Live Edge Shelves

Live edge floating shelves are solid hardwood shelves with one long edge left natural (the silhouette of the tree). The top, bottom, and ends are milled flat so you can actually use them. Ours are carved and smoothed by hand in our Long Island, NY studio. Not bark-on slabs bolted to a wall.

Both. Every live edge shelf we make sits on the Hovr® interlocking aluminum cleat. Shelves 1.75" and thicker are rated up to 300 lbs of static load at 8" depth when installed into wood studs or structural blocking (Level for Life™). Our 1.5" shelves are not covered by Level for Life; they are guaranteed at HOVR's 125 lb load rating for the Slim bracket, under the same install rules. Looks like decor. Studs and the right thickness carry the load.

A lot. That's the point. Depth can run about ±1" along a live edge because the natural contour isn't a straight line. Grain, color, and figure change board to board. We won't pretend two shelves will match a stock photo.

Yes. Made to size is the default. Common starting sizes include 8"W × 4"D × 1.5" and 24"W × 8"D × 1.75", plus full custom. Depth typically runs 4"-12". Lead time is 3-4 weeks from order.

Solid American hardwoods: walnut, white oak, black oak, mahogany, and red oak. Straight edge or with a gallery rail. No veneer, no MDF, no hollow honeycomb cores.

Only if you want a raised lip for glassware, spice jars, or kids' rooms. The rail is optional metal (brass, nickel, or black). Shelf strength comes from the Hovr bracket and a stud install, not the rail.

The male Hovr bracket mounts to the wall into studs (or blocking). The shelf slides on and locks with set screws, plus epoxy per our Level for Life terms. Full steps and PDFs: Shelving installation guides.

Solid hardwood shelf (bracket mortised and installed as built), heavy-duty Hovr bracket, hardware kit, and install guide. Gallery-rail versions include the rail. Exact pack contents can vary by SKU. Check the product page.

Handcrafted to order. Standard shelving ships in 3-4 weeks. Shipping is free on every order, samples included.

Yes. For every shelf purchased we plant a tree through One Tree Planted (Appalachia project focus). One shelf for your wall, one tree in the ground.

If it's installed per our instructions (studs or blocking, set screws plus a chemical fastener, inside the rated static load), Level for Life™ covers the suspension system for the original owner. Claim path: photo with a level on top, email info@themortiseandthehare.com, then we help you check the install first. If it's a covered failure, we replace the hardware or the shelf, whichever is needed; if we replace the shelf, we'll ask you to return the original so we can inspect it. Details: Level for Life™ Guarantee.

Pick live edge when you want a natural silhouette as the feature. Pick straight edge when you want a clean line, tight runs of multiple shelves, or a more minimal kitchen look. Same solid wood, same Hovr system, same made-to-size process either way.