The farmhouse shelves in our kitchen were one of my favorite projects. The shelves opened up the space and added a bit of a trend to my aging, dated kitchen. The farmhouse kitchen shelves were an inexpensive solution to replace the dated cabinets and not lose valuable storage. If you are looking for an entry-level DIY project these shelves are a perfect starting point.
Well, when we knocked out the wall between the kitchen and dining room we lost a row of upper cabinets. The open shelves was a great way to keep the space open and add storage space for the essentials.
It was a simple project with 2 x 12 select pine from Home Depot. We went with select pine because it has a smoother finish. I cut the pine boards to size using a table saw (with an assist from my assistant (husband) to hold the end of the board).
I used my favorite pre-stain wood conditioner
This was my go-to stain for most of my DIY projects. I have a few other favs, but this is a reliable stain and gives me a rich, Colorado rustic finish.
I went with a heavy bracket and found Wade’s shop on Etsy. These were super easy to install to the wall and the weight of the brackets matched the weight of the pine shelves.
The hardest part of these farmhouse shelves was capturing a photo at the right time of day (still waiting) and staging the shelves. Seriously, I was so excited to stage the shelves and it has been many late nights with episodes of Friends in the background while trying to find the right accessories.
This was an easy Saturday afternoon project. I loved this project so much I added the same shelves to our aging basement kitchenette/bar. So the farmhouse shelf photos are from both spaces.
I am taking staging suggestions for staging the shelves in the comments.
I want to do these in my powder room! Thanks for the tutorial! xo
Hi Laura, I think you did a brilliant job with the shelves, they definitely have a rustic look and look like they are worth a lot more than $50. They fit nicely with the overall style of your home. Thanks for the post.
I love the hardware you used for the shelves. Turned out great! Thanks for linking up with The Creative Circle!
Love the shelves. FYI…when decorating shelves one must layer to get the right look otherwise it looks like the items don’t belong there. They should be related too such as color or theme. I like to layer using the up and down method. Something that stands taller next something smaller and so on. Using old books is always a winner and old black/white pics too are nice. Remember you want your home to tell a story of who is living there. Conversation pieces are great too! Good luck 🙂
Thank you Cheryl! I love these suggestions!
Love this upgrade!!!
Laura-thoughts on these shelves anywhere in my house? Are these Johh-Becker-idiot-proof shelves, or will they require paying you or Rod to fly out and install?
You crack me up! We just need a stud finder, hammer and drill… so we need Thomas!