woodworking 5/5/2024

Floating Shelves in the Office

Simple hardwood floating shelves on hidden brackets—enough for books and plants without eating floor space.

The home office needed storage that didn’t crowd the desk. I built three floating shelves out of 1x8 maple and mounted them on heavy-duty hidden brackets so they read as clean slabs on the wall.

Floating shelves

Each shelf is a single board, sanded and finished with wipe-on poly. The brackets bolt into studs; the shelf slides over the bracket and is pinned from below so there are no visible fasteners from the front. I used a level and a story stick to keep the spacing even.

They hold books, a few plants, and some small gear. The look is minimal and the office feels bigger. Next time I’d make the shelves a bit deeper for larger binders.