How To Install Floating Shelves and Create a Hanging Bathroom Garden

Writer and expert4 years ago

Creating a hanging garden in your bathroom by installing floating shelves is a simple but effective way to transform your space into an inspiring oasis. In addition to looking beautiful, having plants in your bathroom and other areas of the home is known to be good for our health. As they improve air quality by capturing airborne pollutants and can also help to reduce our stress levels.

This guide will show you that with the simple addition of some floating shelves and bathroom-friendly hanging plants, you can create your own jungle-like sanctuary.

floating shelves and hanging bathroom garden

Let’s start with what you’ll need.

Materials:

Floating shelves (as many as you like and whatever size you want)
A selection of plants (Ivy, Spider plant and Fern are great choices but check out our Houseplants for your Humid Bathroom blog for more inspiration)

Tools:

Tape measure
Pencil
Spirit level
Drill with masonry and screwdriver drill bits (for concrete or brick)
Screws & Wall plugs
Shelf brackets
Claw hammer
Screwdriver
Safety goggles
Ear defenders
Electronic wire and pipe detector

Read our DIY safety tips and manufacturer instructions

Before you begin any DIY work, we recommend you read our DIY Safety Tips guide along with your power tool manuals to keep yourself and others protected while completing this How To guide. If your wall has any holes or cracks, you can find out how to repair them here. If you’re in doubt about anything, you should reach out to a certified expert for assistance.

Check the type of wall

You will need to know what type of wall you are going to be working with before attaching anything to it. Different wall types require different fixings and can hold different weights. You must always check the manufacturer's guidelines on the type of fixings and plugs that come with your shelving. Top tip: Plasterboard can hold a max of 5KG, whereas Masonry/Brick and Block walls can go up to a max of 10KG – or more with the appropriate kind of fixings and plugs.

Ensure there are no hazards

Use the electronic wire and pipe detector to ensure there are no hidden hazards behind the wall you will be drilling through. Hold the device in one hand against the wall and place the other hand flat against the wall, about 20-30cm away, to ensure grounding. Never drill directly above or below a light fitting or power socket because that is where its supply cable will most likely be. Top tip: To avoid confusing the detection device, remove any jewellery. And to check the device works, pass it over another electric point where you know cables will be behind the plastered wall – like at a plug socket or light switch.

Prep your wall

Now that you’ve checked the wall is safe, tidy everything out of the way and give it a quick wipe down. Hold up the bracket supplied with the floating shelf against the wall against the wall at the height and position you want, and ensure it is straight using a spirit level. Mark the hole positions with a pencil on the wall. Top tip: Remember to leave a big enough space for your plants to grow and hang if you are choosing to place your shelves above or below each other.

Time to start drilling

You’ll need your safety goggles and ear defenders for this stage. Using the hammer action on your drill and a masonry drill bit, drill holes into your pencil marked wall for your brackets. You can mark the length of your wall plugs on the drill bit using a bit of tape – this will tell you how far down to drill. Then, take a hammer and gently tap your wall plugs into the new holes. Followed by fixing the brackets to the wall using your screwdriver bit and screws, making sure any holes on the prongs are facing down. Top tip: Your shelves will come with installation instructions should you need further guidance.

Slide on the shelf

Next, slide the shelf onto the bracket and again use the spirit level to check the shelf is straight. Top tip: Make sure the shelf is tight to the wall. It won’t feel entirely secure just yet, but don’t worry as that’s coming next.

Secure the underside of the shelf

Find the pre-drilled holes on the underside of the shelf and the screws that came with it. Screw these upwards into the holes to then secure the shelf into the bar. Top tip: This is what ensures the shelf doesn’t slide off the bracket.

Add your plants

This part is completely up to you. Add whatever style plants you fancy to your shelves to create your desired look. However, remember not to overload your shelf – floating shelves are sturdy but like everything, they do have their limits. So, check the manual that comes with your shelf to confirm what weight they can handle. That’s your Hanging Bathroom Garden on Floating Shelves complete. Don’t forget to upload an image of your new hanging bathroom garden to social media, tag us and follow us @Homebase_uk

Homebase

Writer and expert