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How To Hang Homemade Kitchen Shelves

Let’s see… when we last left off on Monday, our open shelves had been primed in preparation for their big hanging debut.

Shelves 17 Everything Prime

While we had the primer out we went ahead and slapped a coat on the hood cover too (using a 2″ angled brush in the cracks followed by a small foam roller to smooth everything out). Things were instantly looking less wood-sy on that wall.

Shelves 18 Hood Primed

Once the primer dried on both – we used Zinsser Smart Prime which is low-VOC and was recommended by a few pro cabinet painters that we know – out came the same high-durability paint that we used on our cabinets (yes, there’s still plenty left!) and we gave the brackets, shelves, and the hood a couple of coats. Two thin and even ones over one coat of primer did the trick. We also applied those with a 2″ angled brush followed by a small foam roller to keep things smooth and even. Oh and the paint is Benjamin Moore Advance paint in Cloud Cover, bee-tee-dubs (which many pros use to paint the inside of their clients’ cabinets along with the outside, so it should stand up really well to everyday use once it’s nice an cured up).

Shelves 19 Everything Paint

But the exciting stuff really started to happen when we finally got to the point of ACTUALLY PUTTING STUFF ON THE WALL. Yowza. Sorry for the caps. I said we were excited, right? Excited might be an understatement actually. Luckily, since we had already drilled all of our screws into the wall, the hanging step was pretty easy. Up went the brackets on the short side…

Shelves 20 Brackets Hung

…followed moments later by the shelves themselves. Can I get an “Ooooh”? How about and “Ahhhhh”?

Shelves 21 Shelves Hung

Don’t worry, we weren’t gonna just let them sit there unsecured. We just had some other things to do first – like making sure everything was still level. It was. Phew.

Shelves 22 Checking Level

So then we put everything up on the long side of the wall.

Shelves 23 Other Side Hung

We had mentioned in the previous post that we had originally planned to screw the shelves into the wall (we even made some pocket holes in preparation for this step). Well, after feeling how solid the brackets felt (more on that here) and not really wanting to put 12 more cringe-inducing holes in our tile – we opted to just use those pocket holes as a spot to screw the shelves firmly into the brackets (so the screw actually went straight down, not at the angle of the pocket hole). In hindsight, we definitely could’ve skipped the pocket hole step, but at least now the screw will be hidden in a spot that we can easily caulk over.

Shelves 24 Screwing In

Speaking of caulk, that was our next step after everything was drilled together. Since there were some dark seams where the shelves met the brackets, we just ran a thin bead of white paintable caulk along the top of each bracket and smoothed it with our finger to make the shelves and brackets look more like one unit. Tedious? A smidge. Worth it? Totally. Then of course we painted over it so everything matched.

Shelves 25 Caulking

And with that folks, we were done! Except for more waiting. Booooo.

Shelves 26 After Full

As eager as we are to immediately fill them with plates and bowls and cups, we resisted that urge in order to let all of the paint cure a little bit longer – just because we caulked those screw holes and around the edges which called for some touch up paint. We definitely don’t want to jump the “fully cured” gun (which could result in a bunch of dents and dings in our shelves during their first few days of use). So for now we’ll just have to enjoy these empty “after” shots thanks to following the full curing time on the paint can’s directions. But tomorrow – oh baby, it’s on. Sherry’s even planning to shoot a little time lapse video of the process of loading them up.

Shelves 27 After Angle

Oh and of course we still have to add crown molding to the ceiling to finish things off and make the top of the hood a lot more seamless. But slowly it’s all feeling a lot closer to “done” than “just started” – especially now that the hood is painted too (never mind the fact that we still have some patch work to do on the ceiling along with that aforementioned crown molding).

Shelves 28 After From Offic

We’re really happy with how the brackets turned out, so we haven’t thought twice about our decision not to do true floating shelves. We think these are really charming – and they’re super stable so Sherry could probably hang off of them if she wanted. Instead she wants to fill them with ceramic animals. Same difference.

It’s nice that there’s still plenty of room to load them up and make them really functional, even with the brackets (no, they will not actually end up full of ceramic animals- not on my watch). Our shelves are deep enough for our 12″ dinner plates and the brackets are 15″ apart so we should have lots o’ room to put everyday stuff up there – which we hear from other open-shelf-having folks works really well, since it’s used often enough not to get dusty).

Shelves 29 After Close

And even though it was a bit weird at first to see our wall of penny tile suddenly broken up by these bright white lines, it’s cool to see the thing we’ve always envisioned come that much closer to being a reality.

Shelves 30 After Close Stra

So we should have pics (and a video) of the shelves all filled for you tomorrow. Until then, we’ll leave you with this slightly-closer-to-after shot of the room. We’re definitely getting there. And we’re counting down the seconds to Operation Cork My Floor (along with adding that crown molding, patching the ceiling, adding a pendant over the sink, covering the base of the peninsula with some decorative wood planks, hanging some art to the right of the fridge, do something to the side of the pantry, etc).

Shelves 31 After From Hall

We feel especially giddy when we look at old photos of the room back when it looked like this:

NewEmpty Kitchen

We can hardly picture that old room anymore. Isn’t it funny how quickly your brain replaces things? It’s so crazy that we lived with the room just like that for over six months before even painting the paneling. But once we finally got the ball rolling… well, it’s still rolling. Haha. Is anyone else in the home stretch of one of their home projects? Though I probably should knock on wood when I say that, since it sounds like a sure way to jinx myself into some last-minute wrench in the plan (he says as he gets up to literally go knock on wood while crossing his fingers and eyes).

If you’re interested in more ideas for adding shelving or vertical storage, this post has a bunch of DIY shelving projects and ideas for you.

Comments

  4. abode love says

    I squealed with delight when I saw that there was a kitchen update! I ADORE those shelves, ya’ll did a great job. I think the brackets really finish it off beautifully and create a lot of charm in your kitchen!

    abodelove.com

    Reply

  5. Stephanie says

    I feel silly writing this, but I have been so excited waiting for these pictures. Can’t wait to see the final product!

    Reply

  6. jamie says

    looking awesome over there! waiting for paint to dry is like staring at a big, juicy ice cream cone. can’t wait to see the junk on the trunk or uhhh… shelves :)

    Reply

  9. Lori says

    Ahh! It looks amaaaazing! Better than I pictured! Sherry, can you reach the top shelf without standing on a stool? It looks pretty high in the pictures? Seriously can’t believe it’s the same kitchen… :-)

    Reply

  11. Hesper says

    It looks fantastic. We also just hung open shelves in our kitchen just last week! I looove them and I am so happy to be a little closer to actually liking my kitchen! Next up is painting the awful yellow pine cabinets and then replacing the gross floor! Woot!

    Reply

  13. MidloMel says

    GORGEOUS! And I mean really, really gorgeous! I just love it. Great job.

    I wish I had room for some open shelving in my kitchen!

    Reply

  18. Syreena says

    can’t wait to see the shelves all filled. You guys are pretty awesome. I think I am too much of a chicken to have open shelving, my cabinets and drawers are my secret place :)

    Reply

  19. Kim S says

    Love it! I think the step I’m most excited for now is the cork flooring. I liked that idea as soon as you told us about it, and I’m glad it’s coming soon!

    Reply

    • Missy says

      Yes. I too, can’t wait to see the cork go down. I’ve thought about cork in some of our house projects, but haven’t pulled the trigger.

    • Aida says

      I was thinking the same thing. They are starting to look out of place in that awesomesauce kitchen. I’m thinking glossy pop of color!!

    • Amber V. says

      I stand firmly on team “LEAVE THE STOOLS ALONE!” I think the cool gray color acts as a bookend to the room that compliments the gray penny tile. Im sure the color you bring in with accessories will be plenty… but that’s my two pennies (ba dum bum).

      Ultimately, I’m certain the room will be a stunner. Great job!

  25. Natalia says

    I was sure there would be a picture with dishes and stuff on top! I guess I’ll just have to wait till tomorrow!! Can’t wait to see that :)

    Reply

  28. Angle says

    I can’t wait to see them with stuff on them. Sometimes I have a hard time visualizing things, so right now all I notice is the brackets lol. Can’t wait for some plates and ceramic animals to make me go “ahhhh, NOW I see it!”:) very happy for you!

    Reply

    • Emily R. says

      I was thinking the same thing. Even when I don’t immediately see your version it always comes together. The perfect example of this is the living room. You always pull everything together.

  33. Melissa says

    What a difference you guys have made in there! I honestly thought you two had lost your minds buying that house when I saw the kitchen. I couldn’t see past that wood-riddled eyesore to see anything salvageable. You are rock stars!

    Question – what happened with Clara’s booster on one of the counter stools? Was there an issue with it not being secure after all?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh no I just pop it off for after pics since it’s so crazy looking (bright maroon) – haha. It’s so easy to snap on and off for the pics, thankfully!

      xo,
      s

  34. Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says

    Love the shelves! They look fab! Can’t wait to see them loaded up! And now that everything is painted I totally see why you needed a darker floor, it looks like the room is floating. I’m sure the floors, stuff on the shelves and some art will ground everything together though!

    Reply

  36. Melissa says

    I can’t even believe it’s the same kitchen. Looks absolutely amazing! I knew the old kitchen was dark, but you really don’t realize how dark until you see the before and after. Congrats!

    Reply

  37. Julia @ Chris loves Julia says

    So pretty! I am anxiously looking forward to:

    1. Tomorrow seeing everything in place and the video! Eee!
    2. Seeing the cork flooring go down. It’s gonna add so much warmth.
    3. Understanding what you mean by “decorative planks” on the peninsula.
    4. Hearing what else isn’t gonna happen on John’s watch. Hahaha!!

    Reply

  38. Amy L. says

    Do you think you’ll keep the wall color? For some reason it reads as a construction color rather than the actual final color, so I keep waiting for something else. I think a dark floor will certainly change the feel, but wasn’t sure if you were thinking of changing it.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, we love the color and think the dark cork floor will be awesome in the mix. But wall color is definitely one of the most subjective things out there in the universe!

      xo,
      s

  39. allison bolton says

    I love your Kitchen!! You have inspired me so much, I want to do copy your backslash and counters. I need to repaint all my white cabinets in my laundry room, bathrooms! Thanks for inspiring me with your beautiful Kitchen!

    Reply

  40. Deanna Divino says

    AMAZING! I love it! I have a question. I am on the hunt for lights over our peninsula… I love the glass ones and have found tons I love, but I am worried about staring into the light… sound scary! ;) Are you guys bothered at all by it? I go to the store, look at them and my eyes are terribly unfocused…but I guess once they are in your home it’s different? You don’t stare at them all day, do you?

    I love the shelving, we did open shelving too and I love it and it’s 20 times “easier” to live with than the millions that warned against it!

    You guys are amazing!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thankfully they’re just great! We put them on a dimmer just in case, but we’re always putting them all the way up, so it’s not too bright or anything!

      xo,
      s

  41. Alisya H says

    Way to go, you two! The before and after photos were awe inspiring! Although I’ve been following the kitchen renovation since it started, it’s still very startling to see the improvements! x

    Reply

  42. Reenie says

    WOW–WEEEE!!! What a diff seeing the last 2 photos of the before and after. The floor doesn’t even look half bad with the “almost done new look.” I can only imagine how the cabinets, tile, and everything else will stand out once you get the new floor in.

    Lookin’ good :)

    Reply

  45. kristin says

    wow, you guys, this is looking fantastic! getting those shelves up really transforms the space, and i can’t wait to see those puppies all loaded up with brightly colored goodness (and of course some white-ceramic-animal goodness too, let’s be honest). nice work! :)

    Reply

  47. Ashley says

    Beautiful! You guys are rockin it!!

    Question for you…. How well do the shelves wipe off? I had some open shelving put in my bathroom when it was remodeled and it seems to eat the sponge when I try to wipe it down. I love the look and and want to add some to my new chicken coop and paint it a fun bright color (well the storage area in the front of my coop) but am afraid of not being able to clean them. Im in the midst of a kitchen remodel and have some open shelving but I ordered it from the cabinet maker (for a pretty penny!!) but obviously I don’t have that kind of budget for a dirty ole chicken coop:)!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Since they run in the opposite direction and can be seen in the same glance (since the living room is right next to the kitchen) we think it’ll be too busy – like a criss-cross ceiling if we paint them dark. But the addition of the dark cork on the floor should be some awesome contrast!

      xo,
      s

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