I'm looking for ways to mount shelves without having to drill into my walls or use wall plugs. I'm not talking about command strips here; I recently spotted a design that seemed sturdier but I'm not quite sure how it works. Has anyone tried something similar or have any experiences to share?
4 Answers
You generally have a few options: you can either stick it to the wall, use screws or anchors, or just have it free-standing. I’m curious what alternative you're thinking about—like, anti-gravity shelves?
Back in the 70s, I remember a setup with two vertical pillars—kind of like temporary basement poles. The bolts tightened and had slits for brackets, so the shelves slid in between them instead of sitting on the front. I'll try to find a picture for you, but it's tricky switching apps on my device.
That sounds really interesting! Could you explain more about how the boards were supported between the poles? I'm really curious about this design.
I’ve seen something like that too, but I was skeptical! If there’s a wall mount system that truly works on drywall without causing damage, I'm all in. Would be nice to know that exists lol.
So, it sounds like you're either looking at a free-standing bookshelf or you'll have to make some holes in the wall. You can use cleats to move the shelves, but you still need to mount those. Honestly, anything that claims to avoid holes in the wall probably won’t be that sturdy.
That’s what I thought too, but I came across something that used just thin nails without plugs. Seemed like it was holding up just fine without ruining the wall. Still figuring out how solid it really is, though.

Haha, I get why it sounds wild! I remember seeing a design online that didn't seem to use any of those traditional methods, and it stuck with me. Just trying to see if anyone else has spotted anything like it.