The Impossible 13-Foot Floating Shelf (Built with ONLY 1/4" Plywood!)
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I built a 13-foot full-wall floating shelf for my son’s room so he could finally display his LEGO creations properly. This shelf is 1.75 inches thick, 10.5 inches deep, and spans the entire wall using two 6.5-foot floating shelves installed side by side for a seamless full-length look.
The Hidden Structure
The shelf uses a hidden wall-mounted carcass system built from modified 2x4s, cut down into 1.5” x 1.25” strips, with ¼” plywood skins on both the top and bottom to reach the final thickness.
The wall frame is installed first, and the shelf box slides directly over the wall-mounted structure for a clean floating effect.
Materials and Design
For the face frame, I used 8/4 Eastern White Pine left over from a previous patio project. The face pieces were grooved to accept the plywood panels, creating a strong but lightweight hollow box design with internal support blocks for added rigidity.
Finishing Touches
The shelves were finished with boiled linseed oil and left to cure in the shop for 3 days before installation.
Once installed, the shelves immediately went to work—15 LEGO builds already waiting to be displayed… and I’ll definitely need to build another one soon.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to build a long floating shelf, a LEGO display shelf, or just want a clean wall-to-wall storage solution with hidden supports, this build is for you.