How To Put Up Bedroom Shelves

How do you put up shelves in a bedroom?

Wall shelves reduce clutter and give a bedroom wall something to look at, and they are a straightforward job provided you get one thing right: what the shelf is actually fixed to. Everything else — the timber, the brackets, the finish — is a matter of taste. The fixing is not.

This is a mechanically fixed shelf. There is no adhesive step in the method below, and that is deliberate: a loaded shelf pulls on its fixings in a way that belongs to anchors and screws, not glue. If you are not building heavy-duty shelves for weighty items, your choice of wood can be led by look and feel — pine and plywood are the common materials for bedroom shelving.

What you need

• Shelf material — pine or plywood is common for bedroom shelving
• Shelf brackets
• Wall anchors appropriate to your wall type, and screws
• A stud finder
• A spirit level
• A soft marking pencil
• A drill

How to put the shelf up

1. Mark the position. Use a soft pencil and a spirit level to mark the space on the wall — top and sides — where you want the shelf to go. Marking the sides as well as the top gives you a reference for keeping the brackets aligned with each other, not just level.
2. Find your fixing points. Locate the drill hole centres for the wall anchors. If you are fixing to a hollow wall, screwing anchors directly to wall studs is the best way. Use your stud finder to locate two studs where the shelf can be mounted and mark them with a soft pencil. If you are fixing to solid brick or concrete, use masonry anchors.
3. Drill and insert the anchors. Drill the holes in the wall for the anchors, then insert the anchors into the holes.
4. Attach the brackets. Align your bracket with the anchor holes and attach it to the wall using screws or anchors.
5. Fit the shelf. Slide the shelf onto the bracket.

Why the wall type decides everything

The two branches in step 2 are the whole job. A plasterboard wall has almost no capacity of its own — the sheet is a lining, not a structure — so a shelf fixed only into plasterboard is relying on a fastener spreading load across a thin, brittle panel. That is why the method's first preference on a hollow wall is to find the studs behind it and screw into solid timber. A shelf on two studs is fixed to the frame of the house.

Studs are not always where you want your shelf, which is what hollow-wall anchors exist for, and they have their place for light loads. But they change the failure mode: a stud fixing usually fails at the screw, an anchor fixing usually fails by tearing a hole out of the plasterboard, and the second takes a piece of the wall with it.

Brick and concrete need masonry anchors and a masonry drill bit. A standard plug and screw intended for plasterboard will spin uselessly in a masonry hole.

Levelling and spacing in practice

Marking the sides as well as the top — the detail in step 1 — is what stops the common failure where each bracket is individually level but they sit at slightly different heights. Set your line first, then work to it for both brackets.

Bracket position matters for sag as much as for strength. Brackets set in from the ends of a shelf let the ends cantilever, which looks lighter and lets the shelf carry load closer to its supports; brackets right at the ends give the longest unsupported span in the middle. In thin timber over a wide span, that middle is where a bedroom shelf full of books eventually bows.

Making good afterwards

If you are relocating a shelf and have old holes to deal with, those are a filling job. Selleys Spakfilla Rapid is ready-mixed, virtually non-shrinking, and sandable and paintable in 30 minutes for fills less than 2 mm deep — 24 hours for anything more than 2 mm.

One limitation to note before you refix nearby: Spakfilla Rapid's data sheet says do not nail the product, and not to use it where load or compression occurs. A filled hole is not a fixing point. If you are moving a shelf a short distance, fix into fresh sound material rather than into a filled one. There is more detail in how to fill cracks and dents in walls.

Common questions about putting up bedroom shelves

What is the best way to fix a shelf to a plasterboard wall?

Screwing anchors directly to the wall studs. Use a stud finder to locate two studs where the shelf can be mounted.

What if there is no stud where I want the shelf?

Hollow-wall anchors are the alternative, but they carry less and fail by tearing the plasterboard. Keep the load light, or move the shelf to suit the studs.

What do I use on a brick or concrete wall?

Masonry anchors.

Can I glue a shelf to the wall instead?

This method fixes shelves mechanically, with anchors and screws, and that is the appropriate approach for something that will be loaded. An adhesive is not a substitute for a bracket into a stud.

What timber should I use?

If you are not building heavy-duty shelves for weighty items, your choice can be led by look and feel. Pine and plywood are common materials for bedroom shelves.

How do I get both brackets at the same height?

Mark the top and the sides of the shelf position on the wall with a soft pencil and a spirit level first, then set both brackets to that line.

Should the brackets go at the very ends of the shelf?

Setting them in slightly from the ends shortens the unsupported middle span, which is where a loaded shelf bows.

Do I drill the holes before or after fitting the anchors?

Drill the holes first, then insert the anchors, then align and attach the bracket.

How do I fill the old holes if I move the shelf?

Selleys Spakfilla Rapid, pressed in with a blade and sanded lightly. It is paintable in 30 minutes for fills under 2 mm.

Can I screw into a filled hole?

No. Spakfilla Rapid should not be nailed, and should not be used where load or compression occurs.

How much weight will the shelf hold?

That depends entirely on your brackets, anchors and wall, and no Selleys product documentation covers it. Follow the load rating of the bracket and anchor you buy.

Are there other timber projects for a bedroom?

Yes — a wooden shelf riser adds a second level inside an existing shelf, and a floating desk uses the same stud-finding and anchoring principles as this job on a larger scale.