Embracing Nature Indoors: The Art of Custom Wood Floating Shelves

No matter your home decor style or design aesthetic, natural wood likely plays a prominent role. From Scandinavian design and Mid Century Modern to Farmhouse and Transitional styles, your favorite home aesthetics use wood elements to help effortlessly convey a message about the space and the people who live there. 

Wood Floating Shelves

Wood floating shelves are a great way to incorporate natural wood into your home. They instantly warm up a space, bringing a natural element inside in a subtle, approachable way. 

It can be intimidating, but bringing elements of nature indoors and using custom wood floating shelves gives you control over the impact of the wood elements in your space. For example, a thinner wood floating shelf will hold less visual weight and impact than thicker wood floating shelves, which is why customization is so great. You’ve got total control over how the shelves look in your space. 

As a material, wood is a durable, timeless classic. It holds up in various conditions, ages well with the space, and is easy to clean and maintain.  

Different wood types favor different aesthetics and can help you achieve that touch of earthy element in your space, no matter your home style. 

Walnut:

Walnut wood brings a touch of elegance and warmth to any home, making it a popular choice for furniture, flooring, cabinetry, and floating wood shelves. Its rich, dark tones add a sense of luxury and sophistication, perfect for creating a cozy yet refined atmosphere. Walnut's natural beauty and unique grain patterns make each piece distinctive, adding character and charm to any space. Whether used in a modern, minimalist design or a more traditional setting, walnut wood effortlessly complements a variety of design aesthetics, adding a timeless appeal to your home. 

White Oak: 

White Oak is the most popular wood for custom wood floating shelves, and for a good reason—it’s a jack of all trades. White oak wood is a versatile and popular choice for many modern home interiors, prized for its durability and beautiful, clean grain patterns. Its mid-tone, neutral color lends well to various design aesthetics, from rustic farmhouse to modern minimalist. White oak's natural warmth adds a cozy feel to any room, while its clean, straight grain gives it a timeless appeal.

Maple:

Maple wood is a light hardwood often celebrated for its creamy color and smooth, uniform grain, making it a popular choice for various home applications. Its natural beauty and versatility allow it to complement a range of design aesthetics, from traditional to contemporary. In a conventional setting, maple's warm undertones create a cozy and inviting atmosphere, while in a more modern space, its clean lines and light hue add a touch of freshness and brightness. We particularly love maple wood floating shelves in minimalist-designed homes and those inspired by Scandi or Japandi aesthetics. 

Cherry:

These are not your grandma’s cherry wood floating shelves. Although cherry saw a surge in popularity a decade or so ago, this wood type, when used correctly, is classic, not outdated or trendy. Cherry wood is prized for its rich, reddish-brown color and beautiful grain patterns, making it a popular choice for adding a touch of classic warmth to a home. In traditional settings, cherry wood adds a sense of richness and sophistication, while in modern spaces, its deep tones can create a striking contrast. Because cherry wood features a warm, red undertone, some people enjoy this wood more with a dark stain, which mimics the color of walnut with the beautiful grain pattern of cherry.  

Alder: 

Knots, cracks, and a strong grain can all be found in alder wood. Alder wood is famous for adding texture and character to a home. Known for its light brown color, the versatility of this wood allows it to complement a variety of design aesthetics, from rustic to contemporary. Alder wood's natural knots and imperfections add charm in a rustic setting, creating a truly cozy and inviting atmosphere. Those natural characteristics in a more contemporary space bring texture and an authentic touch of nature.

When to use Wood Floating Shelves

Wood floating shelves are great in any design aesthetic. The trick is to know when and when not to use them in your space. No matter your design style, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and wood is one element that can either complement or completely overwhelm a space. 

Wood floating shelves are a great choice if a room needs opening up. These custom shelves can create a sense of openness and airiness in your room without sacrificing floor space. Especially in smaller spaces where floor shelves may feel bulky or overpowering, simple wood floating shelves mounted on the wall with floating brackets can open up a room. 

Floating wall shelves are also great in rooms where you need more visual interest on the walls to keep your eyes moving. Well-balanced spaces pull your eyes around, leading them on a visual journey through the room, using the visual weight of objects in the space. If you have a room with a low visual weight that needs something interesting to add balance to the space, wood floating shelves can be a great way to elevate the space and create balance and interest.

If your room has many wood elements, your wood floating shelves may be swallowed up. In that case—or for rooms with many different, competing wood types and tones—we recommend using painted wood floating shelves instead. This will help the room feel balanced without adding another shade of wood. 

How to Install Wood Floating Shelves

Installing is quick and easy when you receive your custom wood floating shelves from Ultrashelf in the mail. 

First, with your measuring tape, find the spot on your wall where you want to hang the shelves and mark the middle of that spot. Then, hold your bracket up to the wall, centering the middle of the bracket with the middle line mark you drew on your wall. 

Then, find the studs in the wall and mark the keyhole on your bracket that aligns with them. After you have determined how much weight will be on your shelf, we recommend hitting as many studs as possible.

Then simply attach your bracket to the wall using the included screws, and once the bracket has been attached, slide your shelf on the bracket, no visible brackets, and you’re good to go. 

Conclusion: 

In addition, integrating an Ultrashelf into your home not only enhances the aesthetic appeal but also offers unparalleled functionality. The innovative design of Ultrashelf ensures sturdy support for your belongings while maintaining a sleek and modern look. Whether you opt for a classic wood finish or explore other customizable options, Ultrashelf allows you to effortlessly personalize your space while enjoying the timeless beauty of wood floating shelves.