The glass shelves appear to defy gravity, allowing everything on them to appear to float in midair. While glass shelves may not hold much, they beautifully enhance everything you display on them.
Glass shelving is often associated with bathrooms, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but why not consider them for other rooms in your home as well? Glass kitchen shelves with jars of beans or candied fruit are a great way to spruce up an unused corner or area above the door. Likewise, a set of glass shelves with family photos in the study gives you additional space to display without making the room feel too enclosed.
To maximize the beauty of glass shelves, be sure to use supports suitable for them. Glass shelf brackets are specifically designed for this purpose, enhancing the elegance of the shelves. Do not use glass shelf brackets for other types of shelves unless their use is clearly specified in the mounting instructions.
Glass shelving approved brackets tend to be lighter, more delicate, and in some cases deliberately smaller than other types of brackets. A large metal stand can completely outshine and weigh a glass shelf, making it appear unbalanced and unnecessarily heavy. It is also wasted on a glass shelf, as larger stands are designed to hold more weight, which is generally not a problem with shelves designed for display rather than storage.
Smaller glass shelf holders are rails or clips. These brackets barely protrude from the wall, and many of them are made of chrome, so they shine like glass and blend naturally with the shelf they hold. They are mounted on the wall first and then the shelves are attached. Instead of screws that go through the glass shelf to hold it in place, they have specially designed screws with a blunt end that push down and hold the shelf in place. They are also rated by the weight and thickness of the glass they are designed for. Rails and clips are only good for glass shelves that hold lighter items. They are not designed to support any serious weight.
There are entire pages dedicated to the topic of brackets, shelving accessories, shelving of all kinds and more in The Home Shelving Guide. Come and take a look at all the information we have collected for you.
If you are interested in placing heavier objects on the glass shelves and you are concerned about sagging, it would be better to use standard glass holders. These are more traditional design brackets that extend completely from the wall to support the shelf. They differ from normal wooden shelf brackets in that they are typically longer than the width of the shelf. They are built with a raised foot at the end or an extended edge that holds the glass shelf in place. Since glass slides on metal easily, this is important so that the shelf does not slide.
The variety of glass shelf supports available on the market is extensive. Choose brackets that suit your décor, your budget, and most importantly, the support needs of your glass shelves.