When we moved into our newly built home three years ago, I thought we’d spend less money from year to year than we did when we lived in our 80-year-old tumble-down semi in an old Toronto neighbourhood. News flash: having a new home costs as much to make your own as it does to repair an old home.
Even when you factor in costly termite fumigation (or the dreaded knob & tube wiring), our old house still cost us less each year. Part of that is being in a bigger space and contending with increased water, heating and electricity bills. Oh, and the suburban property taxes, which are more than double what we paid in the city. Part of it is also outfitting more square footage with new furniture. And part of it is organizing all of the nooks and crannies throughout our home.
I don’t know if you can tell, but I love gear. And utensil organizers, closet organizers, milk-bag stackers, can caddies and sliding shelves are no different. I love to open a cabinet door and be able to see everything, without it being all stacked on top of each other. I’ve got a sliding shelf under my kitchen sink, and another one that houses our garbage and recycling receptacles in our kitchen island.
When Gliding Shelf Solutions asked if I had a space in my home that needed de-cluttering, it was a no-brainer: my master en suite bathroom cabinets. When you build a house these days, most builders put in a cabinet and that’s it. We didn’t get a shelf to speak of in our bathroom. When you have a heap of makeup supplies, hair tools and a husband who likes to collect product samples and open a new toothpaste before the old one is finished, shelves are necessary – unless you want your cabinets to look like this:
Gliding Shelf came in, measured, and four weeks later installed what is one of my home’s favourite features – even if no one but Big B and I see it on a regular basis.
THE GOOD
While a product’s functionality is, at the end of the day, the most important thing to consider with any investment, I need to start with a shout-out to the whole Gliding Shelf team. They are just about the friendliest folks ever. It’s a family business and you really get a sense of that when you work with these guys. Lee-Anne in the office is lovely, and her husband Tyler (who will measure and install your shelves if you’re near Gliding Shelf’s home base) is easy-going, friendly and professional. He even takes off his shoes at the front door without being asked.
Now for the best part of all – the AFTER shot:
The installation was pretty quick (the entire bathroom was finished in less than two hours), and every speck of mess that Tyler made during the installation process was cleaned up before he left.
The sliding shelves from Gliding Shelf are awesome. You can get solid birch or a white MDF-based shelf; I have the birch and they are strong. And heavy. Once your Gliding Shelf system is installed, it won’t be going anywhere. Every single shelf glides perfectly, fits perfectly and runs quietly and smoothly.
I can’t believe how much extra space these gave me in my bathroom. It’s now so easy to retrieve my makeup bag that I don’t need to leave it on the counter from day to day. And instead of my hot roller clips being stacked on top of hair gunk on top of maxi-pads from 1997 (which, yes, have moved with me to at least four different residences. I have rat-pack issues, OK?!), everything has a place. A place that actually makes sense.
Ultimately, Gliding Shelf has given me extra time in my day. I don’t hunt for the things I need – whether it’s the stuff I use every day or the stuff I need less frequently, like nail clippers and the hair paste I bought just for The K Man’s hair when I need to tame it for special occasions. (To which he tells me, “I hate getting handsome.”)
You get what you pay for when it comes to Gliding Shelf. Between the time it takes to measure, custom make and install each “glide,” it’s about $250 to the customer. That means a small kitchen pantry or a large bathroom vanity like ours is going to ring it at about $1,000. If you’re on a tight budget, this is probably not where you should spend your money – but for those of you with some expendable cash at the end of the month, I strongly recommend considering these if you want to make certain spaces in your home work more efficiently. (And just look better.)
Think outside the cabinet: Gliding Shelf will custom-make sliding shelves for furniture like armoires and linen closets, too.
Lifetime warranty. I don’t know who’s lifetime, though – yours or the family who owns the business. Let’s hope you don’t outlive them.
THE GAFFE
You have to open your cabinet doors ALL the way before you try to slide one of your shelves out. This may sound odd, but it’s taken some getting used to. When you’re accustomed to just thrusting your hand into the abyss in search of a random bobby pin, you don’t quite notice that you’re rarely opening the doors all the way. We’ve had our shelves for about three months now and I’m finally at the point where I’m no longer banging the crap out of the inside of my cabinet doors.
THE GEARS
4.5/5
So…where can you get it?
- Directly from Gliding Shelf (Canada only; some locations require self-installation)
Karen says
I have shelves like these in my bathroom and felt that it was well worth the money we spent on them. I agree…you do need to be mindful of opening doors all the way. You will get used to it!
Karen says
I have shelves like these in my bathroom and felt that it was well worth the money we spent on them. I agree…you do need to be mindful of opening doors all the way. You will get used to it!
Maggie says
I think that the fact that you have to pull it all the way out would be a challenge to start but of course I would get used to it. Looks like a great system.
Maggie says
I think that the fact that you have to pull it all the way out would be a challenge to start but of course I would get used to it. Looks like a great system.
Elizabeth Matthiesen says
I love them! These gliding shelves certain make order out of chaos – just what I need too.
Elizabeth Matthiesen says
I love them! These gliding shelves certain make order out of chaos – just what I need too.
ginette4 says
How I would love to win this, I hate moving things around to get to the stuff in the back of the cupboard, thank you for the great giveaway!
ginette4 says
How I would love to win this, I hate moving things around to get to the stuff in the back of the cupboard, thank you for the great giveaway!
Jennifer I. says
I would love this for under my kitchen sink! I can never find anything in there and everybody just throws thinks in and slams the door hoping nothing will fall out!
Jennifer I. says
I would love this for under my kitchen sink! I can never find anything in there and everybody just throws thinks in and slams the door hoping nothing will fall out!
Suzanne G says
This is something I could so use as it seems I clean my cupboards and then somebody comes along with their salad tongs and it is a disaster again
Suzanne G says
This is something I could so use as it seems I clean my cupboards and then somebody comes along with their salad tongs and it is a disaster again
Sande says
These are a great idea whether you’re 30, 60 or 90 years old. Makes life and organizing so much easier.
Sande says
These are a great idea whether you’re 30, 60 or 90 years old. Makes life and organizing so much easier.
Tanya C says
I so need that in my kitchen. It looks like the night gremlins have a party in my cupboards!
Tanya C says
I so need that in my kitchen. It looks like the night gremlins have a party in my cupboards!
Amy Heffernan says
Awesome. These would be SO great to have! Thank you!
Amy Heffernan says
Awesome. These would be SO great to have! Thank you!
Kyle says
One of the best ideas ever.
Kyle says
One of the best ideas ever.
Jeff N says
Wow that’s really a great idea
Jeff N says
Wow that’s really a great idea
holly messana says
That is amazing!!! I love these shelves, and thank you for showing the before and after.
holly messana says
That is amazing!!! I love these shelves, and thank you for showing the before and after.
angela m says
This looks great, My cupboards need help, Too much stuff and not a lot of space
angela m says
This looks great, My cupboards need help, Too much stuff and not a lot of space
Ingrid L says
Oh wow, the before and after is just amazing. I NEED this in my life! Who couldn’t use a bit more organization?!
Ingrid L says
Oh wow, the before and after is just amazing. I NEED this in my life! Who couldn’t use a bit more organization?!
Brandi C says
This is one of those products/companies that you sit and wonder why no one did this 25 years ago. It seems like a no brainer!
Brandi C says
This is one of those products/companies that you sit and wonder why no one did this 25 years ago. It seems like a no brainer!
Jennifer Morse says
OMG, If you’d ever seen my kitchen pantry you’d be buying this for me.
Jennifer Morse says
OMG, If you’d ever seen my kitchen pantry you’d be buying this for me.
Melissa G says
This solution would be amazing for my oversized hot mess of a linen closet
Melissa G says
This solution would be amazing for my oversized hot mess of a linen closet
Tina says
This would definitely make my life easier, especially with a new baby!
Tina says
This would definitely make my life easier, especially with a new baby!
Sharon Cheung says
Neat idea for neatness 😉
Sharon Cheung says
Neat idea for neatness 😉
Carla says
This sounds great! I think everyone could benefit from this!
Carla says
This sounds great! I think everyone could benefit from this!
zer says
awesome!
zer says
awesome!
Melanie zeitz says
Need this!!
Melanie zeitz says
Need this!!
Yvette says
These would work awesome in our pantry!
Yvette says
These would work awesome in our pantry!
Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says
Awesome. I need help. Even of the shelving type…
Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says
Awesome. I need help. Even of the shelving type…
Melissa says
Love this blog
Melissa says
Love this blog
Julie says
I could totally use this. Do they do shelving in closets? Or maybe the kitchen?
Mommy Gearest says
They do! Anywhere you can imagine, really. Old armoires and hutches, anywhere in your kitchen, closets (though there might be width restrictions…you should check out the Gliding Shelf website – tonnes of amazing pics).
Julie says
I could totally use this. Do they do shelving in closets? Or maybe the kitchen?
Mommy Gearest says
They do! Anywhere you can imagine, really. Old armoires and hutches, anywhere in your kitchen, closets (though there might be width restrictions…you should check out the Gliding Shelf website – tonnes of amazing pics).