Stylish Shelving for Storage and Display

When designing the spaces in our homes, it is important to consider both the aesthetics and the efficiency of our design choices. Shelving provides both storage space and ample room for creativity making them the perfect addition to any home. Whether you choose built-ins or a removable option, shelves and their contents work together to enhance the design of any room. 

The best part about shelving is the abundance of options available. From free-standing to built-in and wall shelves, the options available to homeowners is staggering. Here are five shelving options that can tie any room together.

Built-in Shelving

Built-in shelving is a great option for creating beautiful, functional storage space in a home. Rising to the ceiling, these shelves provide plenty of storage and allow for maximizing previously unused space for personal knick-knacks, books, or family photographs. The simplistic design and neutral color allow the objects on display to take center stage in the design of the room. Further, many built-ins come with cabinets and drawers underneath, excellent for packing away clutter while maintaining a sleek design.

Free-standing Shelving

While built-in shelving is ideal for storage, free-standing shelving is often easier to work into a home’s decor and more flexible in usage. These shelving units can be moved from room to room, or even house to house, and don’t require the complex dismantling of built-in units. The wide variety of materials, colors, sizes, and design options available ensures that there is a shelf for every room in your home. 

Floating Glass Shelves

Floating glass shelves emphasize the items on display rather than the shelf itself. Floating shelves already appear to hang magically due to their hidden shelf supports. When these shelves are glass, the objects on display begin to take on a more ethereal presence as the shelf floats into the background. These shelves are best suited for display as they highlight the items on the shelves and complement other design elements in the room. 

Corner Shelves

Corner shelves are popular as they take the previously wasted space where two walls meet and add both decor and storage. Corner shelves are often used in kitchen spaces as commonly used utensils and ingredients can be kept close at hand while still being out of the way. When storing items on these shelves, it is essential to be selective to avoid a cluttered look. Color schemes, matching storage jars, and an eye for detail ensure that these shelves are styled to perfection. 

Geometric Shelves

Geometric shelves like this hexagonal design are a great way to include personality and whimsy into any room. The flat bottoms of these shelves make it easy to display or store items while still differentiating themselves from standard shelving options. Modern and unique, these shelves make any room feel one-of-a-kind. 

AMERICAS

ENGEL & VÖLKERS

EXCLUSIVE

GLOBAL

INTERIOR

DESIGN

LIFE STYLE

LUXURY

PROPERTY

REAL ESTATE

RESIDENCES

SHELVES

SHELVING

Physical offices aren’t going anywhere: Why shop culture is key to business growth

Think office space isn’t that important? Think again. But only when you create this kind of environment.

BY ANTHONY HITT for Engel & Völkers

April 12, 2021

More than a year into the COVID pandemic, the debate of just how important a physical office is to our industry continues with acute focus. After all, 2020 was a record-breaking year. If real estate professionals were able to service their clients and transact business remotely during the most volatile of times, perhaps office spaces aren’t as important as we may have thought.

Not so fast.

Engel & Völkers experienced its best year in 2020, but it wasn’t simply technology that enabled our network to thrive. It was because of our shop locations.

The shop concept

The first Engel & Völkers shop opened more than 40 years ago under the brand’s founder, Christian Völkers. That original boutique location in Hamburg, Germany has served as the blueprint for every shop since, from the brand’s first expansion to the Balearic Islands to our latest shop opening in East Greenwich, Rhode Island.

Across states, countries, and continents, every Engel & Völkers location reflects this shop concept, which has been refined over the years to instantly evoke the feelings of our brand values: competence, exclusivity, and passion.

This means that whether you’re looking for real estate expertise along the cliffs of Taormina, Sicily, or Philadelphia’s Main Line, the Engel & Völkers shop is instantly recognizable. Our global architecture and design team ensures that each shop boasts the signature white facade and features purposeful design aspects throughout. Space has function with service at its core. From large windows that showcase our finest listings, to open concept workspaces, down to the espresso machine inviting clients to come inside — the experience has been thoughtfully curated with the purpose of providing a luxury experience to anyone who walks in our doors, anywhere in the world.

Creating a community hub

When we enter a market, we start with a shop buildout. Its location is strategically chosen within vibrant areas of the community, so that the shop can be used for more than transactional work. Physically and conceptually, our goal is to be at the center of the communities of which we serve.

Transitioning to remote work

When we were forced to change our working habits overnight, our network transitioned smoothly. While the switch was significant, our advisors stayed connected, continuing to work together efficiently from home, thanks to our global Google Workplace and World IPS platforms. We were used to working as a cohesive unit, but how we did this shifted.

This also translated into a virtual culture of digital happy hours, sales meetings, and best practice sharing events with other shops. This is what our shop concept had been nurturing all along.

A greater competitive advantage

The commitment to the Engel & Völkers shop is stronger than ever, for both the satisfaction of our clients and the success of our advisors. As COVID cases decline, many companies have decided to work remotely for quite some time, if not indefinitely. In this new era, our shop concept will continue to be a competitive differentiator, as it goes beyond the physical storefront.

Agents are certainly capable of selling real estate while working remotely, but our advisors have said they want to be back in the shop. Agents who don’t have this sense of comradery may not feel the same. But for us, this environment facilitates innovation and makes our people better professionals and better equipped to overcome challenges. It’s about having the right combination of the digital and physical shop presence that will continue to differentiate our advisors. To us, a shop is our home.

Learn more about Engel & Völkers.