Glass Shelves

As an interior decorator, I can tell you just how hard it is to find something that matches with everything.

It is tough to bring a house together, of that you can be sure. The paint on the walls will clash with the cabinets, the cabinets will clash with the wood floor, and then the wood floor will clash with the rugs. And don't even mention the problem of finding just the right kitchen and dining room table. The whole thing can be a nightmare, and no doubt about that. So, when I find something that seems to work well with almost anything, I use it to its utmost, and try to incorporate it in any job that I have. That is why I have become the biggest fan that glass shelves have ever had.

Think of it, there is nothing that clashes with a glass shelf. Take a rather conservative layout, with creamy off-white walls, neutral carpet, or perhaps wood floors? Glass shelves will look great, without any question, in such a setting. But if you want to try something a little wild, perhaps with wallpaper with a jungle-striped pattern, bright and exotic colors, a vase full of feathers died different primary colors, and sumptuous leather furniture? The glass shelves will still look absolutely fine in this environment provided that you use a glass shelf bracket of the right color to compliment your room.

There is not any other type of material that looks as all around nice as glass shelves. Wooden shelves have a classic look to them, but they clash with everything unless they happen to be just the right shade. Metal shelves are a little better, but they tend to look so austere, almost fascist in their modernist aesthetic. But with glass shelves, you get the best of both worlds, the mellowness of wood, and the modern quality of metal. Of course, there are some definite drawback to the use of glass shelving. The biggest problem is also the most obvious. Glass is known for many things, but its outstanding strength and durability is not one of them. All glass shelves are easily scratched and damaged, and most can not hold very much weight. Unlike wooden shelves, once glass ones are damaged, you can see it from all sides, even with things sitting on them. But in a den or living room, where only minimal use is required, glass shelves might be your best bet.

But glass shelves do have their drawbacks. For starters, they attract dust. Perhaps they don’t attract dust anymore than any other surface, but they certainly show it more than anything else. If you have black furniture, you know that dust shows up on there and seems to be more of a problem near electronics. The same can be said for glass. Dust on a glass shelves shows up rather easily, and when you clean them, you can’t just do a quick job of it, you have to do a thorough clean.

When you dust glass shelves, you have to remove everything. If you’ve ever done the trick where you just wipe the shelf space that is showing but have not removed anything, you know it works for a quick touch up on most surfaces. This doesn’t work, however, on glass shelves. They will end up looking worse this way than if you had not touched them at all. If you want to do a good job that looks great, you have to remove everything you have on the shelves, dust them thoroughly, and then also dust each item before you return them. You may also find streaks and even grease where you least expect it, and you may have to take them down to get them completely clean.

If you really want glass shelves, however, you just have to be diligent about keeping them clean. They do have a great look, and they do offer a unique look you can’t get with other types of shelving. Just remember to secure glass shelves when you hang them so that there is not chance they will fall and shatter. If that happens, you may never get all of the glass up off the floor. You might be surprised to see how far shattering glass can scatter, it will end up in places you never thought possible, and you may never get it out of your carpets.