Shelf Obsessed
This past week, the hubs (Chris) and I decided to rip down an old cabinet that was hanging in our kitchen and replace it with some open shelving. To say that we are in love is an understatement.

You see, the original cabinet was an oddly placed, huge, weird eyesore. (Much like the rest of our kitchen cabinets and counters, but we are in the process of updating those as well.) It was hard to get into because you kind of had to lean in and turn around over the counter to reach most of the items. Many times, I used a stool or chair to find things I needed.

So, we started out by removing the 4 screws that held it to the wall. That’s right. Only 4 screws and maybe several layers of paint held this puppy up. Although, it looks like someone had a fun time randomly drilling screws into the wall to find the studs.

Next, we sanded down the area where the layers of paint met the plain wall.

Then, spackled, sanded and painted the space. (I didn’t take any of photos of the re-sanding and painting, but I’m sure you can imagine what that looked like.)

After everything was dry, it was time to hang the shelves. We used these brackets from Ikea and purchased the wood, which we painted white, at The Home Depot. Chris and I both measured and re-measured where we wanted the shelves and got to work securing them to the wall with 80 lb. wall anchors.

Here they are hung up, all naked and awaiting some styling.

Pulling together the itmes to display was my favorite part. We combined some sentimental pieces with affordable dishes and freed up a ton of space in our other cabinets. We actually have more space to put things now, since the shelves have been hung. Between the fancy new look and extra storage, I’d say that is a win/win. And even though we are still using the dishes, things still look good even when parts are out taking a swim in the dishwasher.

The best part is that the new shelves are a great focal point, instead of being an unsightly blemish on the wall. What do you think of open shelves in the kitchen?
12 Comments
Erin & Dan
This looks great!! Our counters go in this week and then we can finally start sanding and filling holes to hang our long-awaited shelves… I LOVE how you used that vintage piece to hold your cookie cutters. Maybe that will mean cookies more often? :P
Erin
Thanks! I’m sure my kids would love more cookies! LOL. Can’t wait to see your counters!
Jenise @ DIYFunIdeas.com
Big difference! It really does open up the space nicely!!
Amy | Canary Street Crafts
Such an improvement! Love the open shelves, and you guys always do a such great job grouping items together for display. It looks fantastic!
the cape on th e corner
definitely looks lighter and brighter! i added ikea shelving in my kitchen and decorated it with whites, too. makes such a big impact. enjoy!
b
Kat@Home. Made. Interest.
Love the new shelving, it really makes a huge difference! I’m up to my eyeballs in gray paint samples so I have to ask…what color are your walls?
LAURA
thanks for the party girls! love the features! laura
Leigh Anne
Wow, that little spot looks so much better with the shelves! Thanks for sharing at Link It or Lump It!
April @ illistyle
Love it! Open shelving, family heirlooms, white everything?! Be still my heart. Thank you for sharing at The Caffeinated Crafters Link Party :)
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