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They're great for small homes and small spaces. Place over countertops, in bathrooms, hallways or in alcoves. If you're running short on storage, a small bedside shelf keeps the floor open but allows room for reading materials, a glass of water or a task light. And because the shelves are small, your selections have to be well edited (which results in a clean, uncluttered look). You can always repurpose drawers as shelves or shop around on Etsy for vintage finds.

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(Images: 1. Little Byrd Vintage, 2. Flickr Member studiosmith used under Creative Commons License, 3. Look!: Vintage Iron Steps as Bathroom Shelving, 4-5 Beth Zeigler)