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Jun 26, 2023

The 10 Best Floating Shelves of 2023

These provide a stylishly functional and versatile design solution for your

These provide a stylishly functional and versatile design solution for your organizational needs.

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Pottery Barn

Products that marry form with function are the Goldilocks of the design world, aiming to check all your boxes with one versatile item. They’re equal parts stylish and useful, and nothing represents this ethos better than floating shelves. At first glance, they’re totally design-forward, granting you a modern and cool spot to display your porcelain teacup collection or fill an empty wall with art. On the other hand, they’re organizational powerhouses, providing you ample room for stashing your spice collection or propping up your most cherished cookbooks.

To help you shop for floating shelves that are both streamlined and sturdy, we’ve researched the best options on the market, paying special attention to styles that will sing in your kitchen or pantry. We also asked interior designer Andi Morse, founder of Morse Design, to share some tips and tricks for finding the best floating shelves for any budget or style.

These picks are beautiful enough to contribute to the overall design of your kitchen space but utilitarian enough to safely hold whatever precious cargo you entrust with it. Browse our favorites below and prepare to take your organizational efforts to stylish new heights.

Pottery Barn

Pros: These shelves are available in several different sizes and finishes to help fulfill custom needs.

Cons: Steel hardware requires that you drill into tile or the wall to mount, making this pick difficult for renters to utilize.

It's no surprise that our best overall pick for a floating shelf comes from Pottery Barn. The design-forward retailer thought of nearly everything with their Brighton Floating Wood Shelf, which combines minimalistic aesthetics with sturdy hardware and a utilitarian ethos. You can choose from five different stain finishes (all on the same kiln-dried mango wood) and trust that the shelf will treat your dishware or glasses with TLC, thanks to sturdy steel hardware that is invisible to the naked eye.

Price at time of publish: From $199

Amazon

Pros: Strong magnets make this shelf a breeze to hang anywhere where there's a metal surface — and easy to move around.

Cons: This shelf is more shallow than some other picks on this list, which may limit what you can store on it.

As arguably the most-used room in our homes, the kitchen needs a lot of organizational love to remain functional and aesthetically pleasing. Luckily, this streamlined pick from Yamazaki Home fulfills both those needs, with a sleek white metal body and strong magnetic backing that can instantly transform the side of your refrigerator or front of your dishwasher into bonus storage space. Use it to stash oft-used oils or seasoning within arm's reach of your stovetop so you can cook up dinner magic without disrupting your flow.

Price at time of publish: $25

Amazon

Pros: These shelves come as a set of two, allowing you to design an eye-catching display with ease.

Cons: These shelves can only hold up to 25 pounds each, meaning they’re not a great option for heavier dishware or display pieces.

If you’re looking for a wallet-friendly pick that doesn't necessarily scream "I’m the budget option!" look no further than this duo from Amazon. Made of durable engineered wood and available in four timeless finishes, they’re a petite but functional way to keep cooking necessities handy or your favorite tchotchkes on display. Installation using invisible brackets should take you under ten minutes.

Price at time of publish: $25

West Elm

Pros: Thanks to their construction, every shelf is unique, so you’ll score a one-of-a-kind piece.

Cons: The natural edge of these shelves means their depth will vary, making it tougher to store certain objects, like books.

Natural finishes like wood are a great way to bring an element of the outdoors to your indoor space. Nothing says foraged from the forest more than these live edge floating shelves from West Elm. Available in four versatile sizes, they’re an organic and modern way to decorate a wall or add a tad more function to your kitchen.

Price at time of publish: From $89

CB2

Pros: This shelf is one of the longest on our list at an expansive 48 inches, giving you plenty of space to showcase your favorite items.

Cons: Screws (not metal brackets) hold this shelf to your wall, which means it may be a bit less sturdy than other options.

Prefer your decor to whisper, not scream? This ghost shelf is for you. Made from nearly invisible acrylic, it's an uber-modern way to add extra storage to your space without creating too much additional visual clutter. The slim depth doesn't grant you a ton of surface area to work with, so this shelf is best used as a way of adding an artistic touch to your kitchen's design scheme (gallery wall of pasta pics, anyone?).

Price at time of publish: $50

Shelfology

Pros: Almost entirely customizable, this shelf is a great option for quirky homes or odd spaces.

Cons: High-quality craftsmanship and a bespoke approach make this one of the priciest picks on our list.

The (many) ways in which these Shelfology designs stand out from the crowd may not be immediately visible but trust us. They’re worth the extra money. Made-to-order in the United States, Shelfology prides itself on quality materials and thoughtful design, resulting in a floating shelf that's about as close to custom (and as close to perfect) as possible. Curate your buy to your exact needs — including the length, depth, thickness, finish, and even type of installation — then rely on the company's step-by-step guide to hang it like a pro.

Price at time of publish: From $210

Amazon

Pros: These unique shelves come in a wide variety of sizes, so you can stack several or find the right fit for your space

Cons: Because they’re made for corners, these shelves don't provide nearly as much surface area for styling your goodies.

Creating a functional home is all about utilizing every square inch to its full potential — including the corners. Make the most of the caddy corner near your stove or a snug spot in your pantry with these clever corner shelves. Available in a variety of sizes, they’re pretty enough to keep out in the open but solid enough to actually add to your organizational efforts, not just boost your design grade.

Price at time of publish: $26

Wayfair

Pros: While these shelves look great hung all together, the set can also be dispersed throughout the home.

Cons: These shelves are not very deep, so they work best for artwork and small design pieces.

Think of this trio of shelves as the design equivalent to a meal delivery service. Like pre-packaged ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes, there's an ease to a collection like this — you know, without a doubt, that you can hang them up together and they will look amazing. The trio includes small, medium, and long lengths, all made of durable solid wood. Use them to prop up your heirloom recipe box or stash slim bottles of your favorite imported olive oils.

Price at time of publish: $103

Amazon

Pros: An inexpensive set of three means you can deck out your whole space with easy organization — all on a budget.

Cons: These shelves are specifically geared toward bathrooms and the smooth surfaces they typically boast. They should not be hung on painted walls, where they may damage the finish.

Calling all skincare fanatics! We suspect you may need some extra surface area for all your lotions and potions, and if our suspicion is true, you need to click *add to cart* on these easy Amazon beauties. With a streamlined design that looks right out of the nearest spa and the ability to stick securely to any smooth surface (including tile, stone, and mirrors), they’re a waterproof and durable answer to your bathroom's organizational woes.

Price at time of publish: $28

Shelfology

Pros: You can make these shelves as long or as deep as you need, allowing for a place to display even the quirkiest pieces of art.

Cons: These shelves are made of extra thick 10 gauge steel, so they may be too hefty for renters to hang without risking damage to the walls.

You already know we love Shelfology's wood floating shelves, but their picture ledges are pretty noteworthy, too. Made of steel, they’re designed with museum-worthy displays in mind, allowing you to cycle through showcasing your favorite artwork, all without the commitment of putting holes in the wall for each frame. The best part? There are over 30 colors to choose from, so you can play art curator and effortlessly design a scene worthy of the MoMA.

Price at time of publish: From $98

Floating shelves are available in a variety of materials and styles, ranging from rustic wood options to sleek and modern metal designs. When shopping for a floating shelf for your home, it's important to consider what material would work best to accent or complement your existing home decor. If you’re planning to put the shelf in your kitchen or bathroom, you also want to consider a material that can stand up to the "elements" of those locations, which can include excessive moisture or things like grease and food splatters.

How much stuff a style can handle is perhaps the most important factor to consider when shopping for a floating shelf for your home. Pile too much onto a design that isn't capable of handling it and you risk ruining the wall, tile, or backsplash that it's attached to. Before purchasing any floating shelf, take a moment to consider what you’ll be storing/displaying on it and gather a (general) idea of how much those objects may weigh. The product info for each shelf should be accompanied by a weight limit online, and we’ve done the work of including that for our picks.

There are two styles of floating shelves out there: those with a lip and those without. A lip refers to any type of edge to the shelf, whose main purpose is to keep the items displayed from falling off. This is most often seen in shelves that are designated as picture ledges, but it's possible to find traditional floating shelves that have one too. Ultimately, shopping for a shelf with this feature is totally up to you and your needs—if you plan to display basic design or kitchen accessories (versus leaning items like books, art, or albums), it's not a must-have.

If you’re someone who considers themselves confidently handy, installation probably isn't a big factor in your shopping decision. For the rest of us (we see you, DIY newbies), how a floating shelf gets attached to a wall is something to consider. Beyond choosing a shelf that is in line with your installation comfort level (totally fine if you’d rather skip wielding a drill), it's also important to consider the means of installation. Some shelves need to be screwed directly into a wall stud to be used to their full weight potential, while others on our list can be hung using simple features like magnets or adhesive. Factors like renting your home or not wanting to ruin the backsplash tile will impact your shopping

The amount of weight a floating shelf can hold can vary by design. To ensure you’re not putting too much weight onto your chosen shelf, it's important to read how much it's capable of handling before you start styling it up. In general, most of the shelves on our list can handle anywhere from 15 to 55 pounds, with some able to withstand as much as 300 pounds.

When it comes to choosing a material for your floating shelf, think first about durability. "With floating shelves, you want to make sure they are made of heavy material like metal or solid wood," says Morse. "Generally, the heavier the material, the heavier the load it can hold." Beyond that, the best floating shelf for you is one that feels like your style and fits in with the design of your home!

Just like the weight capacity of floating shelves can vary, so too can their exact dimensions. Shallower shelves are great for decorative displays, like a spot to store your collection of finishing salts. If you’re looking for a floating shelf that adds functional storage to your space, you’ll want to option a deeper style, with enough surface area (and/or length) to fit dishware or overflow cookware.

"Installing shelves with wall studs is the best way to ensure they are safe, stay put, and can hold heavier items," says Morse. "I recommend having an expert take a look before putting any holes in the wall, especially if installing the shelf means drilling into tile or a backsplash."

The exact spot where you hang your floating shelves is up to you. We recommend choosing a location that is accessible to your cooking zone for easy access, or somewhere where it will catch the eye of guests if your application is purely aesthetic. When it comes to the proper height to hang your shelves, Morse recommends between 4 and 6 feet off the ground. "I like floating shelves to be hung like artwork," she adds.

Alyssa Longobucco is a freelance writer, editor, and stylist living in New York with over a decade of experience in the food, home, and lifestyle categories. When she's not diving into the latest trends and products, she's restoring an 1820s farmhouse in the Hudson Valley alongside her husband and children.