Shelving types are perhaps the last thing on your mind when you’re thinking about your home. But, there are different types of shelves and each has a unique use and style.
Whether you use them to put your lights, as a replacement desk with a chair, for storage, or just for organization, here are 20 different types of shelves to consider.
Fixed Bracket Shelves
Fixed bracket or suspended shelves are a common type of shelf. These are shelves that have fixed brackets installed in a wall (or other surface) which holds the shelf in place.

Floating Shelves
Floating shelves may look like a fixed bracket shelf but there’s a noticeable difference. Can you spot it?

If you look at the above image and the featured image at the top of this article, you see that there is no bracket holding the shelves up.
The nails and screws that keep a floating shelf secure are hidden from view. Of course, there are special types of screws to achieve this but the overall style these types of shelves bring is unmatched.
Built-in Shelves

Built-in shelves offer a lot of storage space without actually taking up too much space in your home.
Normally, you fit them in empty spaces or build them into corners of your house.
Some are made of different types of plywood, engineered wood, metal, etc. and are very easy to install. You just need to get the measurements for space you want to place the shelf and you’re good to go.

Corner Shelves
Corner shelves come in many different styles and designs and they are great for, well, corners.

They aren’t nearly as big as built-in shelves so if you are low on space, then you can install a simple corner shelf instead.

Hanging Shelves
These types of shelves are what you would see hanging from the ceiling, the bottom of a cabinet, or from a wall.

Hanging shelves are stylish and provide a simple way to clear up a cluttered room while not taking up too much space.

Free-Standing Shelves
These types of shelves don’t need to be mounted or fixed to a wall. These shelves come pre-assembled or require minimal setup.

Free-standing shelves are the most flexible in that you can move them around and fit them into other rooms or spaces around your home.
Pull-Out Shelves
I think of these as cabinets. Call them what you want but pull out shelves are another option if you are low on space.

You can install them inside of your closet, cabinet, cupboard, etc. Wait, aren’t these drawers?
Stair Shelves
You can turn your staircase into a series of shelves or you can get a shelf that looks like a staircase. Either way, both ideas work.
