However many cupboards we have or how big our cabinet is, my husband and I never seem to have enough kitchen storage. Things end up jammed into the cabinets with little business — or perhaps worse, there is a cluttered mess on our counters observable to all. We needed a budget-friendly solution to controlling our jumble, and we discovered it with open shelving.
Locating a location for the shelves was simple. We have a large open wall I had painted using a trellis design. I knew the shelves would finish the look and give us the extra storage we needed.
Meg Padgett
Installing open shelves in your own home is easier than you may think and can be done for less than $40. Here is how we did this.
Materials:
Four 11-inch shelf bracketsOne 1-inch by 12-inch by 8-foot whitewood boardEight 21/2-inch timber screwsEight 1-inch timber screwsWhite semigloss spray paint PrimerWhite inner latex semigloss paintFirst we prepared the shelves and mounts. We picked up our Ikea Ekby Valter Brackets for $4 each and gave each a coat of white semigloss spray paint. Next we cut the whitewood board in half to make two 4-foot-long shelves. We then sanded both with 120-grit sandpaper and followed that up with one coat of primer and two coats of white latex semigloss paint.
With the paint we began planning the placement of the shelves. We put the mounts 32 inches apart and let a 16-inch distance between the two shelves. Mount your mounts into a wall stud to ensure adequate potency.
Meg Padgett
After locating your stud, then level the bracket and mark the location. Drill the bracket into the wall using 21/2-inch wood screws.
Meg Padgett
Find placement of the following bracket by locating the stud 32 inches from the center of the first bracket; utilize a 3-foot layer to make certain that the second bracket is level with the first bracket. Mark the location and drill the bracket into place.
Meg Padgett
Next step 16 inches upward from the top of the shelving service on the mounted bracket and indicate that location. Line up the shelving service of the soon-to-be-mounted bracket with that mark. Now use the amount to make sure that both the top bracket and the reduced bracket are plumb and flush with one another. Drill the mount.
Repeat the preceding steps for the last bracket, ensuring that the bracket is level both horizontally and vertically.
Meg Padgett
With the brackets mounted, place the shelves on the mounts and fasten the shelves into the mounts with 1-inch wood screws (two for each bracket) Last, fill out the screw holes on the shelves and the mounts with paintable wood filler. Once they’re dry, then touch up the spots with white latex paint.
Meg Padgett
Now comes the fun part. Utilize the open shelving to display both practical items like baking ingredients and white dinnerware, and ornamental items like this quirky nesting doll and Pike Place Market photograph. Just make sure you display only items which are going to be used frequently, to prevent the accumulation of dust.
Meg Padgett
Vintage glass jars store food staples beautifully.
Meg Padgett
And finally, finish the look with a natural component. This potted plant matches the shelves’ colour scheme.
More:
12 Great Ideas for Organizing Your Kitchen