The right shelving unit for your space is the one that matches what you need to store, fits the wall with sensible clearance on every side, and suits the way the room is used. In practice that means deciding first what will go on the shelves, then measuring width, depth and height including skirting boards, radiators and sockets, and only then choosing between open, closed or mixed storage and a material that sits well with the room. Style comes last, not first.
It is a simple order, but following it avoids the most common mistakes: units that are too deep for a narrow room, shelves spaced too tightly for the books they need to hold, or a tall piece that crowds a low ceiling. Our collection of shelving units UK sale covers a wide range of sizes and finishes, and this guide will help you narrow it down.
Different contents need different shelves, so a quick inventory is worth doing before anything else.
Books. Paperbacks need around 20cm of depth and 25cm of height between shelves. Hardbacks and coffee table books need more, often 30cm deep and 35cm high or above. Books are heavy, so shelf strength matters.
Display pieces. Ceramics, plants and framed photographs benefit from taller gaps and plenty of space around them. Adjustable shelves help here.
Everyday clutter. Chargers, paperwork, toys and craft supplies are best hidden. Closed cupboards, drawers or baskets on open shelves keep them out of sight.
Media equipment. Speakers, consoles and routers need ventilation and cable access. An open shelf with a cable hole in the back panel is usually more practical than a closed door.
Most homes need a mix. A unit with open shelves at eye level and closed storage below often handles everything at once.
It also helps to think about how the shelving relates to the rest of the room. A unit rarely stands alone: it sits beside a sofa, a desk or a TV unit, and it should feel part of the same family. Looking across our modern living room furniture UK range is a useful way to see how storage, seating and tables can share finishes and proportions without matching exactly.
Finally, consider how your needs might change. A growing book collection, a new baby or a move to working from home can all change what a unit needs to hold. Adjustable shelves, removable baskets and modular designs give you room to adapt without replacing the whole piece.
Good measuring involves more than width and height. Take a few minutes to note the following.
Walls in older UK homes are rarely truly square. Measure an alcove at the bottom, middle and top, and use the narrowest figure.
A unit should leave a comfortable path in front of it. Around 80 to 90cm is a sensible minimum in a living room, more if the unit has doors that open outwards. In hallways and narrow rooms, depth is the measurement that decides everything.
A unit that leaves some clear wall above it generally looks better than one squeezed up to the ceiling. Older houses often have taller ceilings than modern ones, which opens up more options.
Note skirting boards, dado rails, radiators, light switches, sockets and window sills. A deep skirting board can push a unit away from the wall, leaving a visible gap at the top. Radiators should not be covered by solid furniture, as this reduces heat output and can dry out wood.
Check stairs, doorways and turns on the route in, especially if you are considering a large assembled piece.
Once you have these figures, mark the outline of the unit on the floor with masking tape and leave it for a day. Walking around the outline is the quickest way to find out whether a depth that looked reasonable on paper feels intrusive in practice.
Open shelving makes a room feel lighter and puts your belongings on show. It suits people who enjoy arranging books and objects, and it works well in smaller rooms where solid furniture would feel heavy. The trade off is dust and the need to keep things tidy.
Closed storage hides everything behind doors or drawers. It is calmer to look at and more forgiving of clutter, which makes it a practical choice for family rooms and home offices. It can, however, look bulky in a small space.
Mixed storage combines the two. A unit with open shelves above and cupboards below gives you display space at eye level and hidden storage where it is easiest to reach. For most living rooms, this is the most balanced option.
Wood and wood effect finishes are warm and adaptable. Light oak suits Scandinavian and contemporary rooms, while walnut and darker tones feel richer and more traditional.
Metal frames are slim and strong, and they suit industrial and modern schemes. They also cope well with heavier loads.
Glass shelves keep a unit visually light and reflect light around the room. They are better for display than for heavy books.
High gloss finishes look sleek and are easy to wipe clean, which suits contemporary living rooms.
In a bathroom or utility room, choose materials that cope with humidity, such as sealed finishes, metal or bamboo.
A tall unit makes use of vertical space, which is valuable in small rooms. It draws the eye upwards and can make a ceiling feel higher. It is the natural choice for alcoves and for storing a large collection of books.
A low unit keeps sight lines open and gives you a useful surface on top for lamps, plants and artwork. It works well under windows, beneath a wall mounted TV or along a long wall where a tall unit would dominate.
Pairing the two can work well. A tall unit in one alcove and a low unit along an adjacent wall creates variety without clutter. If you are also choosing a freestanding display piece, our display stands and units UK range includes designs that sit between the two heights.
Alcoves are the classic home for shelving, but a long wall behind a sofa or beside a TV unit also works. Keep the scale in proportion with your seating so no single piece dominates. A pair of matching units either side of a chimney breast gives a room a calm, balanced structure.
A narrow unit beside a bed can replace a bedside table and hold books and a lamp. In a small bedroom, a tall slim unit stores more than a wide low one.
Choose deep, sturdy shelves for files and boxes. Position the unit within arm’s reach of the desk.
Keep depth to a minimum and choose a unit that does not block doors or the foot of the stairs.
A freestanding open unit can divide a living area from a dining or work area without blocking light.
Buying a unit before deciding what it will hold is the most frequent error, closely followed by ignoring depth. A unit that is ten centimetres too deep can make a narrow room feel cramped every time you walk past it. Another common mistake is choosing very tight shelf spacing, which looks neat in photographs but leaves no room for taller books or plants. Finally, many people forget to secure tall units to the wall. It takes a few minutes and makes a real difference to safety.
If the main job is storing books, consider a dedicated bookcase. Bookcases are generally built with deeper, stronger shelves and a full back panel. Our range of modern bookcases UK includes tall alcove designs and low, wide styles.
For more detail on shelf spacing and depth, our guide to UK display cabinet heights, depths and shelf spacing applies equally well to open shelving. Older properties can also have quite different ceiling heights from room to room, and our piece on UK ceiling heights by property age is a helpful reference when deciding how tall a unit your room can take.
Choosing a shelving unit is easier when you work in order: contents, measurements, storage type, material, height and finally style. A unit chosen this way will fit the room, hold what you need and still look right years from now. You can explore our full range of shelving, storage and living room furniture at Furniture in Fashion.
For paperbacks and display pieces, 25 to 30cm is usually enough. For larger books, files or baskets, 35 to 40cm is more practical. In narrow rooms, choose the shallowest depth that suits your contents.
Around 25cm suits paperbacks, and 35cm or more suits larger books and display pieces. Adjustable shelves let you change the spacing as your needs change.
It is best avoided. Solid furniture in front of a radiator reduces heat reaching the room and can dry out wooden finishes. Leave the radiator clear and position the unit nearby instead.
Yes. Any tall unit should be secured with the wall fixing provided, especially in homes with children or pets.
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