Recessed Shelving Ideas

Recessed Shelves for Any Room

• If you're up to the work of tearing out some drywall, you can incorporate recessed shelving into just about any room. If you have a cramped bathroom or laundry room, a small recessed shelf can make a considerable difference in the relatively tight area. While recessed shelves are typically quite shallow, they're well-suited to accommodating a row of cleansers and detergents in the laundry room or small toiletries in the bathroom. After you've built the recessed shelving, you can paint, wallpaper or tile it to match the rest of the room.

Useful Applications

• When your bedroom is too small for bedside tables, install one or two recessed shelves above your bed. You can use the space for a lamp, books or an alarm clock. To avoid injury, only use sturdy shelves and avoid putting any heavy objects on the over-the-bed shelf. Recessed shelves are also helpful in crowded kitchens where space is already at a premium and even shallow shelving is of great use. If you have a kitchen wall that cannot accommodate any built-up shelving, perhaps because it would interfere with a refrigerator or dishwasher door, use recessed shelves instead. Over a large area, shallow shelves put a greater number of items right in sight.

Practical Considerations and Safety

• Naturally, you cannot put a recessed shelf absolutely anywhere you please. You need to position it between the studs in your wall and must work around any in-wall wiring or ducts. Whenever embarking on a project that involves electrical wiring or plumbing, get a professional to carry out any tasks you are not trained or licensed to do yourself. If you have a wall that can safely and securely accommodate a recessed shelf, it may prove safer than external shelving in some situations. For example, bookshelves that are not bolted to the wall can prove dangerous to small children whereas recessed shelves pose no risk of toppling over.

Additional Tips

• Depending on the spacing of the studs in your wall, you can fit ready-made cabinets right into your wall to serve as recessed shelving. You'll need fairly shallow shelves and are limited as to width by the studs; however, they can be as short or tall as you wish. If you aren't working with a load-bearing wall, you may also cut through some of the beams. However, whenever making dramatic changes, work with a qualified contractor and submit any building plans to municipal or community regulatory boards as required in your area.