Closet Shelving A to Z

Most Common Closet Shelving

There can be several kinds of shelves in a closet, but the one kind that is the most prevalent is the regular 12" deep shelf. Its surface is one rectangle of varying length and it works well for clothes and just about anything you might put away in a closet. It is found in shelving sections and on the bottom and the top of a hanging section.

A 12" deep shelf can be used for clothes like sweaters, t-shirts, jeans etc… It can also be used for shoes or bags.

If a closet has drawers, they are typically 16" deep and the shelves above may be 16" or 12" deep. These 2 depths are most commonly found in custom built closets.

I prefer melamine closet shelving over wire mesh shelves. A shelf made of melamine has the advantage of offering a smooth, easy to clean and neat looking surface. Things will not fall through, slip or stand at an angle, as they do on wire mesh shelves.

Shoe Shelves

Shoe shelves can be regular flat shelves or slanted shoe shelves. Slanted shelves are fixed and they cannot be used for much else. Also the length of the shoes is important because the slanted shoe shelf has a lip on the front, and some men's shoes may be too long to fit inside a 12" panel. In this case the panels may need more depth for the shoe to fit.

Regular shoe shelves can be used for anything else. What makes them shoe shelves is mostly the spacing between them. A 7' tall section can accommodate 13 or 14 shoe shelves. A closet shelving section with the same shelves at 12" interval will have 8 shelves.

When designing shoe shelves it is important to remember that one pair of women's shoes needs about 8" width and men's shoes need about 9". A shoe shelf would be any multiple of 8" or of 9".

Pull Out Shelves

In some designs the best use of space is achieved by designing pull out shelves. The advantage of a pull out shelf is that it may be very deep and still be totally accessible. A peninsula, for instance, could be narrow, but have very deep pull out shelves.

I have designed cabinets with many pull out shelves, where each one is the home of 4 neatly folded shirts, two deep. Or they may be used for shoes, also two deep.

Corner L and Corner Angle Shelves

Sometimes the best use of space in a closet is achieved with corner L shelves or corner angle shelves. A corner L shelf is a shelf that wraps around two adjacent walls and has panels only at each end. Sometimes two consecutive walls need to have closet shelving and the corner L shelf may be the most elegant way to go. The corner may be less accessible once the shelves on either side have piles of clothes on them, but it can be used for things used less often.

A corner angle shelf is very similar to the corner L shelf. It has a triangle added to the corner where both side meet.

One great feature of these shelves is that they can have one depth on one side and a different depth on the other. The choice of the different depth is sometimes dependent on the shape of the closet or on the type of things that you want to put on the shelf.

Glass Shelves and Cedar Shelves

More rarely, glass shelves can be used. Glass shelves are elegant, and give a feeling of lightness. More commonly used in living rooms, they can also be used in a walk in closet to show certain things: maybe special hand bags or high end women's shoes.

Cedar shelves are also available. More often though, cedar backing is used to add the benefits of cedar to a closet. I personally prefer backing if cedar is to be used, because cedar needs to be oiled yearly in order to keep its insecticide properties.

Top Shelves, Bottom Shelves and Bridge Shelves

The top shelf in a closet is the highest shelf. The bottom shelf is close to the floor. A bridge shelf is either a bottom shelf or a top shelf that bridges the gap between one section and the next section around a corner. Top shelves may be used, unless they have crown molding.

Fixed Shelves vs. Adjustable Shelves

Most shelves in a melamine closet are adjustable shelves. The top shelf and the bottom shelf obviously are fixed shelves since they are part of the structure of the unit. For structural purposes it happens that one shelf other than the top and bottom shelf is also fixed.

All other shelves are adjustable and very easy to move from one place to another within a section, or from one section to another if the sections have the same width.

Pie Shelves and Triangle Shelves

Not used very often in closets, they are sometimes a nice addition, but mostly for knick-knacks or photographs. Their very shapes do not lend themselves well to be used for clothes, since most clothes items fold into a square or a rectangular surface.

Specific Length of Shelves for Special Use

The length of a shelf is determined by a number of factors:

• One is the length of the wall it is on and how it relates to the other sections on that wall.
• Shoe shelves are determined by the number of pairs that will fit on them.
• Cubbie shelves are about as long as they are high.
• What also determines the length of a shelf is what it will be used for. A book shelf carries a heavier load than T-shirts.

Each melamine product has its own specifications and closet designers are trained to design the right closet shelving in the right place.

Shelf Support

All closet shelving needs support.

• The shelves may be held by a bracket that is attached to the wall. These shelves are mostly adjustable, but they take a lot of work to move around.
• They may be supported by cleats, which are long narrow pieces of wood that are attached to the back wall and the sides. These shelves are never adjustable because they are attached to the cleats.
• Finally, melamine shelves can be supported by panels that are themselves attached to the wall. The depth of the panel determines the depth of the shelf. These shelves are easily adjustable. This particular kind of closet has the potential to look like cabinetry. It can be very functional looking or dressed up in different closet styles, with moldings, raised panels and woodgrain colors.