There are all kinds of ways to build floating shelves. The objective behind these shelves was twofold. One was to have a contemporary feel to them. With that in mind, I designed the shelves to have a contemporary modern look to them by mitered all edges of the endcaps so no end grain was showing. I used veneer on the box’s top and bottom pieces instead of solid wood to prevent wood movement. Wood moves across its width more so than its length, so if I were to use solid wood on the top and bottom, the movement would pull the wood apart at the corners. Since the center band/front of the shelf grain is all going in the same direction, it was safe to say that those pieces would all move together. I used a traditional cleat screwed to the wall to hang the shelf, which was then attached to the wall with a few strategically placed trim screws.
I built these to keep a bathroom organized for my client’s collection of shaving kits, but how great would it be to use something similar to keep your breakfast nook organized?
How to Build Contemporary Box-Style Floating Shelves
Today I want to walk you through a recent project I completed—building floating shelves for a client’s master bathroom. Now, I know what you’re thinking: these shelves are mounted pretty high up on the wall. But that’s intentional! These aren’t your everyday functional shelves. My client wanted a place to display antiques and collectibles he’s gathered over the years, including a prized possession—his grandfather’s vintage shaving kit. You know, from back when men used real blades!
Understanding the Construction
Before we dive into the build, let me explain why I constructed these shelves the way I did. I’m using a combination of veneer and solid wood, and there’s a really important reason for that choice.
The top and bottom of the shelves are veneered, while the center front pieces are solid wood. Here’s why: wood movement happens primarily across the width of the board rather than along its length. If I used solid wood for the top and bottom, it would expand and contract in a different direction than the front face. Over time, this would cause the corners to split and gaps to open up. By using veneer on the top and bottom, I’m controlling that wood movement so everything stays tight and beautiful for years to come.
Preparing the Veneer
I started by prepping all my material—running it through the planer and re-sawing at the bandsaw. For the tops and bottoms, I veneered quarter-inch plywood. Here’s a pro tip: Veneer both sides of the plywood to keep it stable and prevent warping.
Timing is crucial when working with veneer glue. The adhesive I was using had about a 10-minute open time, so I had to work efficiently. I kept a close eye on the clock and made sure to spread glue and assemble all my pieces within that window. If I couldn’t finish everything in time, I’d stop, seal what I had completed in the vacuum bag, let it cure, and then move on to the next batch. You don’t want to push past that open time!
Once I had glued all the pieces, I broke the seal on the vacuum bag, slid them in, resealed it, and fired up the vacuum again. The pressure from that initial pull is so strong that I wasn’t worried about losing any bond while loading everything. Then I just reset the clock for the full 45-minute cure time.
Milling the Solid Wood
While the veneer was curing in the bag, I went ahead and milled up the rest of the material for the front faces of the shelves. No sense in standing around waiting!
Getting Those Miters Perfect
This project has a lot of miters, and let me tell you—they all need to be absolutely perfect. Any little discrepancy will show up at the corners where everything comes together. To ensure every cut was spot-on, I took the time to set up a featherboard for each individual cut.
My table saw is hands-down the most accurate tool I have for cutting angles, so I used it for all the critical miters. Those corner joints need to be flawless, and even the tiniest error will be glaringly obvious once it’s assembled.
Assembly Time
After cutting all my returns (the pieces that go back to the wall), I got them ready for glue-up. I taped the pieces together using my table saw fence as a straight edge—this helps ensure everything lines up perfectly and doesn’t get accidentally taped together crooked.
And let me tell you, when those miters came together, they were absolutely beautiful. Nice and tight with no gaps. Can’t complain about that at all!
This is exactly why I chose to veneer the top and bottom while using solid wood for the front. The solid wood can expand and contract in one direction, while the thin veneer won’t move much at all. Everything should stay nice and tight over time.
Final Cuts and Glue-Up
Once assembled, the shelves were too tall to cut safely at the table saw, so I moved over to the miter saw. I took my time and went nice and slow to make sure the blade didn’t deflect and throw off my cut.
For gluing these up, there’s not really a perfect clamping solution, so I used the glue block method. The key is to use blocks on both sides to create equal pressure. If you only put them on one side, you’d just pull the other side apart and create gaps. This method works great for this application.
For extra support at the seams, I also glued in additional blocks to bridge the gaps. This strengthens everything up and helps keep it all nicely aligned.
Finishing Touches
Once the glue dried, I popped off those glue blocks, cleaned everything up with a bit of sanding, and applied the finish. Then it was time to head to the client’s house!
The shelves hang on a basic, simple cleat that’s bolted to the wall—nothing fancy, but it gets the job done and keeps everything secure.
And that’s it! Beautiful floating shelves that will display my client’s treasures for years to come.
Thanks for reading, and happy building!
I’m the owner of Benham Design Concepts, a mixed media art studio where I design and build custom furniture and other works of art using wood, glass, stone, and various metals.
In this blog, I talk about the art I create, my journey, and the things I learn along the way.