How to Build Open Shelves

The look of open shelving is a popular trend that has taken over the world of home decor.  Open shelving is such a versatile trend that goes with so many different home decor styles.  Today, I’ll teach you how to build open shelves in your home using one board and some brackets!

I decided open shelves would be perfect to do for the $100 Room Challenge.  Our bathroom is so small (and hard to photograph because there’s not good lighting!) and there is such an awkward space above the toilet.  Open shelving was my solution to this problem!

Open Shelf Materials:

• Wood Board
• Stain or Paint {I whitewashed mine}
• Shelf Brackets
• Spray Paint
• Sandpaper {I used medium grit sandpaper}
• Tape Measure
• Level
• Drill & Bits
• Stud Finder
• Dry Wall Anchors

How to Build Open Shelves:

Step One:  Measure the area where you want to install the open shelves and purchase the wood.  We had our local home improvement store cut the wood to our measurements.  If they don’t cut the wood, you will need to cut it yourself to the desired measurements.  We ended up with three boards.

Step Two:  Lightly sand the boards and then wipe off any dust.  Paint, whitewash or stain the boards.  I whitewashed mine to match the framed bathroom mirror.  You can find the tutorial on how to whitewash wood HERE.

Step Three:  While the wood is drying, spray paint your brackets.  You can find really pretty decorative brackets at your local hardware store, but those come with a higher price tag. Since I was on a tight $100 budget for the challenge, I bought the cheapest brackets they had, which was white metal.  I spray painted the brackets with black spray paint that I had left over from spray painting my kitchen hardware.

Step Four: Next, it’s time to build open shelves! Use the drill to screw in the brackets onto the wood. We measured six inches on each side of the wood for the placement of the brackets. Your measurements will vary depending on the size of your wood.

Step Five: Use a tape measure and level to determine where to hang the shelves.  Then use a pencil or marker to mark the spot where you will need to drill the holes into the wall.

Step Six:  Drill the holes!  If you are using drywall anchors, you will need to drill a slightly larger hole.  Drywall anchors are used if you are not drilling directly into the stud.  For aesthetic purposes, we had to use drywall anchors because the brackets wouldn’t look right if it were placed in the stud.  😉 Finally, use the drill to screw the brackets into the wall.

Tip: have an idea of what you want to place on the shelves to build the shelves at the desired height. That way you have an idea of what items will fit on the shelves.

Cost Breakdown to Build Open Shelves

This project cost under $30.00 to build the open shelves.  Totally worth it for the $100 Room Challenge!  The only decorative items I bought for the shelves were the clear glass jars.

Wood: $15.00

Brackets: $2.00 per bracket (4 total) for the cheap ones

Clear Glass Jars: $9.00 for both

Black Spray Paint: Free (I already had it on hand from spray painting my kitchen hardware)

 

 

Now that you know how to build open shelves, will you give this project a try?  I love the extra storage it has created in the bathroom.  Now there is so much character in this space because of the open shelves.

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