Cube shelving is available in a wide variety of types. It may be a few hollow cube-shaped frames designed to be hung on walls and hold small items or an entire cube shelving system that will provide floor to ceiling storage space. Cube shelving is made from many different materials, including wood, wire and plastic.
Plastic cube shelves tend to be modular, hollow individual units with rounded corners. These may be used individually in a room or combined. Oftentimes, this type of lightweight cube shelving may be hung on the wall as well as stacked about two or three high on the floor as a small bookcase. The cube stacks could then be placed side-by-side. Some larger modular, hollow cubes can be combined to form coffee tables or used individually as a side table.
Wire cube shelving is usually sold in units of cubes. Some of these systems are so large they take up an entire wall. Flat squares of wire mesh are designed in these systems to be constructed into cubes and held together with fasteners included. Many of these fasteners are round plastic pieces that fit onto the corners of the cubes. These corner fasteners hold the cubes together to make them sturdy.
Wood varieties of cube shelf tend to look a little more formal than the plastic or wire types. They may be hollow and open or feature an inner shelf plus an outer cabinet door. Some wooden cube shelving is meant to use as modular cabinets, either as side tables or stacked to create a tall storage unit. Other types of wood cubes meant for use as tables may have furniture feet added to the bottoms.
Cabinet door hardware on closed-in wood cube shelving is often metal that varies in color. These wood shelving units may be light or dark stained. Wire cube shelf systems are usually either silver-toned or coated in white plastic. Plastic modular cube style shelving pieces typically have the widest color range that often includes neutrals, pastels and brights.
Cube shelving is thought to have been inspired by the same look that wooden crates that were once used for produce make when used as furniture. Versatile cube pieces of all types of materials are usually very affordable as well as lightweight. Cube styles of shelving can be ideal for college dorms and first apartments as well as for anyone on a strict furniture budget.
