Your resource for great shelves and shelving ideas!

As the years go by I have discovered that the decrease in the compact disc’s popularity over the years has led me to be able to purchase used discs at a cut-rate price. For a low price of just 20 bucks, I can sometimes acquire up to five CDs, which is an amazing deal. Unfortunately this CD buying spree has led to my home becoming cluttered with innumerable compact discs and their gaudy, large jewel cases.

All these stacks and stacks of CDs were becoming an issue for me and my sanity. I could not find my keys or my remote, my toe nail clippers or my garage door opener; you name it, I lost it among the towers of musical media. I went to the only logical place to go to eliminate my stacks upon stacks of CDs: StacksandStacks.com.

My home is furnished in a traditional style, and unfortunately it seems like most CD towers these days have a sleek, modern look that just does not fit in with my home decor.  Luckily I was able to find the incredible, traditionally designed apothecary style wooden CD cabinet! It was available in three colors, oak, walnut and cherry; I chose walnut (It matches my hardwood floors).

apothecary style wooden cd cabinet

This incredible CD storage unit has a solid wood construction, so I knew I was getting a sturdy piece of furniture.  I plan to keep it around long after my CDs have gone by the wayside; who knows, maybe someday I will become an apothecary myself. It has 24 drawers, each large enough to hold 19 CDs or eight DVDs, or (for those of you who are really old-school) four VHS tapes! If you do the math that is 456 CD’s, 192 DVDs or 96 VHS tapes! Each drawer comes with a slot for drawer labels, so I always know where my favorite Hall & Oates greatest hits collection is! (Yes, I have a favorite.)

double shelf lazy susan

My wife is a passionate epicurean, and will spend hours upon hours in the kitchen, coming up with amazing delicacies that tantalize the taste buds and stimulate the senses.  Unfortunately, as a busy attorney, she never has the time to cook on the weekdays. (Most of her recipes require hours of work, I’m telling you she is amazing.) So that leaves Sundays  as the one day of the week that she has the time to prepare such sophisticated and time consuming meals for our enjoyment (the timing of which had become an issue, I’ll explain in a bit). Unfortunately my wife is also very short, and our cupboards very tall, so she is constantly calling me into the kitchen to help her find the vanilla, or find the oregano, etcetera, etcetera.
Now, this spice exploration is not a problem most days, but (like I mentioned before), Sundays in the fall are the days that I have specifically designated to be glued to the sofa. You see, I am an avid fantasy football professional, and Sundays in the fall are game days! I simply cannot be bothered with all this searching for spices, because I might miss the key play that changes the progression of my fantasy career for years to come (Yes, I have to be there to watch it).
I needed to find a partner my wife could trust to supply her with the spices she so seriously seeks. Enter the double shelf lazy susan, the saving grace to my fantasy career.  This nifty space saver has two levels for the ultimate in spice storage, and spins so my wife does not need me to come in and find her ingredients. Made from acrylic, this turntable is way sturdier than what you typically expect from a lazy Susan; it is not flimsy in the least bit! I found this incredible tool over at StacksandStacks.com.

Shelves are great; every home and office needs them, and without the wonderful properties of shelves, I would not be here writing on this blog for you today. But alas, shelves cannot carry the entire burden when it comes to neat, organized and efficient home storage. Sometimes all a shelf really needs to meet its maximum potential is an assistant to pull some storage weight.

Metal Magazine Files

One great way to quickly and easily organize the shelves in your home or office is by using magazine files to sort paperwork in a neat and vertical fashion. The metal magazine file is the perfect example of using additional accessories to really put the finishing touch on your shelf organization.
This modern metal shelf organizer has an attractive, eye-catching contemporary design. The shelf features a pattern of circular punch outs in its sturdy metal frame, which add visual interest while promoting the ability to find what you are looking for. I like to put my old copies of The Economist inside the files (I purchased quite a few of these files, they are so useful!) so I have a veritable library of world events, all within reach on my shelves.
Of course, this magazine file is not only useful when paired with a shelf. This storage organizer can also be used on a desktop. It makes an excellent “inbox / outbox” and allows for a more organized, clutter free desk space.

One more trick for the true “handy-persons” out there on the interwebs: Try hanging these files directly onto the wall.
1.)    Evenly place two screws into the wall, separated by a few inches. Be sure to leave enough clearance for the metal panels
2.)    Place each screw within the circular cut outs, and slide the file down onto the screws. The metal panels should fit snugly between the screw head and the wall.
3.)    Tighten the screws into place; if desired, place two screws at the base of the file
4.)    There you have it, a wall mounted magazine file!

I live in a tiny little bungalow in the heart of the city, and that obviously provides me with very little garage space when I need to get to my handy work. Our garage is miniscule to say the least, with just barely enough room to fit our single car in, plus a little bit of extra room for working on home projects. I am a dedicated “do it yourself-er”, so I really wanted to find a way to be able to do some tinkering in my garage. After all, is that not what drives a man to buy a house in the first place? The ability to tinker to his heart’s content?

Aluminum Wall Mounted Folding Shelves

The solution to my desire for tinkering was right in front of my eyes the entire time, right there on my computer screen. Stacks and Stacks had what I consider to be the ultimate in space saving work shelving: the aluminum wall-mounted folding shelf.  The shelf is super lightweight because of its aluminum construction, weighing in at a meager five pounds. On the flip side, it is able to hold an astonishing 75 pounds of weight! The surface area of the shelf when folded out is approximately 45.5″W x 20.25″D. Now I have enough space to fix remote controls, garbage disposals, and more, plus I have room to get started on my birdhouse building hobby that I have always wanted to get off the ground!
When I am done using this metal wall shelf, I simply fold it down. This unique folding ability allows for enough space to get into my car and pull it out of the garage. When folded down the shelf only sticks out about five inches, leaving plenty of room to move around in the garage. You can find this shelf and others like it over at StacksandStacks.com.

Adjustable Bathtub Shelf

Sharing the bath tub area with your significant other can make things pretty crowded. Throw in a couple of kids and you have an outright land war between the Head and Shoulders, Aveeno Shaving Cream and the Johnson and Johnson Baby Shampoo. Bathtubs are only built to store a finite amount of bottles, and our tub was reaching critical mass. Luckily for me, my family and our bath tub, there was a simple, easy answer to my storage woes.
With its versatile design and excellent storage capabilities, the adjustable bathtub shelf ended up being the perfect way to store all of the different soap and shampoo bottles my family uses, without needing to make major renovations on the bathroom! This bathroom shelf can be stretched out wide to span the width of the bathtub, providing a “bridge” of sorts to store your soap, shampoo, loofas and razors while you shower or bathe. This adjustable metal shelf will fit into any bathtub with a width from 20″ x 25.5” (which is just about every bathtub in the world, save for you spoiled “Jacuzzi tub” owners, who probably don’t need the extra bathroom storage anyways!) by stretching from the rim on one side to the rim on the other.
The shelf is made from a really sturdy metal and has a rubberized coating, which is what allows it to “stick” to the tub so well. At first I was worried it would just slide right off the side of my tub, but the rubberized coating has just the perfect amount of “stickiness” to keep it situated on the tub. At 5” wide, it is just wide enough for all of my shampoo bottles. (Although Costco sized bottles are probably too heavy to be supported, so stick to non-jumbo bottles.) I found this unique bathroom storage accessory at StacksandStacks.com.

4 foot floating wood wall shelf

Last weekend I took the family out to get some portraits taken. We drove all the way out to the scenic and beautiful Fargo, ND to capture my family’s love for the snow and cold weather. The photo shoot was a smashing success, and we came away with loads of great pictures to share with our friends, and of course, display prominently in our home.
A few days passed and all the while I pondered just where I would want to show off our new portraits. The living room was an obvious first choice, as it was the place our guests were most likely to encounter our gorgeous depictions. Well it turns out I was in luck, because while I was perusing my favorite online store, Stacks and Stacks, I came across the perfect solution.
The 4 foot floating wood wall shelf is the perfect display shelf for my fabulous Fargo family portraits. This sturdy floating shelf is able to support all of the family portraits (including the one in which I received a snowball to the face) and is completely seamless! The shelves not only display the professional images of my family, but add some modern style to my living room as well!

I was worried that I would have a hard time installing a floating shelf into my home, but it turns out that it is a breeze to install this shelf! All I needed was a Phillips head screwdriver to complete the install. I simply screwed in the mounting brackets and then just slid the shelf right into place!

The shelf can hold up to 30 pounds of weight, and at four feet across, has plenty of room to show off my amazing family frolicking in the snowy paradise that is Fargo. As I said before you can find the floating wall shelf and a whole bunch more like it at StacksandStacks.com

Great for organizing a large, messy office or providing more room in a small workspace, desk hutches are an easy way to gain additional storage space. Coming in a wide variety of styles, you can use it strictly for storage or find a larger shelf design that can double as display space.

desk hutches

When you don’t have enough space to dedicate an entire room as an office and instead have a multitasking living room or guest room it can be hard to add storage to an already crowded space. Since the hutch sits on top of the desk it doesn’t take up additional floor space you don’t have. Smaller writing desks with a low hutch make a nice addition to a child’s bedroom or guest room.

At home or at work, an office presents a number of challenges. Finding a balance between office equipment and creating a pleasant work space doesn’t have to be difficult. All you have to do is find the right desk hutch for your storage needs. Do you have a desk littered with paperwork? Look for a hutch with paper slots so you can free up desk space. Have lots of electronics to store, like a scanner or printer? Choose a larger shelf-like design that features a cord cutout in the back.

Make sure to consider exactly what kind of storage you need. If you like having everything at your fingertips then look for a hutch with open shelving the makes paperwork and office supplies easy to find. Prefer a more streamlined look? Opt for a hutch with plenty of cabinets or drawers for concealed storage that will keep your desk looking neat. When you’re office storage needs change, desks with an optional storage hutch allow you to remove the hutch making them a versatile piece of office furniture.

wall mount corner shelves

The end of the year is the best time to sit back and ruminate on past achievements, as well as make plans and resolutions for the coming year. This time I vowed to organize and beautify my home. Recently a friend of mine, a distinguished family therapist and a Feng Shui enthusiast, explained to me the correlation between one’s living space and one’s state of mind. As it turns out, your home is not only a reflection of your inner self, but also a big influence on such. It got me thinking that all the little things I’ve been neglecting throughout the years form a really big picture. For example, I have lots of stylish photo frames, elegant vases and other lovely home accents, which until recently were unnecessarily tucked away in my garage; meanwhile my home looked like an austere, transient space, which inevitably transferred onto my outlook on self and life in general. I started my design quest by bringing all the pretty things out of hiding. Vases found their home on top of the bookcase; picture frames settled on the dresser and the console table. I still had a few wonderful candleholders, a couple of exquisite sea shells from my last trip to the islands, and some marvelous figurines - all of which had no place to go. Much of my wall space was already occupied by newly hung prints and paintings, so I needed a clever and compact shelving solution. I found just what I was looking for in the wall mount corner shelves. I need three wooden shelves in Walnut to match my living room furniture; they’ll serve as perfect displays for a Nautilus shell, a pair of jade candlesticks and a miniature Toltec warrior statue. Two glass shelves will accommodate a few votives, a reed diffuser and a perfume collection in my bathroom. Seeing all those treasures finally out and in the open is sure to fill my heart with warmth and give me a true sense of home. I still have a long way to go in creating a picture-perfect haven, but I’m off to a good start.

By C.G. Roxane

Have you ever had the need for a bookcase in your home? Everyone certainly has, but how about a book case that can be broken down in mere seconds, transported, and then reassembled with ease? Yes, it’s possible, and I’ve discovered how.

The world of folding bookcases was unknown to me, perhaps it is to you. But once you research the incredible benefits of a terrific “folder”, you’ll be amazed you hadn’t heard of them sooner. Everyone should consider adding a folding bookcase or two to their homes! I selected a classic 4 tier corner bookcase for my condo, and it’s worked wonders to add visual flair and intrigue to my standard, run-of-the-mill decor. It actually worked so well, I’ve decided to use them in every room in the house. I’m creating a library comprised of folding bookcases!

Folding Bookcases

They are so strong! My 3 tier folding bookcase, which I purchased at Stacks and Stacks at a very reasonable price, is constructed of bamboo, which is just great. It looks like regular wood, but it’s just really so much better. What is so great about collapsible, folding bookcases is that they are always generally readily available in many different colors, and constructed of many different materials, perfect for all the different rooms in my home!

Next, installation! It’s incredibly easy. When I installed my folding bookcase, I thought it would fall apart — how could something that is folded flat ever become a bookcase that could carry my have tomes and noels — but it did. Boy did it! In fact, you’re free to place anything you want on these powerful bookshelves, from houseplants to picture frames to candles! The options are limitless!

I did not think it would be possible, but I added a folding bookcase to my home!

You can too.

Folding Shelves

Last time I moved, I had all my stuff shipped freight across the whole country. After three days sleeping on a yoga mat at my old place, a week in a tiny hotel room with no kitchen and three more days on the floor in my new apartment, I was yearning for peace and comfort in familiar surroundings.

When my things finally arrived, I didn’t care that I had to unpack and organize for hours on end, I just wanted to recreate that tranquil harbor I had back in New York. Unfortunately, some things didn’t make it in one piece. I suspect they had my stuff come on a six-horse carriage over the mountains, through the rocky deserts and across a few rivers.

It took two weeks, you know. Of course, I had shipping insurance, but those guys were sly. They specifically listed all particle board items as not covered due to “inherent weakness of materials.” That took care of my now three-legged computer desk, my cracked entryway table and my two bookcases, which were completely destroyed.

So much for getting a break on shipping costs.

I was mostly devastated about the bookshelves, because they had tons of storage space and once looked pretty sleek. I soon realized that I was definitely going to move out of this always cold and damp apartment in no more than a year, so I needed to find a solution to the moving issue once and for all.

I did some research and decided to opt for collapsible furniture made of solid wood. While big wooden dining tables, armoires and futons would generally cost an arm and a leg, things like folding shelves were refreshingly affordable at Stacks and Stacks and still looked like a million bucks. I now appreciate the ease with which I can rearrange my living room without having to ask anybody for help. I also love the fact that I finally have some quality pieces to my name. Last but not least, when the time comes to move again, the experience will be a lot more pleasant.