Set up the actual items that you’re going to keep onto a worktable to start with. You will find that books, baskets, dishes, speakers, plants, and storage chests each occupy a different amount of width, height, and depth, and that a storage space developed around them is often more usable than a cabinet that has been divided into equal spaces just for the sake of neatness on its front elevation.
Measure up a representative collection of the items and identify their maximum overall size. A row of books will demand at least that much vertical height, while a basket also needs a little room under it to get a finger grip and lift it out. Add just enough room over and next to the object to be able to put it in and take it out easily, but try to avoid creating excess space that has no purpose. The idea isn’t to pack everything into a minimum space. It’s to create enough space to get things into and out of them easily and conveniently.
Now think about what groupings you can make from the items, based on usage and weight. Items that are handled most often are likely to be best located in a convenient zone. Heavy boxes are easier to lift from a lower level, while light pieces used mainly for decoration can be put on higher shelves. This begins to transform your design from empty spaces into a functional storage design that is related to the human body, to motion, and to the activities of a real life.
Draw a front elevation of your proposed design and lay out your individual items on it as simple rectangles to check their overall sizes and how they fit into the proposed openings in the shelf. Take into account the thickness of the shelf components, side members, top, and any dividers, and make a separate side elevation to check depth. A shelf that is wide in front may still be too shallow to accommodate a record player, a stack of folded clothes, or a large storage box. Handles, doors, and backs may eat into some of the useful space.
A problem develops as you add more variety of objects in a tight fit to a fixed scheme. Creating a separate compartment for every item results in excessive segmentation and reduces flexibility for changes in storage requirements. Look for opportunities to combine some objects into a single opening, and consider if it would be more effective to have fewer divisions with the option to add an adjustable shelf instead. Removing a divider allows more useful storage space, creates material savings, and results in a more relaxed shelf design.
Before you get to the details of wood selection or edge detailing, check the actual placement of the objects against a taped outline on your wall or a cardboard model. Verify if the tallest object fits comfortably under the shelf above, if you’re able to reach the basket and pull it out from the front, and that you’re able to reach the high shelves. A shelf design is successful when the items fit easily and the empty space is as meaningful as the filled space.