Salvaged Wood Shelving in Kitchen

I have been working on slowly updating my kitchen. It's only a few years old, but my tastes have changed since we moved in 5 years ago, and I am loving all of the light and airy kitchens these days.  Recently, we updated our builder-beige paint to the perfect shade of warm gray.  It adds a more contemporary look to what is otherwise a very traditional kitchen - dark maple cabinets and travertine backsplash.

I have wanted add some shelving to display cookbooks and my lovely china from my wedding registry.  I am making a point of use my occasional dishes, otherwise, it never sees the light of day.  What's the point of beautiful dishes if they are always tucked away in a cupboard?

I was inspired by these West Elm shelves and numerous posts on Pinterest, and knew that I wanted to create some open shelves out of salvaged wood.  I found a local salvage yard in Austin, and made the trek with my girlfriend and the two boys on a Saturday morning.

I was able to snag the perfect piece of reclaimed wood for just a $1 a linear foot! It was perfect shade of weathered gray. I managed to get the 8-foot piece of lumber in the car, with the boys in tow.  I hosed it down, scrubbed it with some Krud Kutter and let it dry in the garage for a couple days.  I had to sand it pretty good with the heavy-grit sandpaper, but I didn't go crazy making sure it was perfectly smooth.

I measured my wall and had a friend make the cuts, and was able to get four, 18" shelves - perfect for my narrow wall.

Off to find my brackets.

I purchased these at Home Depot for just $6 each.  I like the curved edge and the brushed nickel finish.  Originally, I had intended to spray paint the brackets matte black, but I quickly changed my mind once I saw them on the wall against the gray paint.  I could have chosen standard black brackets with the straight arm, but I thought the curved arm softened the industrial feel, and created a more decorative look.

I wanted to utilize the entire wall to showcase my artwork.  I purchased my drawings  at an estate sale for $20.  They are original, and signed by the artist.  I also opted to create a low shelf that would act as bookshelf for my cookbooks.  I made sure to secure it with anchors in case the kiddos, pull on them.  They are very sturdy.

A couple things to keep in mind when hanging your shelves. My wood had two different finishes - the underside looked like plywood, while the opposite had a beautiful rustic look. I wanted to show off the weathered wood, so I made sure that the top shelf had the weathered wood on the bottom so you can see it from the floor.

Also, when drilling the holes in your salvaged wood, make sure you pre-drill pilot holes.  Weathered wood is dry and porous, and you risk splitting the wood if you don't pre-drill.

And here is the final result.

Not bad for about $15 per shelf.  Sure beats the hefty $79 price tag at West Elm.

I am still playing around with the accessories, but I just couldn't wait to share.

Hope you enjoy!

Linking to:

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Savvy Southern Style