If you're living in a small bedroom, a tiny apartment, or just a room that feels like it's swallowing you whole with clutter — floating shelves might honestly be the best thing you can do right now. I'm not exaggerating. Installing floating shelves for small spaces is one of those DIY projects that takes a couple of hours, costs very little, and completely transforms how a room looks and feels. You go from stuff piled everywhere to everything having its own spot on the wall. And the best part? You don't need to be a DIY expert to do this. If you can hold a drill and follow simple steps, you can install shelves yourself and save the $150 to $300 a handyman would charge. This guide covers everything — how to install shelves properly, the best wall mounted storage solutions for small rooms, and how to finally declutter that small bedroom that's been driving you crazy.
Why Floating Shelves Are Perfect for Small Spaces
Here's the thing about small rooms — the problem is almost never that you don't have enough stuff. It's that everything is competing for the same floor space. Floating shelves solve this by moving your storage up onto the walls where there's usually plenty of unused space just sitting there doing nothing.
Compared to bulky wardrobes or freestanding shelving units, floating shelves are better for small spaces because they don't take up any floor space at all, they make a room feel more open and airy, they can be installed at any height to fit your exact needs, they look modern and clean in any room, and they're cheap — a decent set of floating shelves costs $20 to $60.
Whether you want shelves in your bedroom for books and plants, shelves in your bathroom for toiletries, or shelves in your kitchen for spices and jars — the installation process is basically the same.
What You Need Before You Start
Don't just grab a drill and start making holes. Trust me — a few minutes of preparation saves you a lot of frustration and wall damage. Here's everything you need:
- Electric drill with drill bits
- Spirit level (the small tool that shows if something is straight — absolutely essential)
- Stud finder (about $10 at any hardware store — tells you where the solid wood studs are behind your wall)
- Pencil for marking
- Measuring tape
- Floating shelf brackets or a complete floating shelf kit
- Wall anchors and screws (usually included with shelf brackets)
- Sandpaper and filler for any mistakes
One thing people skip that they really shouldn't — get a spirit level. Installing a shelf without one and then stepping back to see it tilting slightly to the left is one of the most annoying feelings in DIY. A spirit level costs $5 and saves you redrilling holes.
Step 1 — Find Your Wall Studs
This is the most important step and the one most beginners get wrong. Your wall is made of drywall — which is basically just plasterboard — and it can't support heavy weight on its own. Behind the drywall are wooden studs — solid vertical beams — and that's where your screws need to go for a strong, safe shelf.
Use a stud finder by pressing it flat against the wall and sliding it slowly sideways. It will beep or light up when it detects a stud. Mark the stud location lightly with a pencil. Studs are usually spaced 16 inches apart in US homes and 400mm apart in UK homes.
If you're installing a lightweight decorative shelf that won't hold heavy items, you can use wall anchors instead of studs. Wall anchors expand inside the drywall and provide enough grip for lighter loads. They come with most shelf bracket kits.
Step 2 — Mark Your Shelf Position
Decide exactly where you want your shelf to sit. Hold the shelf bracket up against the wall at the height you want and mark the screw hole positions lightly with a pencil.
Then use your spirit level to draw a faint horizontal line across the wall at shelf height. This is your guide line — every bracket goes on this line so your shelf comes out perfectly straight. Don't skip this. Eyeballing it never works.
If you're installing multiple shelves, measure the vertical distance between each shelf carefully and mark all your lines before drilling anything. For a bedroom I'd suggest spacing shelves about 12 to 14 inches apart — enough room for books, plants, and storage boxes without feeling cramped.
Step 3 — Drill Your Holes
Choose the right drill bit for your wall type. For standard drywall going into a stud, use a wood drill bit slightly smaller than your screw. For brick or concrete walls — common in UK homes — use a masonry drill bit and make sure your drill is set to hammer mode.
Drill slowly and steadily at the marked positions. Don't force the drill. If you're drilling into a stud, you'll feel solid resistance after going through the drywall — that's the wood and that's exactly where you want your screw.
If you're using wall anchors instead of studs, drill a hole the same size as the anchor, tap the anchor into the hole with a hammer until it's flush with the wall, then screw into the anchor.
Step 4 — Mount the Brackets
Screw your shelf brackets into the drilled holes. Use a screwdriver or your drill on a low torque setting — don't overtighten or you'll strip the screw hole. The bracket should sit flush against the wall and feel completely solid when you give it a firm push. If it wobbles at all, the screw isn't in a stud and you need a wall anchor.
Once both brackets are mounted, place your spirit level across the tops of the brackets to double-check they're level before attaching the shelf. If one bracket is slightly lower, loosen it, adjust, and retighten.
Step 5 — Attach the Shelf and Style It
Most floating shelves simply rest on the brackets and are secured with a couple of small screws from underneath or through pre-drilled holes in the shelf itself. Slide the shelf onto the brackets, check it's level one more time, then secure it.
Give the shelf a firm push and pull to test it's solid. It should not move at all. If it feels wobbly, check that all screws are tight and that the brackets are properly secured to the wall.
Now the fun part — styling your shelf. For small spaces, less is more. Don't pile everything onto the shelf immediately. A good rule for shelf styling is the rule of three — group items in odd numbers of three or five, mix heights, and leave some empty space. Empty space on a shelf doesn't look bare — it looks intentional and modern.
Best Wall Mounted Storage Solutions for Small Bedrooms
Once you've got the basic floating shelf installation down, here are the best wall mounted storage ideas specifically for small bedrooms:
Corner floating shelves — corners are almost always wasted space in small bedrooms. A set of corner floating shelves fits perfectly into the corner and gives you storage without taking up any wall space on either side.
Over the door shelving — install a shelf directly above your bedroom door. This space is almost always completely unused and is perfect for storing books, boxes, or anything you don't need to access every day.
Bedside floating shelf — instead of a bedside table taking up floor space, install a floating shelf directly on the wall next to your bed at mattress height. It holds your phone, water bottle, and book perfectly and frees up a square foot of floor space.
Floating shelf with hooks underneath — install a shelf with small hooks screwed into the underside. In a small bedroom you can hang bags, belts, or headphones underneath while using the shelf surface for other storage.
Deep floating shelves as a wardrobe — if your bedroom has no wardrobe, a row of deep floating shelves with a hanging rail underneath creates a simple open wardrobe on any wall for a fraction of the cost of a fitted wardrobe.
How to Declutter a Small Bedroom Before Installing Shelves
Here's something most people skip — decluttering before installing storage. There's no point putting up shelves just to fill them with things you don't need. Before you drill a single hole, spend 30 minutes doing this:
Take everything out of the area where you want shelves. Go through every item and make three piles — keep, donate, and throw away. Be honest with yourself. If you haven't used it in six months, it goes in the donate pile.
Once you've decluttered, only then decide what needs storage and how much shelf space you actually need. You'll almost always find you need less storage than you thought — and the stuff you do keep deserves a proper organised home on your new shelves.
How Much Weight Can Floating Shelves Hold?
This is something people always wonder and it's worth knowing before you install. The weight capacity depends almost entirely on how the shelf is mounted:
Shelf screwed into wall studs — can hold 50 to 80 lbs (23 to 36 kg) per bracket easily. Suitable for heavy books, toolboxes, or anything substantial.
Shelf using standard drywall anchors — can hold 20 to 30 lbs (9 to 14 kg) per bracket. Fine for books, plants, ornaments, and light storage boxes.
Shelf using cheap plastic anchors — 10 lbs maximum. Decorative items only. Don't put anything heavy on these.
If in doubt, always go into studs. It takes an extra five minutes with a stud finder and gives you a shelf that will hold anything you put on it without ever coming off the wall.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do floating shelves need studs? For heavy items yes — always try to hit at least one stud per shelf. For lightweight decorative shelves, good quality wall anchors work fine in drywall.
How high should floating shelves be in a bedroom? For a bedroom, shelves above a desk work well at eye height — around 60 to 65 inches from the floor. Shelves above a bed look best at 24 to 30 inches above the mattress. Decorative shelves work anywhere between 4 and 6 feet from the floor.
Can I install floating shelves on brick walls? Yes — you need a hammer drill and masonry drill bits. Brick walls are actually stronger than drywall for shelving and can hold very heavy loads with the right masonry anchors.
How long does it take to install floating shelves? A single shelf takes about 20 to 30 minutes once you have your tools ready. A full wall of three to four shelves takes about 1.5 to 2 hours for a beginner.
CONCLUSION
Honestly, installing floating shelves is one of those DIY jobs that gives you more back than you put in. A couple of hours, a drill, a spirit level, and $20 to $60 in shelves — and you go from a cluttered small bedroom to a room that looks organised, spacious, and genuinely nice to be in. Follow the steps in this guide, take your time marking and levelling before you drill anything, and you'll have shelves that look professional and hold everything you need. If this guide helped you out, save it to Pinterest and share it with someone who's been staring at their cluttered bedroom walls for too long.
Want more storage and organisation ideas? Check out our guides on how to paint a room and how to fix a leaky faucet for more beginner DIY projects.
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