Wall Mounted Display Shelves

From rustic reclaimed wood, to stylish and modern accent shelves, there are a range of different styles of wall mounted display shelves you can use for your favorite small collectibles, picture frames, or other decorative items. Whether your home decor is modern class, or full of country charm, there’s a shelf that is sure to fit into your room.

Wall Mounted Display Shelves

Buying Guide

Tara Gosselin Interior Design Expert

Tara is a San Antonio-based, award-winning landscape architect, garden writer, and educator with deep experience in eco-friendly design and hands-on horticulture. She helps homeowners turn ordinary yards into sustainable backyard retreats that blend edible planting, seasonal beauty, and thoughtful outdoor living. Her plant-first approach gives readers clear strategies for creating landscapes that feel restorative while working in harmony with the land.

How do I install wall mounted shelves?

It’s a simple process to install wall mounted display shelves, but before you can start, you’ll need to gather the proper tools. Besides the shelves and shelf brackets, make sure you have a tape measure, pencil, spirit level, stud finder, drill, hammer, drywall screws, and wall anchors.

Determine where you want the shelf, then consider its weight capacity and the overall unit weight. If it's especially large or heavy, use a stud finder to locate a sturdy wall stud where you can secure it to the wall. If no studs are available, you’ll need to use the drywall anchors for appropriate support.

Next, use a pencil to mark where both ends of the shelf should be fixed to the wall. With your level, confirm that the shelf will be straight in this position. Using a power drill, pre-drill into the wall at the marked points. If you have brick or masonry walls, insert a wall anchor.

Position the shelf or wall brackets to line up with the drilled holes. Fasten the shelf or bracket to the wall using screws. If you secured a bracket to the wall (and not the shelf directly), you can now mount the shelf on the bracket.

What can I store on wall mounted display shelves?

Wall mounted display shelves are the perfect accent piece to any room and allow you space to store almost anything. Keep your classic books on shelves that are mounted higher up, or store your child’s favorite books on shelves designed to display the front covers of picture books. Put your family’s sunglasses on the shelves of a small display unit for fun use of the space.

Opt for a shelf with built-in space for wine bottles and glasses to store your wine collection. Go the classic route by displaying figurines, vases, trinkets, and other interesting collectibles on square shelving units or display shelves with interesting shapes highlighting your items. Small potted plants are a lively addition to your wall-mounted shelves and add a fresh look to your room.

Before displaying or storing any items, ensure that you determine the shelf’s weight capacity.

How much weight can wall mounted display shelves hold?

On average, standard wall mounted display shelves can support approximately 30-50 lbs. of weight. However, this depends on the shelf materials, the depth of the wall mounted display shelf, and how many studs will be used to mount it. Some wall mounted display shelves can support over 300 lbs.; however, to hold this amount of weight, they have to be built and installed correctly.

Consider exactly what your shelf will be holding. Next, you’ll need to think about how much these objects weigh and how they affect the dimensions needed for your shelf? Answering these questions can help you determine how big your shelf will need to be and the best type of wood to use.

If you want your shelf to carry a substantial amount of weight, certain wood types are durable and sturdy. These include walnut, pine, mahogany, plywood, cherry, and MDF (medium-density fiberboard).