to precisely match the other furniture. An unusual shape or a contrasting color is a great way to help it stand out, especially if you use it to display items.
- Use more than one floating shelf. If possible, mount more than one shelf. A single floating shelf can get lost in the corner, but using two or three creates more visual impact as well as storage and display space.
FAQ
Q. Do corner shelves save space?
A. Yes, corner shelves save space by creating usable vertical storage out of an unused corner, and this can free up space elsewhere in the room. For example, several floating corner shelves create a lot of usable space without any footprint.
Q. How do you decorate a corner shelf?
A. Corner shelves are ideal for displaying art, photos, or objects. Pick a visually striking object to act as the focal point of each shelf and then display other objects in relation to it. This also works with a kitchen unit. A cookie jar, teapot, or bottle of vinegar can make a great focal point for a kitchen shelf.
Q. How can I keep my corner shelves from looking tacky?
A. It all depends on what the unit is made of and how you style it. Cheap plastic corner shelves crammed with stuff aren’t going to add much to a room’s décor. But you can find beautifully made corner shelves of wood, metal, or glass that add an elegant touch to the room.