No More Boring Single Shelves: Add More Wall Storage With An Alternative From Home Depot

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Wall shelves are a necessary nuisance for achieving more storage and display space. However, the basic floating shelf design could be working against you and your goals. Standard models have a single, flat platform to line up everything from trophies to picture frames to houseplants. The result? There's no dimension to the display. You can try the easy triangle decorating formula or install more shelves to make it more interesting, but it can still come off as bland and boring. Thankfully, there are many wall shelves out there that merge function and style. One Home Depot product could help you maximize vertical space and add a fun geometric twist to your walls: the DANYA B Cantilever MDF Floating Wall Shelf.

This $49 wall shelf uses interconnecting panels to create a few cubby-style slots for an architectural look. For context, how you orient the shelf will determine how many spots you have to put things (hanging horizontally creates six, while installing vertically makes seven). Aside from storage opportunities, customers seemed to agree that the shelves were visually appealing on their own. One Home Depot reviewer wrote, "Love this shelf! So much better than just two straight shelves," highlighting how the design can make your favorite decor really pop. If you're considering this product, you'll be happy to know that the majority of buyers noted how easy it was to assemble. 

The entire shelf is 24 inches wide and 40 inches tall, so you should measure the area on the wall first to determine if there's enough room to hang it horizontally or vertically. As for what you can display on the shelf, remember that each slot is 5.75 inches deep. This, plus the fact that the entire shelf has a weight capacity of 30 pounds and is made of thin MDF panels, means that it's better suited for small, lightweight items. One customer mentioned how the shelf collapsed after they tried to use it for potted plants. However, this could have occurred because of an issue with the assembly or mounting method.

Per the assembly instructions, the product appears to come with all the screws needed to assemble the shelves, along with an Allen wrench. A screwdriver and a hammer are recommended but not included, so have them on hand. You'll also need a power drill for the wall installation. Multiple customer reviews suggest using heavier-duty mounting hardware rather than the hardware included with the floating shelf. A common theme was that the provided anchors and screws didn't seem sufficient. Use a stud finder to mark solid points behind the drywall so you can mount the shelf without anchors. If your desired installation spot doesn't line up with wall studs, don't worry. Use heavy-duty toggle bolt wall anchors. These are the best option since they're designed to hold up to 100 pounds.