We’ve tackled many DIY shelving projects over the years, but the thin floating shelves we built for our bonus room remain some of our favorites. These shelves look modern and streamlined—much slimmer than the chunky DIY floating shelves you often see. If you prefer a deeper look, we also adapted this method to build thicker floating kitchen shelves.

We also built cabinets under these shelves as part of finishing that niche. In planning the layout, we used an online kitchen planning tool to visualize several configurations and landed on the simple arrangement shown here. The result gave the recessed space both useful storage and an attractive, cohesive look.

We chose this design because it’s simple and fits the niche perfectly, providing a lot of stylish, practical storage without overwhelming the room.

Supplies For Building DIY Floating Shelves

We originally considered following an older Ikea-based floating shelf tutorial, but its 2″ thickness felt too bulky for this niche. Instead, we used an adapted technique that keeps the shelves slim. The approach builds a wooden support bracket and constructs the shelf around it so the finished profile stays minimal.

Materials and tools you’ll need:

• 1×2 and 1×3 pine boards (support bracket)
• 1×2 pine boards (facing)
• 1/2″ sanded plywood (shelf top)
• 5mm plywood (shelf bottom)
• Miter saw
• Table saw or circular saw
• Power drill/driver
• Nail gun
• Long level
• Measuring tape
• Stud finder
• Clamps (including a pocket hole clamp)
• 2 1/2″ structural screws
• Wood glue
• Pocket hole jig (optional)

Quantities depend on how many shelves and the size of each, so measure your space carefully before purchasing materials.

Step 1: Build Your Shelf Support Bracket

This build begins with a hidden support bracket fastened into wall studs. Rather than using a metal bracket, we built a wooden bracket: a long back board mounted to the wall with several support spokes projecting out. In our version, the bracket pieces sit flat on their wide faces to keep the overall shelf profile slim.

Because the spokes lie flat, this configuration is slightly less robust than a bracket with spokes standing on edge, so avoid using it for very heavy loads like stacks of plates or many heavy books.

We cut a long 1×2 for the back of the bracket and several 1×3 pieces for the spokes. When determining spoke length, subtract the thickness of the finished front and the back piece against the wall so the finished depth matches your design. For example:

• 12.5″ desired shelf depth
• minus 0.75″ depth of the 1×2 face piece
• minus 1.5″ width of the 1×2 bracket against the wall
• = 10.25″ spoke length

We used pocket holes to attach each spoke to the back board. A pocket hole jig and a clamp make it easy to drill and screw the pieces together with strong, consistent joins. We installed support spokes roughly every eight inches and one at each end—probably a bit more than strictly necessary, but it didn’t hurt the strength or fit.

Step 2: Find Your Studs & Drill Pilot Holes

Secure the bracket directly to wall studs for the best load-bearing strength. Mark stud locations before attaching the bracket so you can avoid placing spokes where screws need to go. We also drilled shallow recessed holes at each stud location in the back board—this allows shorter screws to bite into the stud without needing an excessively long fastener.

Step 3: Screw Your Shelf Bracket To The Wall

With a level, position the bracket and drive structural screws through the pilot holes into the studs. It may take a bit of force to pull the bracket tight to the wall—this is a good sign that you’ve hit a stud and that the bracket will hold securely.

Step 4: Add Your Shelf Top

Rather than building a separate box to slide over the bracket, we fastened the shelf directly to it. The top is a 1/2″ sanded plywood panel (MDF could also work), which keeps the finish thin and tidy. We had our 4×8 plywood cut into strips at the home center, then trimmed them to final length at home for clean, consistent edges.

Wood Cutting Tip

If possible, have plywood ripped to width at the store. It reduces the time you spend cutting at home and often results in straighter, more accurate strips. We had ours cut to 11.75″ strips and then cut to length with a table saw for perfect fit.

Clamp the top piece in place and drive screws up into the bracket from underneath. Using shorter screws from below minimizes visible screw holes on the shelf surface.

Step 5: Add Your Shelf Bottom

For the underside we glued and nailed thin 5mm plywood strips. The thin bottom layer is important because it, together with the 1/2″ top, lines up with the width of the 1×2 face board that will cover the front, creating a seamless edge.

Apply wood glue first, then nail the thin plywood in place. The glue helps prevent nails from working loose over time and keeps the bottom securely bonded.

Step 6: Nail In Shelf Face Boards

Finish the front and sides with 1×2 face boards, glued and nailed into place. Cut miters at the corners for a clean, professional look. Because the top plus the thin bottom equals the thickness of a 1×2 face board, the edge reads as a single, cohesive piece when assembled.

Step 7: Caulk, Prime, & Paint

Fill nail holes and seams with caulk, wood filler, or spackle before priming. Once primed, paint or stain the shelves to match your room. We painted ours white, but leaving the wood tone visible is also attractive and works well in many settings.

These shelves transformed a previously sparse, mixed-use room into a more finished and playful space for the kids, offering a mix of hidden and open storage that’s both functional and decorative.

The narrow niche now provides a lot of practical storage and gives us a nicer view down the hallway—small changes with big impact.

More DIY Shelf Ideas

If you want more shelving inspiration, look for collections of DIY shelf projects that cover both heavy-duty and decorative options. You’ll find ideas for everything from pantry storage to display shelving and creative space-saving solutions.