Let’s take some shelfies — you know, as opposed to selfies.
If only we had Beyonce around to photobomb them, they’d be the best shelfies ever…
The consolation prize is that we finally got the Ikea floating shelves installed in the kitchen, and it immediately feels like we’re turning a corner. We still have a few major tasks on the list (like painting those cabinets), but the shelves make a gigantic difference compared with the dark cabinetry that used to flank the window. Here’s how the area looked a few weeks ago after we removed the wallpaper.
And here it is now, from the same point of view, after removing the cabinets, re-hanging the crown molding, patching, priming and painting the walls, trim and ceilings, upgrading the lighting, and installing the new shelves. Photos don’t quite capture it — the space is at least twice as bright and feels much larger and more open.
For placement, we lined the bottom shelf up with the left-hand cabinet so the shelves related visually to the existing cabinetry. The pre-made shelf sizes provided a couple of inches of space around the window, which we liked. We spaced the second shelf by eye, leaving 14″ between the two shelves. That gave us enough room to store items on the bottom shelf without things feeling cramped, while keeping the top shelf reachable for someone shorter like me.
To hang them, we started by holding up the bottom shelf and making sure it was level…
…then marked the top corners on each side and drew a straight line across the wall to guide our bracket placement.
The longer shelves come with a metal hanging brace and screws. When you open the package, that’s what you’ll find.
The metal brace is well designed. It has multiple holes so you can locate studs and screw into at least two of them along the shelf’s span for extra security. The instructions suggest a few recommended screw-to-stud placements.
Next, I positioned the brace along the horizontal line where we wanted the shelf. I measured a few inches in from each penciled corner guide since the brace is slightly shorter than the shelf. I used one screw into the drywall in the middle just to hold the brace temporarily.
That freed my hands to use a stud finder to locate studs and drive two long screws (included with the shelves) into studs on the wall, anchoring the brace solidly. John helped by holding the level to make sure everything stayed perfectly horizontal as I tightened the screws.
There are small metal plates that function like washers placed under the screws to hold the brace even more firmly than a screw alone would. In our case, two of those plates went into studs and we added a third with an anchor for additional holding power.
After securing the brace, you slide the shelf onto it and tighten the three provided screws into the shelf’s pre-drilled holes. I initially tightened them by hand with the included allen wrench, which was slow, so I switched to a power drill and finished the job much faster.
We repeated the same process for the upper long shelf. The smaller side shelves were easier: we used heavy-duty wall anchors in pre-marked positions aligned with where we wanted to hang each piece. Unlike the long shelves, which are screwed into place firmly in three spots, these smaller shelves can be popped on and off — handy since we’ll temporarily remove them when we paint the cabinets.
The shelves have been very sturdy. The stronger the anchor or the more studs you use, the more secure the installation will be. If a shelf isn’t perfectly level it may wobble, so measure at least twice and use a level for the best result. As the room evolves, the items on the shelves will change too — for instance, I might hang a small framed photo above the stack of plates or place a taller decorative piece on the bottom shelf to add color and height.
For now they’re highly functional: the bottom shelves hold everyday items we use frequently, and the top shelves display objects we enjoy seeing. Decorative items that might otherwise sit on the counter, like a potted plant or a pitcher-turned-vase, now have a home alongside extra plates and mugs.
Seen from the other angle, it’s clear how much easier unloading the dishwasher has become. We missed that perk of open shelving in our last house. Although the shelves flank the window, they don’t block light — their white finish reflects sunlight and keeps the kitchen feeling airy, unlike the old dark cabinets.
Update: According to Ikea, these longer shelves can each support up to 33 lbs when mounted into studs (we anchored to two studs). So far ours have held up beautifully under dishes and everyday use. Large upper cabinets that hold dishes are also attached into studs, so that gives us confidence. We also had positive experience with the same type of Lack shelves in our previous house for over four years.
It’s a long way from the room we started with six months ago…
…and we’re excited to lighten the upper cabinets and go deeper, richer with the lower ones. We’re fans of the tuxedo kitchen look and are sanding and priming this week, hoping to have what feels like a whole new kitchen soon.
Were you tackling last-minute home projects this weekend ahead of the holidays? Any big plans for the coming week? We seem to have a tradition of taking on something major and house-disrupting right in the middle of the Christmas craziness.
Psst — we’re taking more quizzes on Young House Life, and a few of them have been surprisingly accurate!