Shelving works best in a new build home when it is scaled to the rooms, kept fairly shallow and placed where it gives structure to open plan spaces. Low, wide units beside the television, slim shelving in hallways and on landings, and open backed units used as soft dividers between living and dining zones all suit the way new builds are laid out. The aim is to add storage and character without crowding rooms that are often more compact than they first appear.
Our range of modern shelving units UK includes many proportions that suit newer homes, and they pair easily with the rest of our modern living room furniture UK. Here is how to choose the right size, style and position.
New build houses and flats share a few characteristics that shape how furniture works in them. Rooms are often efficiently planned, with every space doing a clear job. Kitchen, dining and living areas are frequently combined into one open plan room. Ceilings are usually at a standard height rather than the generous heights found in many Victorian and Edwardian homes. Walls are smooth, often painted white or a pale neutral, and there are fewer architectural features such as alcoves, picture rails and fireplaces.
None of this is a drawback. It simply means shelving has a different role. In a period home, shelving often fills an alcove that already exists. In a new build, shelving can create some of that structure itself, giving a large open room a sense of zones and adding depth to plain walls. If you are curious how ceiling heights vary by the age of a property, it helps explain why proportions that look right in an older house can feel tall in a newer one.
With standard ceiling heights, very tall shelving can make a room feel shorter, especially if it stops just shy of the ceiling. Two approaches work well. Either choose a unit that is clearly lower, around shoulder height, so the wall above stays visible, or choose one that reaches close to the ceiling in a slim format, which draws the eye upward. Avoid the in between height that leaves an awkward strip of wall above the unit.
New build living rooms can be narrower than the floor plans suggest once a sofa is in place. A shelving depth of around 30 centimetres suits most books and objects without eating into the room. Deeper units are better kept for walls away from main walkways.
A low, wide unit on the television wall often makes better use of a new build living room than a tall bookcase in the corner. Wider units also tend to be more stable, which is helpful on the plasterboard walls common in newer homes. Measure the wall carefully, leave a gap at each end and check that any sockets, TV points and data points remain accessible.
An open backed shelving unit placed at a right angle to a wall can separate the lounge area from the dining area without blocking light from the windows. Display books and plants on the lounge side and keep table linen or tableware on the dining side. It is a simple way to make a single large room feel like two calmer spaces.
Many new build living rooms have one obvious wall for the television. A pair of slim shelving units either side of a low TV unit creates a balanced media wall with storage for books, games and decorative objects. It also gives the room the kind of focal point that a fireplace might provide in an older house.
Bedrooms in newer homes often include fitted wardrobes, but little open storage. A narrow shelving unit beside the window, or a low unit at the foot of the bed, adds space for books and personal objects. Keep it shallow so it does not narrow the walkway around the bed.
New build hallways can be narrow, but even a short stretch of wall can hold a slim, shallow unit for keys, post and a plant. Our hallway storage furniture UK includes compact designs that leave the walkway clear. Landings can take a low bookcase beneath a window, which turns a passing space into a small reading corner.
The smallest bedroom in a new build is often used as a study or a spare room. Here, shelving needs to work hard without making the room feel like a storeroom. A unit above or beside the desk keeps files and books within reach, while a low unit beneath the window can hold printer paper and boxes. If the room doubles as a guest room, leave one shelf clear so visitors have somewhere to put their things, and choose a finish that sits comfortably with a sofa bed or daybed.
Where the space under the stairs is open rather than enclosed, low shelving units can fit beneath the slope. Choose units of different heights to follow the line of the staircase.
New builds offer a fresh canvas, and the most successful interiors tend to add warmth and texture to clean architecture. Shelving is an easy way to do that.
For a more substantial look, our modern bookcases UK sale include closed back and part enclosed designs that feel more solid, which can help anchor a large open room.
Many new build homes use plasterboard for internal walls and sometimes as a dry lining on external walls. Plasterboard needs the right fixings. Wherever possible, locate a timber or metal stud behind the board and fix into that, or use cavity fixings rated for the load if no stud is available. Use a detector to check for cables and pipes before drilling, since services in newer homes often run through walls in predictable lines from sockets and switches.
Any tall unit should be fixed to the wall to prevent tipping, particularly in family homes. If your home is still within a builder’s warranty period, check whether any guidance applies to drilling into walls before you begin.
New builds can feel a little anonymous when you first move in. Shelving is one of the quickest ways to make them feel lived in. A few ideas:
Many people buy new build homes at a point of change: a first home, a growing family or a move to a new area. Shelving that adapts well will serve you longer. Modular units that can be added to, or pairs that can be split between rooms, tend to be more useful over time than one large unit chosen for a single wall.
Narrow corridors and compact entrance halls are common in newer properties, so it is worth checking the route into each room before choosing a large piece. Our article on average UK hallway sizes by property type is helpful when planning both storage and delivery access.
For more on how room proportions affect furniture choices, our guide to how UK ceiling heights vary by property age explains why the same piece can look quite different in an older home and a newer one.
A new build home gives you the chance to plan storage from the start, rather than working around an existing layout. Choose shelving that respects the scale of the rooms, place it where it adds structure and use it to bring warmth to clean, simple architecture. You can explore shelving, bookcases and hallway storage at Furniture in Fashion, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.
Low, wide units on the TV wall or slim units either side of it tend to work best. A depth of around 30 centimetres keeps the room feeling open.
Yes. Fix into a stud behind the plasterboard where possible, or use cavity fixings rated for the load, and check for cables and pipes first.
An open backed unit placed at a right angle to a wall can divide living and dining areas while still letting light through.
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