House2me Niches and shelves are essential for those who like multipurpose elements in the decoration of the entire house. They work as ideal pieces for storing and keeping organized decorative objects, photo frames, books, or anything that needs to be at hand when needed.
In addition to beautifying and stylizing environments, niches and shelves guarantee space savings, since they can be fixed in any environment, facilitating the movement of people and the daily routine.
The versatility of the models, combined with the options of sizes and formats, offer countless possibilities of use and characteristic advantages that these accessories have. So, look at the tips we have separated for you to organize, combine, and install niches and shelves.
Difference between niches and shelves
Despite the similarity, niches and shelves have their characteristics.
The niches have closed shapes and edges that favor support in the arrangement of the elements. The shapes are geometric, such as squares, rectangles, triangles, hexagons, and circles. The quantity, height, and alternative compositions guarantee personality to the niches.
The shelves are open and have a linear appearance, which gives a more traditional touch to the environment. They are perfect for filling small spaces and storing items that are not used very often.
A common point is that, unlike shelves, niches and shelves do not have direct contact with the floor, since they are fixed to the walls. Even so, there are some decoration styles in which the niches are at floor height and the shelves can be installed as bookcases.
Tips on how to organize niches and shelves
Good organization is essential so that the decoration is complete in every corner of your home. The ideal is for the environment to be beautiful, keeping everything in order, in a practical and functional way. Here are some tips on how to organize content into niches and shelves:
- Try not to load them with excess objects so as not to block access and view of other elements. This way, you will avoid unnecessary visual discomfort.
- If you need to store a lot of things and make the most of the available space, use niches and shelves in laundry rooms, pantries or in the “small dining room”. The organizing boxes and baskets receive greater storage volume, allowing them to occupy all the space between the shelves.
- Organize the shelves thinking about balance. Heavier objects should be on the edges of the surface. Try to accommodate smaller, more discreet elements in the central part of the piece.
- To hide visible clutter in niches and shelves, use all the potential and discretion of organizing boxes and baskets. You don’t need to mix items that are not used frequently with books or souvenirs that are exposed to dust. An alternative is to separate the boxes according to the functions of the objects.
- A shelf can contain objects of disproportionate shapes and sizes. The tip to present a sense of unity is to group them together with other items with equivalent proportions.
Children’s or baby room
Children’s shelves of various sizes and with special edges to ensure the safety of the little ones serve as toy organizers and accommodate books, comics, and decorative objects. Together with the niches, the shelves can be strategically installed within reach of children’s hands, at an easily accessible height. To bring more joy to the children’s room, invest in fun colors, shapes, and themes.
Adult room
En particular, esta es una sala que ofrece las más diversas composiciones para nichos y estanterías. Si la falta de espacio es un problema, los nichos pueden cubrir toda la pared del dormitorio, resaltando los adornos decorativos y almacenando artículos que necesitan un fácil acceso. También se pueden unir alrededor y sobre la cama.
Los estantes dispuestos en varias alturas y direcciones le dan a la habitación una sensación limpia y moderna. Realzan la decoración, ya sea en una o varias paredes de la estancia y sirven de soporte para libros, portaretratos y dispositivos electrónicos.
Home Office
The place reserved for the routine of work and home studies requires practicality first of all. The niches and shelves work together, depending on the storage need. The advice is to consider what you will need to have on hand, such as folders, books, and other materials. The style and composition of the niches and shelves in the office will make a difference, as will the colors and formats. The result can come with a more sober tone or even a relaxed and creative tone to the environment.
Bathrooms
Niches can be used in the bathroom and become important in the optimization and organization of spaces. As it is a small room, that requires frequent cleaning, the niches fit perfectly for storing towels, hygiene items, and toilet paper rolls.
The shelves can be used as a holder for decorative items, flower pots, scented candles, and perfumery. In general, be careful of the environment within the environment to avoid accidents. Circulation cannot be hindered by the excess or size of niches and shelves.
Kitchen
In the kitchen, the niches have more classic formats, with square and rectangular models. They fill spaces on the wall and can be installed in cabinets, functioning as a support to house decorative elements and kitchen utensils. The secret is to plan exactly what to have on hand, according to the resident’s intention.
To store spice jars and glasses, use shelves with a depth of 10 to 15 cm. Pots, appliances or even potted plants require that the pieces have a depth of between 35 and 40 cm. Like the niches, the shelves installed in the kitchen are very practical in the daily life of the house.
Rooms
In the living rooms and dining rooms, creativity can be abused in the compositions, enhancing the personality of the residents and transmitting sensations to the diners.
Niches can replace large and heavy built-in shelves, shelves and cabinets. They perform decorative and organizational functions very well. An advantage is that niches, shelves and furniture with the same functions can coexist in an integrated way. Everything will depend on the use that each one will have in the living room or dining room. A shelf may have a niche structure to hold books and other decorative items, for example.
An interesting suggestion is to use shelves on an entire wall, around the television, taking the opportunity to accommodate other electronic accessories and decorative objects. Small shelves when installed at different heights add a delicate touch to displaying ornaments, without requiring much space.
Main types of niche compositions
We have already talked about the versatility of niches and composition possibilities. Now we are going to know some of the positions in which they can be installed. Each of them brings different visual effects and functions according to the taste of the resident. Take a look at the main configurations to compose the niches in your home:
Aligned vertically or horizontally
It is the most traditional and balanced way of organizing niches. When aligned horizontally, their regular style is suitable for work environments or children’s rooms: places where organization is generally required. Side by side, without spaces between the niches, it is possible to form a shelf. The vertical arrangement highlights the right foot of the room, giving a feeling of a higher room.
Diagonal
This composition looks great on a large wall since a larger space is required to achieve the expected result. Try this option in younger, more relaxed environments for an impression of movement. Give it a touch of originality by varying the space between the pieces and the shape of the niches.
Irregular or asymmetrical
There is no pattern here, much less the search for an idea of stability. The irregular or asymmetric shape causes a reverse impact. It is a very modern and relaxed composition, aimed at bedrooms, living rooms or environments that have the same decorative style.
Alternate
Visually, this option may cause discomfort for some people, but the concept of aligned and misaligned is a versatile path that conveys an extroverted touch to the environment. Take into account the shape of the pieces and the characteristics of the place for the best choice. Try to distribute the niches in several areas of the room to create a lighter atmosphere.
Box
The box or box composition forms a square. This way of arranging the niches can be created regardless of the number and size of the pieces in (also) square or rectangular formats. It helps keep the room organized and takes up free wall space in an eye-pleasing way. The number of rows and columns, as well as the space between niches, allow for the creation of modern options, despite the sense of continuity that straight lines promote.
Precautions when installing niches and shelves
Some points of attention before fixing niches and shelves on the walls end up emerging as essential to avoid accidents and achieve the best visual and functional result for the environment. Check out some tips:
- Consider the material of the parts to be installed. MDP and MDF in bathrooms have a high possibility of swelling due to humidity. In this case, prefer glass, stones, or other raw materials as coating.
- After deciding between a niche or shelf, measure the location where the installation will take place. The idea is not to make a mistake in the width so that it is not necessary to cut the piece, avoiding spoiling the original finish.
- Nobody wants to take risks, especially when you have children or pets at home, right? Therefore, ensure the firmness of the pieces and do not exceed the weight limit that the manufacturer usually indicates on the packaging. To properly secure them, follow the installation instructions in the assembly manual exactly or call a professional.
- Never place excessive load in niches and shelves. Over time, they can give way and cause unwanted inconvenience. What counts is common sense when filling spaces with elements that do not affect the structure of the pieces and, consequently, the walls. Also, make sure that the place where the holes will be made is not near pipes and plumbing.