Shelf Design Guidelines
For ease of shelf access, bookcases are generally
no higher than 84 inches
. Small bookcases are usually 30 to 42 inches high. The highest shelf in a bookcase should be as high as an average-sized person can comfortably reach – about 72 to 78 inches.
What is typical shelf height?
The bottom-most shelf is typically
20 to 24 inches from the floor
. If you need to raise it even higher, do it. This will give you room to store bulk items like pet food, paper towels, or even crates on wheels (which essentially become rolling drawers).
How tall is a book shelf?
Standard heights are usually
36 inches, 48 inches, 72 inches, 84 inches
, or roughly 90 inches tall. The average depth of a bookshelf is between 11 and 12 inches, though it can be shallower for media storage.
How tall is a small bookshelf?
Bookcases are available in a wide range of sizes and can even be custom built to suit your space. Despite the wide variety of choices, there are two standard size ranges, small and large. Small bookcases usually have between 3-5 shelves and are
27-36 inches tall
.
How many inches is between shelves?
The rule of thumb for spacing is
12 inches between each shelf
but bump that up to 15 or 18 inches and you enhance that sense of exposure and accessibility. Length is where you’ll see the most variation.
How high above the toilet should a shelf be?
A cabinet or shelf above a toilet should be
about 2 feet above the tank
. Shelves above a kitchen counter should be about 18′′ to 23′′, with about 15′′ in between shelves.
How thick should a shelf be?
Use
3/4-inch thick materials
for shelves and bookcase structure. If you’re using hardwood solids, it’s OK to boost the thickness to 1 1/4 inch for almost unlimited support. This type of shelf looks more like a mantel and is expensive, but adds the opulent look of craftsmanship.
How deep should a wall shelf be?
As far as shelf size, a depth of
10 or 12 inches
fits most functions without concern of drooping in the middle, while length should be determined based on where you want to install yours. If you want a long span but are concerned about weight, install adjacent, identical floating shelves, or opt for bracket supports.
How deep is a book case?
The average shelf depth is
12 inches
, which is more than adequate for standard books, novels and textbooks. Standard storage cubes of this size fit nicely onto shelves and make an attractive option for storing toys or other small items on the bottom shelves in a playroom.
How much space do you need between closet shelves?
A clothes closet should have a minimum depth of at least 24 inches deep, so the clothes can clear the back wall. Shelves for women’s shoes should be spaced about 6 to 7 inches apart. Shelves for
folded clothes should be placed around 12 inches apart
.
How far can a shelf span without support?
The eye will notice a deflection of 1/32 inch per running foot so that a fully loaded (70-80 pounds) bookshelf that is 3 feet wide, should sag no more than 3/32 inches. For most shelves made from 3/4 inch stock, a practical span is
30 to 36 inches
.
How is shelving space calculated?
Multiply the average width with the total number of books (3 x 200 = 600)
. This means you have 600 inches total width of book, so you’ll need 600 inches of shelf. If you’re building your own, you have some freedom and flexibility. All you need to do is make sure you build at least 600 total inches of shelf space.
How much should a shelf bracket overhang?
Shelves should overhang the side brackets by
no more than 6 inches
. So, for example, if you plan to use three standards spaced 32 inches from each other (total span of 64 inches from end to end), you can safely use shelves that are as much as 76 inches long (or a standard 72-inch, 6-foot-long board would work fine).
How high should a floating shelf be above couch?
If you want to hang a shelf, artwork or a picture ledge on a wall, place it about 4 to 5 feet from the floor or at eye level. When you are hanging it above a sofa, though, measure and mark a spot that is
around 10 inches from the top
instead.
How high should a shelf be from the floor?
How High Should I Hang My Shelf or Shelves? Like artwork, shelves should be hung at about eye level or
about 4 to 5 feet
from the floor. If you’re hanging the shelf above furniture, measure about 10 inches from the top of the desk or couch.
How high should a shelf be above a TV?
“As a simple rule of thumb, your TV looks best mounted
six to eight inches above a media cabinet
or other piece of furniture that functions in the space.” That said, there isn’t a definitive rule for styling the rest of the wall around your TV, whether mounted or not.
