Easy shelves for empty corners

I think I've figured out why people collect things. Our brains only have so much memory. At a certain age you can't hold memories permanently without cues, so that's why it's important to display stuff that reminds you of what gave your life meaning at one point. No matter how forgetful you become, you can still feel good when you gaze at your collection of Hard Rock café t-shirts, international Hot Sauces or Pez keychains.

But just as the brain runs out of space and needs to outsource memory storage, so do homes run out of shelves. Collections get packed away, robbing you of your life's meaning.

No more.

Every room has at least four corners, maybe more if you've got alcoves. All you need to remedy your shelflessness are some slick corner shelves, but not so slick that they dwarf the impact of your stolen Canadian Pacific Hotel silverware or vintage Lavoris bottles.

I came up with a corner shelf design that's suitable for a beginner, or fanciable-uppable by someone with a little more ambition. The shelves 'float', so you don't see any big honkin' ugly brackets hanging down underneath them.

Materials

• 1/2-inch plywood
• Pine or maple board, approximately 1" x 3" by 25"
• Scrap 1" x 2" lumber to make shelf supports
• Small steel L-brackets
• 3/4-inch screws
• Washers (optional)
• Carpenter's glue
• Loctite Power Grab glue
• Finishing nails

Tools

• Hand saw, jig saw or circular saw
• Measuring tape
• Clamps
• Torpedo level
• Sculpting gouges (optional)

Steps

1. Clamp a piece of 1/2-inch plywood to your work surface and cut a right-angle triangle. (I used dimensions of 15" x 15" x 23"). TIP: If your corner walls are badly out of square (or you're really anal), use a bevel gauge or paper templates to measure the angle. Then cut your plywood triangle out-of-square to match the walls. (I wouldn't bother, but then I collect beer bottle caps as a source of meaning.)
2. Cut a facing board to cover the front edge of the plywood shelf. Cut it a couple of inches longer than what you need. Then mark and cut 45-degree bevels on each end, so the board will fit snugly against the corner walls. You can use a hand saw with a mitre-box to cut the 45-degree angles on the ends of the board, or use a circular saw with the sole plate adjusted to a 45-degree angle.
3. Clamp the facing board to your worktable and chisel flutes in the surface using a bowl gouge, or stencil the face, or create a wood-burning design, or just leave it plain if it will compete with your display of CNR train lapel pins.
4. Stain or paint the shelf and/or facing board (optional).
5. Mount the facing board to the plywood shelf using small L-brackets. Remember to pre-drill into the facing board, especially if it's hardwood. TIP: If the screws are too long, shorten them by adding a stack of small washers under the screw head.
6. Use a torpedo level to mark and mount two short boards on the walls to carry the weight of the shelf. Either screw the boards to the wall, or use Loctite Power Grab glue to attach them. (You can drive a finish nail through each board to tack it in place while the Power Grab cures.)
7. Put the shelf in position on the shelf supports. Gravity will hold it in place, but for safety, tack the shelf to the supports with a couple of 'brads' - tiny finishing nails - or Power Grab glue.

You can build several corner shelves and space them vertically up a corner. Or mount single shelves in opposite corners of the room to hold surround-sound speakers. Or upholster a vertical series of shelves with padding and cozy fleece and let the cats fight over who gets the top bunk.