The Ultimate Guide to Shelving

By Tamiera Vandegrift on May 27, 2017

This article is brought to you by CORT Furniture Rental. We take the hassle out of furnishing your new place so you can do more important things like read this article. Learn more about why furniture rental is the best way to get a great looking apartment.

Picture this: you just moved into your brand new apartment and you are extremely excited to make this place your own. Alternatively, imagine that your current apartment is beginning to lose its novelty.

Either way, you find yourself getting sick of your surroundings. Those bare walls that were once so enchanting during the halcyon days of your first taste of independence are now beginning to resemble a hospital or a prison cell. Was beige always this cringe-worthy and nauseating?

In order to shake up your surroundings and add some new, good vibes to your apartment, consider shelving! As the name suggests, shelving is the practice of designing shelves in your apartment. Shelves can serve many purposes, particularly making your apartment a bit snazzier and trendier. They are super versatile, as there is really no limit to what you can do with your space.

At this point, if you have read this far, you are probably asking yourself, “How do I get started?” Without further ado, keep reading to find the ultimate guide to incorporating shelving into your apartment.

Image via: www.pexels.com

Talk to your landlord  

As much as we all love the idea of rebelling and asking for forgiveness rather than permission, completely ruining your security deposit and going against the agreement of your lease is not a smart move. You should be in the habit of discussing any and all renovation ideas with your landlord. The last thing you want is for your landlord to discover that you have been breaking the rules. Doing so will tarnish your reputation and your trustworthiness with your landlord. It could even be cause for you to be removed from your living space in extreme cases. In short, decorating your space is not worth the stress of being evicted.

With that being said, discuss your ideas with your landlord before you make any serious plans to change your space. If they are accepting of your decoration plans, go ahead and get your drill ready and start setting up your shelves. If you already have shelves drilled into your walls, lucky you! If they are not too stoked about the idea, or flat out against it, invest in some standing or leaning shelves instead. Both ideas will get the job done and will get you one step closer to achieving the look you want in your apartment.

Image via: www.pexels.com

Location, location, location

Where you decide to mount, set, or drill your shelves can make a huge difference with how your apartment looks and feels in the end. Putting your shelves near your television can give your apartment a cool, edgy, cinematic feel. Setting up shop in your kitchen gives the impression that you are a culinary master in search of ways to make your favorite room shine. Mounting your shelves in an office or bedroom gives you the opportunity to show off some of your prized items and decorations. Every location and placement option will give your apartment a different vibe, so choose wisely.

Unless you drill your shelves into the wall, you have the opportunity to change your mind in the end, but reorganizing has the potential to be chaotic and messy so it pays to be pretty certain about your decision.

Be creative

As mentioned earlier, shelving opens the door to a ton of different opportunities for decoration and showcasing. Shelving can serve as a means to decorate and/or organize your space. Use a shelf in your living room to showcase how much of a movie nerd you are by stocking each row with your favorite DVDs or vintage VHSs. Use the shelf space in your bedroom to keep all of your novels on display, even if you have not picked them up in ages.

Set up a shelf in your kitchen to both display and keep track of your cookbooks and spices. If you are a total art fiend, like my roommate, use the shelves to display your favorite artwork and even some of your own! There is no limit to what you can use your shelves for, so think outside the box and be creative.

Image via: www.pexels.com

Make a Pinterest account

If you have not already subscribed to the Pinterest craze, now is the time to start. If you do not know what Pinterest is, it is basically like a digital bulletin board where you pin ideas and plans to different boards. Pinterest offers everything from recipes, tattoo ideas, wedding ideas, and, you guessed it, decorating tips!

Pinterest has everything you need to know about shelving and more. If you are looking for something unique and out of the box to decorate your apartment with, Pinterest definitely has the answer for you. By using it, you will discover a million different ways to utilize your shelves and even a million more ways to make shelves yourself for you DIY junkies out there.

Happy shelving!

Looking for an easy way to furnish your off-campus apartment? Renting furniture from CORT saves you time and money. See how easy it is to get great looking furniture without breaking the bank.

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