Tips for Creating Corner Shower Shelves Out of Stone Leftovers

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Creating corner shower shelves out of stone leftovers is a great way to tie your bathroom together. The excess stone could be remnants from your stone slab, prefabricated countertop, or simply another stone wall tile.  An economical option, it also is an effective way of using beautiful stone that might otherwise get thrown away. Use these fabricating tips to make your own custom stone corner shower shelves.

Three granite corner shower shelves fabricated using these DIY tips.

Three granite corner shower shelves fabricated using these DIY tips.

Tools Needed

Materials

  • excess stone

Tip #1: Template the size of your shelves!

This is by far the most important step because there are no go backs if your shelves are too small and you can’t fit all your stuff.

Create a simple template to verify your corner shower shelf space upfront.

Create a simple template to verify your corner shower shelf space upfront.

Previewing your shelves with a paper template ensures you have enough storage planned, as shown in this post: No Renovation Regret! Template to Ensure Enough Shower Storage

Previewing your corner shower shelves with a paper template ensures you have enough storage planned.

Tip #2: Cut the pieces down to size with a wet tile saw.

If the excess stone slab is too large for your wet tile saw, cut it down closer to size, but still too large with a diamond blade on the grinder. Then take the slightly large triangle and cut it down to the proper size…and straight lines…with the wet tile saw.

Tip #3: Polish all potentially viewable sides of the corner shower shelf.

The front edge is probably unpolished at this point. It is a dull white or grey finish instead of the natural stone color. You’ll want to polish the front edge with your grinder and polishing pads to match with the polished top.

If there is a shelf above your head you’ll be looking at the bottom of the shelf too. You’d rather see the natural beauty of the stone than leaving it unpolished and a whitish opaque from the factory.

Polish all potentially viewable sides of the corner shower shelf. Shown: the polished underside of three granite corner shower shelves.

The polished underside of three granite stone corner shower shelves.

The polished underside of three travertine stone corner shower shelves. If there is a shelf above your head you’ll be looking at the bottom of the shelf too. You’d rather see the natural beauty of the stone than leaving it unpolished and a whitish opaque from the factory.

The polished underside of three travertine stone corner shower shelves.

Tip #4. Match the profile edge to the rest of the bathroom.

You want a cohesive look and feel to the bathroom. Using the same kind of edge on the different pieces keeps it consistent. For instance, if there is a bullnose edge, put a bullnose on the top and perhaps even the bottom.

You want a cohesive look and feel to the bathroom. Using the same kind of edge on the different pieces keeps it consistent. For instance, if there is a bullnose edge, put a bullnose on the top and perhaps even the bottom. Sample bullnose top edge of a stone corner shower shelf.

Sample bullnose top edge of a stone corner shower shelf.

Match the profile edge to the rest of the bathroom. Sample bullnose bottom edge of a stone corner shower shelf.

Sample bullnose bottom edge of a stone corner shower shelf.

Related article: How to Bullnose Tile: Two Options

Tip #5. If you are not bullnosing the edge of the corner shower shelf, fabricate a micro bevel.

A 45 degree micro bevel removes small chips from the cutting process and makes it look more professional. It also softens a sharp 90 degree edge.

If you have a sharper corner throughout the rest of the bathroom you’ll want to match the top and bottom edges of the front edge with this same kind of 45 degree micro bevel.

Even if you bullnose the top edge and you do not want to round the bottom, consider a micro bevel along the bottom edge for the same reasons given above.

If you have a sharper corner throughout the rest of the bathroom you’ll want to match the top and bottom edges of the front edge with this same kind of 45 degree micro bevel. Sample beveled top edge of a granite corner shower shelf.

Sample beveled top edge of a granite corner shower shelf.

A 45 degree micro bevel removes small chips from the cutting process and makes it look more professional. It also softens a hard edge. This includes the bottom edge as well.

Sample beveled bottom edge of a granite corner shower shelf.

Closeup of the 45 degree bevel on the bottom edge of the shower shelf.

Closeup of the 45 degree bevel on the bottom edge of the shower shelf.

Other reasons excess stone slab is a preferred material for creating corner shower shelves.

As mentioned in the intro, not only is it good in the beauty, design and waste departments, but it is also the perfect thickness for a shower shelf. You won’t have to sandwich multiple pieces of tile together.

Second, with the polished edge mentioned in the tips, you won’t have to figure out how to cover the front edge with a profile edge, beveled piece of tile, or straight out mortaring a piece of flat cut tile on the front.

Because of this, there are no grout lines and it is less likely to fall apart since it is a single piece!

If you try creating your own corner shower shelves with these tips, please stop back to share your experiences–both good and bad–as well as any tips of your own!

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