To be honest, when this project was submitted I initially passed it over. A post on simple shelves made from common hardware store brackets and laminated particle board did not command my attention. But when I took the time to read it, I realized that I was missing the point. The fact that these shelves were as plain as can be was the point.
If you have ever perused Corner Blog, you know Tiffanie has a good eye and a flair for the dramatic. But this particular post is most impressive because it displays her ability to tame the impulse to invest time and money in perfectly customizing every inch of her living space, because she can remember one simple fact: it is not hers. She is renting her San Francisco apartment, and while she has definitely put her personal stamp on it (as evidenced by the tour of her daughter's room we featured last year), she knows that her family will not be there forever.
Tiffanie sums it up perfectly: 'Although I dream of one day outfitting our kitchen in salvaged items that we hand pick ourselves, or in beautiful custom cabinetry that I design, it matters to me less what the shelf is made from than what is put upon it. No?'
I believe these are words that we, the design obsessed, should keep in mind and take to heart.
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(Images: Tiffanie Turner/Corner Blog)
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We use these same shelves in our home office to display all of our geekery. :) We'll probably leave them for our landlord when we leave too as they were very cheap and match the wood floor.
Great post...as a designer I work with clients all the time and say, "what's the return on investment for you in doing this?" Sometimes it's critical to invest...and sometimes not. Bravo for you posting Tiffanie's thoughts and example.
I love this thought - and think these shelves are styled beautifully. It's so good to remember that not everything has to be magazine-perfect to be beautiful and functional.
That's a good point to bear in mind. I've moved around so much that it became second nature for me to spend money only on what I could take with me. I've definitely started to slip on that now that I've been in the same place for 18 months (thats a LONG time for me!) and plan on sticking around. Now its about finding the balance between actually creating a home for the first time and remembering that it isn't mine.
I agree. I haven't rented for a long time, but when I was a renter, I would not have dreamed of spending money improving a home that was not mine (I moved on average once every 12 months). Renting in a city like London is expensive enough - save your money for a deposit on your own place that you can decorate however you like.
I love hardware store brackets for rentals. I am still a renter, long term at the current apartment. Every place I have lived in I usually buy those hardware store brackets and spray paint them an interesting color and spend the extra time in making some nice wooden shelves in a stain and wax finish for them. The return on your investment by going to a home improvement store and buying a few of those items is amazing. Here is an example
I do of course understand that it's not worth investing a lot of money in a temporary home, but I disagree that it doesn't matter what your shelves (or anything else) are made of. I always try to buy the most durable and eco-friendly option I can afford, and make it something I can take with me. If I'm installing something that I'll leave behind, I prefer to get as many of the components as possible for free (Freecycle, friends' cast-offs, etc). This isn't about being design-obsessed, it's about respect for the planet. Laminated particleboard is pretty un-green, and it's also likely to off-gas toxic fumes (eg formaldehyde) into your living space. We're planning to put up spur shelving (with FSC wood shelves) that will require minimal drilling of the wall (ie easy to fill holes when we leave), and be easily adaptable to another home in the future.
Hi "Really?",
I'm Tiffanie, and those are my shelves. While I agree with you on many of your points, I want to point out that 1) I don't think Richard (the author) and I are necessarily promoting making your shelves out of laminate materials, the idea is that many folks out there might not act on improving their spaces for fear of it not being perfect or right. 2) I don't know about you, but I don't own a car and almost never drive. I walk to and from school with my two kids 25 minutes each way, twice a day. My local hardware store used to carry pine boards, but now only carries laminate, and will cut it for me so I can carry home with a toddler on my back. It happens also to match the 15 linear feet of p-lam counters I'm already forced to live with. And finally, 3) if you take a look at my daughter's bedroom renovation, linked above, you'll see that while I'm not perfect, I did use many recycled items (files and a door for husband's desk, old crates for the room divider), as well as Plan Toys wooden kitchen elements, which use natural dyes and are made of wood. I am surprised that 4 sq. ft. of shelving and 24 screw holes would set you off so much, but you are obviously a champion for the environment, so I appreciate that.