Floating Wood Wall Shelves

Four wall-mounted wood shelves that carry their load without a bracket in sight, so what you see is a clean line of timber and whatever you chose to put on it. Floating shelves buy you storage out of thin air, above a desk, either side of a doorway, along a blank stretch of hallway, and they leave the floor clear, which is the quickest way to make a small room read as calm.

Each shelf is a solid wood plank with a sanded face and softened edges, finished in either a natural primary tone or a deeper walnut. Concealed hardware fixes the plank flush to the wall so the front edge stays unbroken; mount into studs, or use wall plugs suited to the surface you actually have. The depth handles books, small plants, framed photographs, spice jars and folded towels, and a set of four lets you stagger heights on one wall or run a matched row.

Put them above a sofa for books and ceramics, in a bathroom for towels and bottles, in a kitchen for oil and jars, or in a bedroom as a bedside shelf where a table will not fit. They suit renters, first flats and anyone with more things than cupboards. Mount them out of reach if small children share the room, and keep heavier items sitting near the wall rather than out at the front edge. Dust with a dry cloth and avoid soaking the timber.

• Material: Solid wood plank with a sanded face and softened edges
• Finish options: Natural primary tone or walnut
• Set: Four shelves per set
• Mounting: Concealed fixing for a bracket-free look
• Fixings: Mount into studs or use wall plugs suited to your wall
• Rooms: Living room, bathroom, bedroom, kitchen or hallway
• Loading: Keep heavier items near the wall, not at the front edge
• Care: Dust with a dry cloth; avoid prolonged damp