Shelf Brackets

The brackets

Two bracket styles, Prism and Suspense, each made in black, clear coat, raw steel and white. Each bracket supports up to 20kg, and total shelf capacity scales with how many you fit: two brackets carry up to 40kg, three carry up to 60kg. The choice is simple: pick the style and finish you like, and the number of brackets your shelf needs. A Prism wall desk bracket sits in the same range if you want to mount a desk surface the same way.

How many brackets do I need

Start with the shelf length and what will sit on it. Two brackets suit most shelves: our own 150cm shelf boards in 25mm plywood sit happily on just two. Add a third as the shelf gets longer, or when it will carry heavy items such as books, rather than pushing the span. How far apart the brackets can go depends on the board: a thicker, stronger board spans further between fixing points, while a thinner board needs closer support to stay flat under load. If in doubt, add a bracket or choose a stronger board.

Pairing a board

A shelf is brackets plus a board, and the board is up to you. The Hairpin shelf board range covers oak, walnut, birch and Formica in each case sized to work with these brackets, or you can use your own timber if you already have something in mind. Buying the brackets and board separately means you can match the finish and depth to the room rather than settling for a fixed combination.

How deep a shelf

Most wall-mounted shelves sit around 20 to 25cm deep, which suits books, plants and everyday display; our own shelf boards are 25cm, and the brackets are sized for shelves in this range. A narrower shelf, around 15cm, works well in a kitchen for cups, jars and ornaments, a slightly different job. Wider boards, from 30 to 35cm and up to 40cm or more for pantry-style storage, are usually found on floor-standing or built-in units rather than on a single wall bracket, so a wall shelf that deep is the exception rather than the rule.

Fitting

Each bracket fixes to the wall with a few screws, and the fixing is what carries the load, as much as the bracket. Fixed into a timber stud or joist, or into solid masonry such as brick, a bracket holds its full rating. On plasterboard the picture changes: plasterboard has limited pull-out strength, so the 20kg may not be achievable with plasterboard fixings alone. Fix into, or as close as you can to, a stud; on a dot-and-dab wall, fix through into the brick behind. Use fixings rated for the weight you are hanging, and check with a spirit level before the board goes on.