Muji Wall-Mounted Shelf

Muji and IKEA both make wall-mounted shelves but the Muji version communicates something different even though the function is identical. Oak veneer shelf uses a single bracket system that hides behind the shelf itself, so from the front it looks like the wood is floating against the wall. Muji's entire catalog operates on the principle that the best design is the one you stop noticing. After a week of having it up I forget it is there until someone comments on it. Three of them in a vertical line above my desk hold books and a small plant. Spacing between them was the only real design decision I had to make. At $35 the price is right at the line where the quality of the finish feels worth it but mounting it wrong wouldn't ruin my day. Instructions are a single sheet with diagrams and no text, which is a Muji move that works for shelves but wouldn't work for anything more complex. The shelf holds things without trying to be anything more.