Live edge floating shelves are an interesting addition to any wall in any room. Floating shelves seem to be stuck to a wall without any visible means of support. They do have supports, of course, but they are cleverly concealed. Live edge refers to a piece of wood that still retains its natural shape from when it was cut from the tree. It might retain both cambium and bark.
Place your live edge floating shelf anywhere you need a little decorative storage. It is absolutely perfect in your living or dining room as a support for natural dried grass or dried floral arrangements. They go great with terrariums (be sure to protect the wood from moisture with a good mat) or bonsai. You can even display great-grandma’s collection of designer plates on one. Because there is nothing that says tradition and age like a natural slice of tree. Using the floating shelf technique, your live edge shelf can seem to grow out of the wall, especially if you are using natural wood paneling. But it can also be used in contrast to a standard plaster wall. These shelves are lovely no matter where they are placed.
What we are looking for:
Construction:
Live edge floating shelves not only provide function as they add a miniature storage space to any wall, but they also bring a sense of rustic charm as the raw wood edges feel very natural and unaffected. Live edge floating shelves come in a variety of sizes and solid woods from pine and acacia to walnut. Rodney Lawrence suggests choosing live edge floating shelves that showcase powder-coated iron or stainless steel brackets as it works to create a modern mixed-media effect. There are lots of shelves that cleverly conceal any metal supports though if you just want to display the live edge floating shelves. Most of these shelves are mounted using a traditional anchor and metal screws. A lot of the wood shelves are finished in a clear varnish to create a long-lasting finish that keeps the integrity of the natural wood.
Weight and balance:
Stephanie Goto recommends mounting live edge floating shelves directly to wall studs in order to create a proper support structure that will hold home goods and won’t easily buckle. You can use a stud finder as well as a level to ensure you’re hanging your live edge floating shelves straight and accurately for long-term use. The key to success with live edge floating shelves is to ensure they have a secure and stable internal bracket that will either be hidden with a backplate that gets screwed into the wall and arms that extend over the body of the shelf. There are also designs that come with a wood cleat mounting bracket that attaches to the wall for stabilization with the natural wood shelf connecting over the cleat.
Size:
If you’re looking to create a sense of balance or utilize some empty wall space in the bathroom, you could opt for live edge floating shelves that contain two small shelves that can hold extra toilet paper or beauty products. For mid-size dens or bedrooms, interior designer Nicole Hollis suggests finding a unit with two shelves that are no longer than 20 inches in length and can hold around 15 to 20 pounds. If you’re looking for something slightly smaller in scale, single live edge floating shelves that measure 12 to 15 inches in length work well to put a small plant or a few books in any living space. To go nicely in a kitchen space above the sink, there is larger live edge floating shelves that measure anywhere from 40 to 50 inches long with a weight capacity of 30 pounds.