Wednesday, August 11, 2010

"Built-In" Shelves



I'm linking this up to Sandra's Buildher's Party today: (you should join in the fun too!!)



Build{hers} club Button
On Monday you all got to see my "new" bathroom (thank you all for your beyond-sweet comments -- I love reading them!!).

And as I promised, today I'm going to show you how I did my built in shelves and bench.  

I initially was just going to do some shelves, but then I decided a bench might be kind of cool, too.  And I don't know about you, but I am constantly seeking out new storage solutions and trying to find the best and most organized ways to store all the things we keep around the house.  That's why I knew I wanted to add storage underneath the bench too.  At first I thought a place for baskets would be the best solution but I've been getting a little to "baskety" lately with my decor, so I opted for a hinged bench seat -- which, as it turns out, I L-O-V-E.

So here we are at the pre-shelf stage.  You'll notice that I had already removed the trim that was in my little shelf "nook." 

I then measured my space:  

The width of the area was the length I needed to cut the boards I used for the top of the shelves. 

The depth of the shelves is entirely up to you.  I used a 1x12 board, so my shelves are a foot deep.  











Knowing that my shelves will be 12" deep, I cut a 1x2 board to be 12", which will be the shelf "brace."  





Above you can see my "braces" that I used for the shelves.  The walls are primed at this point....and because I wanted to save some time, I splurged for primed MDF for my braces -- just makes life easier. :)  You'll want to make sure each board is level with it's "partner" as well.  I used my the hubby's trusty air nailer and nailed them to the walls:


Next it was time to add my shelf tops.  I'm going to warn you; our "nook" is not completely square, so the back is slighly narrower than the front of the area, so you will see there are gaps -- don't worry, we'll get them all filled in. :)


Can you see those gaps on the sides I was talking about?  Annoying -- but it's any easy fix, and I'll guess that most houses have some area that isn't completely "square" -- so it's good to know these tricks.  I nailed the tops to the braces as well.

Next step is to add my 3" trim.  I chose 3" trim because I needed to make sure that the trim covered the braces AND the top of the board.  So, if my board is 1" (actually it's 3/4") and I used a 2" brace, I was going to need a 3" piece of trim or bigger.

I attached the trim with my air nailer as well -- can you see the nail holes to prove it?  Now it's time to paint!  I taped off my shelf area at the end of my shelves -- I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do a "built in" look, so you decide where you want the white to start and end.

Here's what the underneath of your shelves should look like:


 Alright, now it's time to fill in those gaps!  I used some silicone caulk in bright white that we had around the house.  Then I put my dad-taught caulking skills to work.  Although my dad's the pro at this, I think I did a pretty good job.  I ran a bead of caulk along the gap and then took a damp paper towel and lightly wiped away the excess.  I ran the paper towel across a few times in order to get all the extra caulk out and make sure my seal was smooth.  I think it's better to go over it a few times than to gouge out a bunch of caulk and have to start over. I did this to all my shelves so they look like this:


Much better, right?!?  Now that the shelves are done, here's the low down on that upholstered bench.  For my bench I used 1x3" boards for the "legs", or supports for the seat.  I decided to make my bench  26" high, so I cut eight 26" long pieces.  And as you can see in the picture below, I placed the boards in an "L" shaped in the corners so that they hold up the seat of the bench.  I used the nailer to attach these to the walls and to each other on the front.  I also laid a piece of 1x3" board across the bottom so that I had a place to attach my hinges. (Sorry no pictures of that!!)


I then cut a 1" thick piece of plywood to fit on the top.  You want it to rest on all the posts, so measure carefully.  I attached 2" foam to the top and then I covered it with my fabric.  I found my foam and fabric at a fabric overstock outlet -- which is totally the way to go if you have one near you.  

Then I used just basic hinges and attached the bottom of the board for the seat to the top of the 1x3" board I laid across the top.

I glued a white-painted piece of plywood behind the two boards on the front to make the "face" of my bench.  You can also see above that I cut the original trim and butted it up to the bench I made.



So the tools and materials you will need for this project are as follows:

Air Nailer and 1 1/2" nails
White Silicone Caulk
Miter Saw
Upholstry Stapler
Tape Measure

1 x 2" board for shelf braces
1 x 12" board for shelf tops
1 x 3" board for "legs" of bench and back hing support
Plywood for bench top and bench face

3" Decorative Trim
Hinges
Fabric
Foam for bench
Paint and Primer

For a cost breakdown, go here.








Linking up to:
Mondays:Between Naps on the Porch ; C.R.A.F.T; Craft-O-Maniac; Keeping it Simple; Mad in Crafts; Making the World Cuter; The DIY Showoff; The Girl Creative Tuesdays:  All Thingz Related; House of Grace; I'm Topsy Turvy; Lucky Star Lane; Sugar Bee Craft Edition; The CSI Project; These Creative Juices; Today's Creative Blog Wednesdays:  Blue Cricket Design; Creations by Kara; Debbiedoos; Domestically Speaking; My Backyard Eden; Night Owl Crafting; Seven Thirty Three; Someday Crafts; The Thrifty Home; Trendy Treehouse Thursdays: Beyond the Picket Fence; Craftastical!; Fireflies & Jellybeans; House of Hepworths; Life as Lori; Somewhat Simple; The Shabby Chic Cottage Fridays:  Chic on a Shoestring; Finding Fabulous; Fingerprints on the Fridge; Frou Frou Decor; Frugal & Fabulous Design; It's a Hodge Podge Life; It's Fun to Craft!: Just a Girl; Remodelaholic; Simply Designing; The Shabby Nest; Tatertots & Jello Weekend:  A  Little Lovely; Be Different Act Normal; Funky Junk Interiors; House of Thrifty Decor; I Heart Naptime; Kuzak's Closet; Under the Table & Dreaming

55 Hand-Me-Downers Shared:

Heather{Our Life In a Click} said...

Wow! They turned out great! I love the blue accents too. Very nice!

Tina said...

Amanda, this really is a wonderful project. It turned out great and thanks for the step by step. Makes me feel like I could do it and that's what I appreciate about your blog. It's real.
Thanks
T

Megan Gunyan said...

Look at all that wonderful storage! This looks so great! You did it all?!? Seriously impressed. Great job!

I'd love for you to check out my blog for a fun giveaway!
http://alittleknickknack.blogspot.com/2010/08/another-csn-store-giveaway.html
Have a wonderful day!

Ashley said...

That is amazing! I love the color and the whole concept!!! Wow!

Elizabeth said...

You are one smart and talented cookie! What a great job! I am sitting here, trying to think if I have an unused space around the house that I can do that to!! lol :)

Unknown said...

Girl, you have got major skill turning that nook around!! Makes me wish I had a place that needed a makeover like that in my house. And your color scheme is gorgeous, too....oh, how jealous I am! :o)

liz @ bon temps beignet said...

I love this idea. Would you believe our -master- bathroom is only 5x8 ?!?!!? Seriously, it's looks just like your shower and shelf area with a toilet and sink direct across from them. We've been trying to figure out what the heck we can do in the tiny space but you've given me some great ideas with this post!

Here's a few pictures from our hall bath reno:

http://bontempsbeignet.blogspot.com/2010/04/hall-bath-nightmare.html

Decorchick! said...

Totally fabulous Amanda!! Great tutorial, and no, not all of our walls are perfect either. Grrr. And my dad taught me how to caulk too! I use the same method as you but also use my finger to smooth it out. Then when my fingers get too gross I use the damp towel. So funny. Our dads are smart! :)

Mindy said...

It looks great! I'm a bit jealous of the storage space.

Tammy @ she wears flowers said...

This looks great! I have a closet that has been begging for this--I've been waiting on my husband's help, but I am now feeling empowered to do it myself. THANKS!

A said...

GREAT job. You are awesome.LOVE the color too.

Nana's Fun Stuff said...

I just love how it turned out and the colors you picked, gorgeous!!!

EllensCreativePassage said...

Looks great! Very professional!

Rhiannon said...

excellent job and excellent pix! looks great!

Melissa said...

I am mega impressed!! It looks great!!

Nikki said...

OMG, I love that! I already have plans drawn up to build some bookshelves, but I love how you used the decorative trim to cover up the shelf braces! I've so gotta do that! Thanks for linking to gettin' crafty on hump day! :)

Tricia Hicks said...

This is gorgemous! Love the blue color.

Mandi @ Vintage Revivals said...

I cant believe the difference! That is just crazy! I am dying over the color and the shelves and the storage bench....pretty much i have my bags can I come and move in?

love your guts
mandi @ vintage revivals

Throw Open the Windows said...

What a fantastic redo!! Lovin the storage bench. I like the fabric and it goes well with the room. Rebecca

patchworkdelights said...

This is great! Going to get hubby to check it out 'cause now he will understand what I want in some "dead space" in my kitchen, can already picture my cook books and the kids books/toys on the shelves!

Amy said...

Gorgeous! I NEED shelves like this in the "potty" nook in my master bath.

Jay said...

Eeeek! I love it! I am going to try something similar in my closet I think. It looks sososo professional!

Brittany H said...

Thank you very much! Now I know how to make my future house as cool as yours! Who knew it would be so easy?

Unknown said...

This step by step makes it sound so easy. Something maybe I could tackle. Thanks for sharing.

~Makalani
www.MakazHome.com

Unknown said...

I love it...especially the colors! Now I'm thinking where I can do something similar in my house...Hmmmmm...

Angie - Big Bears Wife said...

the blue is so pretty!!!!!!!!

Lina Thomlinson said...

What a huge difference! I love it! I'm looking to do something similar myself in an unfinished closet our house came with (don't ask, there was a lot unfinished or improperly done about our house) and can definitely use this to help. Stupid question (coming from someone whose most powerful tool is a power drill), what type of saw did you use to trim the wood? I might invest in one myself if I think I'll use it for enough projects but I have no idea where to start!

Anonymous said...

I love this, Amanda. Such a creative idea! I have saved the directions to try myself.

Thanks for visiting my blog!

KimMalk said...

This turned out so nicely! The color really makes the spot pop. Thanks for linking to Fabric Fun Thursday.

Anonymous said...

very nice!

Unknown said...

That looks so much more simpler to make then I would have imagined...I WAY over complicated it in my mind ha ha ha! So thank you for the great tutorial and for making it accessible to everyone!

Thanks for linking up at www.simplydesigning.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

You're so handy! It looks great!

Laura @ House of Thrifty Decor said...

Love it! What a good use of space. The tutorial was very good.

Becky@Beyond The Picket Fence said...

Those are great--thanks for sharing. I brought hubby in to see it as we are about to do built in shelves in our living room.

Annieofbluegables said...

I'm so impressed. You give me courage. xoxoxo
~a

Cait @ Hernando House said...

Looks fabulous! I love built in shelving!

Lavender and Linen said...

What a difference! A little hard work really paid off!

Wonderful!

::cottage instincts:: said...

Well this is all kinds of awesome. Totally doing this for my crapola linen closet. Extremely good tute as well!

So glad you could Mi4M :)
peace,
cindy
::cottage instincts::

michelle said...

Hi I am visiting from Cottage Instincts. This turned out so great!!! I love everything about it! Very clever with the storage box underneath the shelves!!! Thank you!!

Bernadette Merikle said...

Love these built in shelves and want to do these for my bathroom closet. Thanks for the super easy "how to".

Bernadette
www.b3homedesigns.blogspot.com

Kristen said...

What a huge difference! I love the way they turned out. You did a great job.

Kim -today's creative blog said...

Beautiful job!

Katie Brown said...

This is really great! I love the bright change to your bathroom and these shelves. Thanks so much for sharing this tutorial...I'm going to use this concept to make some shelves in my basement. Lovely blog by the way!

Ginger said...

Awesome! Thanks for the tips! Thanks for linking up to Mad Skills Monday!

Unknown said...

WOW! Looks great! Thanks for sharing your project at Anything Related! ~Bridgette

Leanne said...

It looks great! I'm hosting We're Organized Wednesday this week and would love for you to join the party. There's a great giveaway too. Hope to see you there.

Val said...

Be still me heart!!! Gorgeous.

Sawdust Girl said...

Awww, you used my button. How fun! I love the new built in shelves and bench. What a great way to "use" the space. Custom look that offers more storage and lets you hide away some items rather than having everything on open shelves. Love the colors and styling too. Gotta love a girl that knows how to build and style! Great project, thanks for linking up!

Tru said...

Nice. If I may ask, what is the bench used for, other than storage?

Anonymous said...

Awesome!!!

AUDRA said...

AWH! I want to do this so bad. I have a perfect place and just haven't got around to it.
Thanks for the inspiration and motivation! :)

Maria said...

Oh, wow! I love how thick they look. I would not have guessed that was a DIY project.

Ashlee Marie said...

I love these shelves! They add so much to the room! It's so handy! Thank you for linking up to Topsy Turvy Tuesday's!

Life in Rehab said...

Easy, attractive, and very professional looking. I'm very impressed, and I love the colors. Excellent tutorial.

Lina Thomlinson said...

Finally talked myself into tackling this project myself and thanks to your helpful tutorial everything went smoothly. I love my new shelves! Thanks for posting this for those of us who know nothing about being handy. You can see mine here:
http://sourkrautkrafts.blogspot.com/2010/09/diy-built-in-shelves.html

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