Installing bedroom shelving is a fantastic way to transform blank wall space into a more useful feature, providing extra storage where you need it most without compromising floor space. The shelving can be used for decor pieces, however, in smaller bedrooms, it can be the place where you keep your books, alarm, and a night light.

Below, you can find a collection of the most inspiring above-bed shelving designs to give you inspiration for your next bedroom interior design project.

A Slightly Recessed Wooden Shelf Space With an Earthy Color Palette

This built-in shelving is the perfect solution for anyone looking to keep their books close. The slight recess of the shelf creates an additional surface area to display wider objects without intruding on the sleeping space. The wood finish pairs well with the sage green and brown tones as well as other wooden decor.

Styled by Living Deco, photographed by Jonas Berg for Stadshem

Open, Bracket-Mounted Shelves in the Same Shade as the Wall Paint

These standard shelves are painted in the same color as the bedroom walls, making them blend in with the background. The placement of the shelves creates a focal point over the head of the bed, bringing the eyes to that section of the room.

Styled by JosefssonLjung, photographed by Alen Cordic for Nya Kvadrat

A Trio of Shelves With a Mild Industrial Design

These rack-style shelves are a great addition to this bedroom, using subtle design to allow the focus to be on the items stored here instead of the shelf itself. By hanging this bedroom shelving just to the side of the headboard, everything is kept within reach without concerns about bumping your head on the shelves during the night.

Photographed by Mia Borgelin, styled by Lind, for sale via Historiska Hem

A Thin Single Shelf With Small Decorative Items

This bedroom shelving example showcases a subtle, blended design with small decor pieces. The understated nature of this shelf pairs perfectly with the overall theme of this bedroom, where clean and bright shades and materials create a sense of peace and relaxation.

via Era Sweden

A Single Shelf to Display Books Above a Corner Bed

This small, single wood shelf adds just the right amount of personality to this bedroom. The color and style of the shelf matches the rest of the furniture in the room perfectly, while the similarly toned books and decorative flowers come together in a garden-inspired design.

via Stadshem

A Single Bracket-Mounted Shelf to Display Plant Life in a Calming Bedroom

This fresh-air bedroom blends contemporary and tropical design influences into a genre that’s all its own. The single white shelf above the headboard makes for the ideal location to mount personal lighting, store knickknacks, and display faux plants for a touch of greenery that’s echoed in other places throughout the bedroom.

via Alvhem

A Floating Shelf as a Picture Ledge to Display Artwork Above the Bed

Floating shelves are a popular choice for bedroom shelving solutions. Their sleek styling makes them the ideal place to showcase picture frames without distractions. The color of the shelf is mirrored throughout the room, as is the color of the frames. This creates a cohesive look without cluttering the walls or floor of the room with unnecessary items.

via Stadshem

Faux Built-In Shelves in a Bright, Small Space

Anyone looking to add storage by incorporating built-ins into their bedroom shelving can turn to this example for inspiration. This bedroom uses a sunken area between two walls as a frame for a pair of shelves. In doing so, the effect that comes with built-ins is preserved, but without the hassle of changing the architecture of the room.

via Alvhem

Fill an Empty Corner Above the Bed With Shelves for More Storage

You can add plenty of storage space by installing bedroom shelving in small spaces. These corner shelves double as both decor and storage furniture, spanning a portion of two walls for maximum impact. The positioning above the bed also makes for a great place to hang a reading light and save floor space.

Styled by Grey Deco, photographed by Anders Bergstedt for Alvhem 

Black, Industrial Style Shelves in a Dark Toned Bedroom

Instead of using just one shelving unit on the wall, pair matching units above the bed for extra space. The bedroom shelving in this example follows industrial design ideals, allowing it to feel right at home alongside the other furniture in the room.

Hanging dark shelves on a dark wall can also add a level of intensity to the room, though the effect is reduced here due to the light of the window.

via Historiska Hem

A Smaller Rack of Shelves to the Side of the Headboard

This shelving unit is similar to those in the previous idea, particularly in shape. However, these shelves provide a completely different feel due to their coloring in conjunction with the color palette of the bedroom itself. Hanging this shelving to the side of the headboard brings balance to the side table and creates an appealing appearance when viewed through the door frame.

via Historiska Hem

A Picture Ledge Above the Bed to Display Your Favorite Books

This picture ledge is used to create a unique bedroom feature, with paint matching that of the wall for a blended, subtle look. In addition to providing a place to display items that make a statement, it also serves as a place to install additional lighting.

via Esny

Thin Shelving With Geometric Brackets for an Elegant Touch

Shelving can be a great source of personality and styling in bedrooms, as pictured here. This shelf has a delicate appearance, acting as both a storage space for decor as well as a piece of decor itself.

via Alvhem

White Shelves With Black Brackets Hanging on a Dark Wall

These staggered shelving units use dark mounting brackets on a dark wall to disguise the hardware. This creates the more streamlined appearance of floating shelves without the specialty hardware needed to install that type of shelving.

via Entrance Makleri

Floating Shelf Picture Ledges With Pops of Dark Tones

These floating shelves are picture ledges and make for the perfect storage solution for thin items you want to display. The raised front lip allows you to store objects that cannot stand up on their own in an suitable way.

via Alvhem

A Small Floating Shelf to Add Personality to the Space

This tiny shelf is the answer for anyone that doesn’t want to add unnecessary bulk to their walls, but still wants to showcase small items. Its dark color matches the bedding while contrasting with the color of the wall and the brightness of the window.

via Entrance Makleri

A Picture Ledge Painted to Blend With the Wall

Similar to some of the previous ideas we’ve seen so far, this picture ledge blends with the walls while serving as a storage location for thin decorative items. The effect is stunning, with the ledge creating a faux headboard for depth in the room.

via Entrance Makleri

Wooden Shelving With a Built-In Pegboard

Simple wood shelving is a classic choice for any house, with wood tones being easy to match throughout other decor. This example takes that concept a step further, providing additional storage in the form of a peg rail without taking up more space.

Styled by Emma Fisher, photographed by Maria Sahlander for Bjurfors

Thin Open Shelves to Showcase Items Above the Bed

Finally, in our list of ideas, these shelves help combat limited space on the floor by serving a variety of roles. They act as great spots to hang a personal light, store an alarm clock, display books, and present artwork.

Their color paired with the monochromatic palette of the bedroom allows all of the objects placed there to stand front and center, transforming everyday objects into decorative pieces.

Photography by Anders Bergstedt via Entrance Makleri