Shelves 15 cm deep

A shelf 15 cm deep holds a full row of books without eating into the room. It is the shallowest depth we make, slim enough for a hallway or the wall above a desk, yet steady enough to carry a run of paperbacks and most hardbacks. Each one is folded from a single sheet of Italian steel and fixed with a bracket that stays hidden behind the spines, so the books appear to float against the wall.

Why a 15 cm deep shelf works in small rooms

Fifteen centimetres is the depth that disappears. A shelf this shallow projects barely a hand's width from the wall, which keeps a corridor, a stairwell or a narrow bedroom clear to walk through. It is the natural choice where a floor-standing unit would crowd the space, and it reads as a clean line rather than a bulky bookcase. If you need room for large art books or box files, the deeper 25 cm deep shelves give you the extra reach.

What you can put on a 15 cm deep shelf

The depth suits far more than books. Paperbacks and standard hardbacks sit spine-out with room to spare, and the same shelf takes framed prints, records, plants or kitchen jars just as easily. Mounted above a worktop, a sideboard or inside a wall recess, a shallow 15 cm shelving unit turns dead wall into usable storage. Many people fit a set in a kitchen or a bathroom, where the slim profile keeps everyday things to hand without blocking the room.

Choosing your size and set

The range runs in three widths. The Wall Bookshelf 45 x 15 cm (from £59) is the compact single shelf; the Wall Bookshelf 60 x 15 cm covers a wider stretch of wall. To dress a whole wall, a matched set works out cheaper per shelf: the Wall Bookshelves 30 x 15 cm, set of 6 build a stepped column, while the floating shelves 45 x 15 cm, set of 4 spread across a larger surface. Where floor space is tight, the Vertical Bookshelf 45 cm acts as a narrow bookcase that stacks upward instead of along the wall.

Colour, finish and fitting

Every shelf is powder-coated in one of eight colours, from the popular white through to black and warmer tones, so the line either blends into the wall or stands out against it. Fitting takes two screws and a spirit level: mark, drill, screw, then slide the shelf onto its hidden bracket. On plasterboard, match the fixings to the weight of your books; on brick, standard plugs hold fine. Delivery across the UK takes three to four days.

Related shelves to browse

After the levitating look with no visible support? Compare the invisible bookshelves or the all-white shelves. For the floating effect at every depth, see the full floating shelves range, or step back up to every wall-mounted bookshelf we make.