Rectangular Shelves

Square corners and straight edges, front and sides. Every other shape in the shop starts from this one: the radial edge shelves round the front corners, the front lip shelf adds a raised edge to keep plates and records aboard, and the geometric shelves cut the rectangle into hexagons and octagons. If you want the shelf to sit quietly against the wall and the trim, the rectangle is the one.

Thin shelves, 7/8 of an inch thick, run 6 to 36 inches long and 3 to 8 deep. Thick shelves, an inch and a half, run 6 to 84 inches long and 3 to 12 deep, with the deep shelf on L brackets at 14 and 16 inches. A size between the standard cuts is a custom order, and past 84 inches the boards go modular.

It depends on the board and the brackets. Thin shelves ride smaller hidden brackets, rated at roughly 30 to 60 pounds on drywall anchors and more when the brackets hit studs. Thick shelves on the heavy duty steel bracket hold about 45 to 50 pounds per stud, and the J bracket shelves about 150 per stud. Each product page lists its own rating; for the loaded end of the range, start with the heavy duty shelves.

The shelf and what holds it up. Thin shelves ship with their hidden brackets, anchors, and screws. Thick shelves ship with the heavy duty steel bracket, screws, and printed directions. The J bracket shelves come with their brackets and toggle bolts, and the L bracket shelves with brackets and lag bolts.

Yes. Past 84 inches, modular shelving joins thick boards end to end with a tongue and groove joint on a shared bracket line, so a run can go the length of a wall. Shorter boards set flush also read as one shelf, though a seam shows up close; for a single seamless board under 84 inches, order it custom.