This wall in my teenage sons room has been blank for almost a year while we tried to figure out what we wanted to do with it. We wanted some sort of shelving but didn't want something to old fashioned. Thats when we came up with the square shelf idea and we are so glad we did. 

We designed these 18x18 inch square shelves to be able to display large photos and books inside and on top. And secured them with sturdy drywall hooks that you can find at your nearby hardware store or here on amazon. No need to drill into studs, these drywall hooks can handle a heavy load. 

I wish I would have found them sooner.

The shelves here are made out of 1x6 pieces of wood cut at a 45 degree angle every 18 inches. Use wood glue and screws to secure and stain the wood a nice dark color. So easy! And they provide a ton of storage. 

See the full room tour here at this earlier post, and check out how we transformed this gutted upstairs mess into a vintage modern teenage boys room.