Floating Shelves vs. Bookcase: Which is Best for Your Space?

Choosing the right storage solutions can be tricky, especially with limited space or awkward room dimensions. We go through the pros and cons of floating shelves and bookcases, two of the most popular options, to help you decide which is best for your home!

Key Takeaways:

• Floating shelves work well in smaller rooms and minimalist interiors, and you can put up as many as you need, but they can have limited weight capacities and installing several can take a while.
• Bookcases come in both modern and traditional styles and can be a stylish focal point with plenty of storage capacity, but they take up a lot of space, and you usually can’t adjust the number of shelves.

Storage is an essential part of any room’s design, especially if you’re trying to reduce clutter and organise your home. In addition to the practical benefits, open storage options like bookcases and shelving also provide a space to display some beautiful decor and show off your sense of style.

Floating shelves and bookcases are two of the most popular types of open storage, and they each come with their own benefits and drawbacks. 

Wall-mounted storage is a smart choice when you’re short on floor space, but bookcases can have a major aesthetic impact on your room’s design and are often more durable and long-lasting.

To help you decide between the two, we break down the pros and cons and discuss the kinds of spaces each option is more suitable for, so you can decide on the right choice for your home.

Floating Shelves

Floating shelves, unlike standard shelves, don’t have any visible brackets connecting them to the wall. Instead, they have supports that are hidden by the shelf, creating the illusion that they’re floating.

They’re perfect for modern, minimalist spaces with their sleek, clean look. Wood effect is one of the most common styles, but you could also go for matt black or grey for a more industrial feel.

Benefits of Floating Shelves

1. Flexible Placement

You can position floating shelves nearly anywhere on the walls of your room, making them one of the most flexible storage options for your home.

You can also choose whether to put up just one or several shelves, which is a major benefit compared to furniture like bookcases with a set number of shelves. You could mount one floating shelf, then add another later on, should you need more space later.

2. Leaves Floor Space Free

As floating shelves are wall-mounted, they don’t necessarily prevent you from using other storage options underneath them to use up the leftover floor space.

If you place the shelves at an appropriate height, you should be able to add in some short furniture, such as a storage bench or sideboard, without making the room feel overcrowded.

Alternatively, you could leave the space beneath the floating shelves free to capitalise on a more spacious, minimalistic aesthetic.

3. Versatile Design

Although floating shelves suit modern, sleek designs, you can easily style them in different ways.

Stack plenty of colourful decor pieces, ornaments and houseplants (especially trailing ones) on your shelves to create a lively, maximalist look.

Wood-effect floating shelves can work well in country style interiors, while matt black, grey and metallic options suit trendy, industrial aesthetics.

Floating Shelf Cons

1. Tricky Installation

Due to the hidden supports, installing a floating shelf can be a little more difficult than installing a standard shelf. You generally have to take it a lot slower and be very careful, as the shelf’s balance and sturdiness rely entirely on those hidden supports being installed properly.

2. Limited Weight Capacity

If your floating shelves aren’t installed onto wall studs, they’ll likely have a fairly low weight capacity. For shelves that are mainly decorative, that can work fine, especially if you’re only displaying small, lightweight trinkets and ornaments. 

However, if you want to use your shelf to display books, large plants or heavy ornaments, you must double check the shelf’s weight limit and make sure you install the supports onto wall studs. 

Alternatively, try to choose solid masonry walls, like brick or concrete, as they’re one of the strongest types of wall.

Bookcase

Another popular open storage option is a bookcase. These can vary widely in style, from vintage-inspired wooden bookcases to minimalist, modern and even abstract designs.

While they take up more space than shelves, they also provide a lot more storage capacity, and sometimes include other elements like drawers or cupboards for extra versatility.

Benefits of Bookcases

1. High Storage Capacity

Compared to a floating shelf, a bookcase will usually provide much more storage room. Even a short bookcase will have several shelves, giving you more space to work with than a single floating shelf.

If you do decide to go with a taller bookcase, you get a lot of storage without the extra time and effort of installing an equivalent amount of floating shelves. It’s a lot more space with much less fuss!

2. Visual Impact

Although floating shelves can be stylish, it’s difficult for them to make as much of an impact on a room as a full bookcase.

When you add a bookcase to a living room or office, it immediately becomes a focal point that adds to the atmosphere and feel of the space. Its larger size can draw the eye effortlessly, especially when you coordinate your books and decor across the shelves.

3. Simple, Damage-Free Installation

Depending on the bookcase you choose, installation will either look like moving the furniture into place or assembling it and then positioning it. Putting together a large, flat-pack bookcase can take some time, but it’s likely to be quicker than installing an equivalent amount of floating shelves.

You also don’t necessarily have to alter or damage the wall to install a bookcase, unlike shelves, which have to be installed into the wall. However, if it’s very tall, it may need to be attached to the wall for safety reasons to avoid tipping.

Bookcase Cons

1. Takes Up A Lot Of Space

Compared to floating shelves, bookcases can take up a lot of floor and wall space. Where a floating shelf gives you the versatility to put another piece of furniture underneath it, a bookcase will likely fill the space it’s positioned in.

This means they’re not the best choice for small spaces, and you may struggle to find a suitable placement for them in rooms with vaulted ceilings or otherwise awkward dimensions.

2. Inflexible Design

Unlike floating shelves, you can’t usually reconfigure or adjust a bookcase - the design just isn’t flexible like that.

You’ll have to make sure you find a space that fits the bookcase exactly, and you don’t have the option of adding or removing shelves as needed if you discover you need more or less storage than you thought.

How To Choose Between Floating Shelves & Bookcases

The choice between floating shelves and a bookcase comes down to how much storage you need, the space you have available and the look you want to achieve.

Where Floating Shelves Work Best

If you’re adding storage to a small room where the existing furniture already takes up a lot of floor space, a floating shelf could be exactly what you need. It can fit into wall space above short furniture such as sofas, armchairs and console tables, making the most of your space.

They also suit minimalist style interiors where a large, bulky bookcase might look out of place. If you want to add a simple row of books to your wall, or a few carefully chosen ornaments, a floating shelf is a great idea. Choose a shelf that matches your wall colour for an especially subtle look!

Where Bookcases Work Best

When you have enough space for a bookcase, they’re an excellent way to make an impactful style statement in your room. They’re also much more practical when you have a lot of books or other items that you want to display.

Bookcases with both shelves and drawers or cupboards work well when you have a variety of items to store, especially if the bookcase is going to be the primary storage option for the room. They let you choose what to keep on display and what to tidy away, which can be a major help when decluttering.

Choose The Best Storage For Your Home

If you’re really struggling to choose between floating shelves and a bookcase, remember that you could go for a short bookcase with a single floating shelf above to get the best of both worlds. There are always ways to adjust furniture placement to make it work for your home!

For more shelving inspiration, look through our guides on decorative ways to display your books and space-saving book storage ideas for small rooms!