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We get this question all the time; since we're shelf geeks, this is an easy one for us! Here is the short answer: A floating shelf is a shelf attached to a wall with no visible means of support.

Floating shelves are a good fit for a contemporary minimalist style interior. They can be used to expand storage space, atop a radiator to double as storage, or inside a hallway to double as a console table.

While a floating shelf can be safe if used properly, they are often overloaded with weight and can quickly become dangerous. To ensure your floating shelves are secure, you should know how much weight you will place on the shelf.

A properly installed, heavy-duty floating shelf can support anywhere from 25lbs to well over 300lbs.

The weakest of floating shelves can hold up to 40 pounds, while the weight capacity of the strongest floating shelves may exceed 100 pounds. Our shelves are made of 100% solid wood, which means they can hold over 100lbs. The question, instead, should be: "How much weight can my drywall hold? If you plan on putting a lot of weight on your shelves we recommend you use "molly bolt anchors", which are available at any hardware store. These are specifically designed for heavier weights and used for drywall only.

Fitting our shelves is relatively straightforward and prior experience is usually not necessary, as long as you are comfortable safely drilling holes into a wall. Please take a look at our installation video for full step-by-step instructions on how to fit your shelves and, if in doubt, ask.

Without the right support, installation and or drywall in good condition, they can sag, droop, and be a safety hazard. The struggle is real when it comes to floating shelves. How do you make that heavy, solid wood shelf float seamlessly on the wall? It's easy with brick or concrete walls, or when screwing directly into a stud, but not as easy when securing to drywall. Unfortunately, drywall can become too damp or dry with no clear ways to tell, which can make it difficult to tightly secure the anchors, causing lean. Luckily, our special smart bracket system helps to compensate for this issue! If you experience this, simply loosen the bottom hex screws on our bracket and tighten the top two, which will adjust the bracket post on an upward angle.

Fortunately, there are several different options you can use to support a shelf. The most common one is a drywall anchor, which is like a plastic screw that plugs into drywall. If you're working with plaster or need something that bears more weight, try using a molly bolt. For very heavy shelves, pick toggle bolts.

Drywall anchors aren't required for all wall-based fastening applications. If there's a stud directly behind the wall, for instance, you probably won't need to use them. Studs offer support for screws as well as the objects with which they are used.

Yes, our shelves are genuine solid hardwood unless stated otherwise (for example, our MDF range). Only the finest cuts of solid rare imported hardwood are used in our shelves too – no knots, splits, shakes, or discoloration. Our hardwood shelves are designed to last a lifetime.

Unfortunately, we are not setup for custom orders at this time.