One of the little decorator touches that can enhance the appearance of any room is a corner shelf. A corner shelf fits in the corner where two walls join together. They may be made of various materials such as wood, glass or metal. To get the most out of a corner shelf unit, first decide what you will be putting on the small storage space.
INSTALLING A CORNER SHELF UNIT
If you have some basic carpentry skills, installing a corner shelf will only take a few minutes. Depending on the size of the shelf and the amount of weight it might be required to support, one should use the proper type of fasteners to secure the unit to the wall.
You can buy a pre-made corner shelf or shelves that come with the proper mounting hardware or you can choose to custom make your own corner shelves. Basically, you need to create a 90 degree angle where the shelf rests against the two adjoining walls. The front part of the corner shelf unit does not have to be square. You can shape it in an eye-pleasing semi-circle, or for that matter, in any design that strikes your fancy.
To install the unit, simply line up the shelf in the corner and at the desirable height. Using the eyelets or pre-drilled holes in a manufactured corner shelf, mark the space where the mounting screws will go with a pencil. In most cases, you will not hit a stud so you will need to use the small plastic anchors to secure the shelf to the wall.
If that is the case, make a small hole in the wall where the anchors will go. You can use a drill bit or simply use a Philips head screwdriver or other similar tool to puncture the wall. Make sure the hole you create is just slightly smaller than the circumference of the anchor.
Final steps of installing a corner shelf
Next, push the plastic anchors into the hole so they seat flush with the wall. Take you corner shelf unit and line the holes up. Finally, insert the mounting screws through the holes and tighten so the unit can not move. Check with a level and make sure it is perfectly horizontal to the floor and does not slope up or down.
WHAT SHOULD YOU PUT ON A CORNER SHELF?
The most practical things to put on a corner shelf are small items like statues or figurines. You may want to place a small vase or maybe a decorative candle or a brass bell. The choice is up to you.
One word of caution is that a corner shelf should never be used to store a bunch of junk. It is designed to make a statement in your home, not to be used to store your mail or pile up a bunch of junk that has no place to call home.
As a general rule, never overcrowd a corner shelf with too many things if you want to maintain a nice appearance. Just one or two objects works best. If you get tired of looking at a vase, simply replace it with something fresh and new, with a corner shelf.