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DIY

How to Build a Simple, Built-in, Sturdy Shelf For Your Kitchen (or anywhere, really)

August 21, 2019


We encourage all DIYers to know their own limits when they take on projects. This tutorial uses power tools that could cause serious harm if operated incorrectly, so please be safe, be smart, and hire a professional if needed. 

After posting our kitchen phase 1 update, we've had so many requests to share how we built the shelves we added to the kitchen. Remember these ones?:

With minimal tools, materials and 30 minutes you can build your own shelf and have it hung in your own home. Here's your shopping list:

Tools
• Saw (miter saw preferably, but you could get by with a circular saw or jigsaw and steady hand)
Impact driver
Clamps (if working with crooked or warped lumber)

Materials
• One 1x4 board (I used pine in an 8ft length - choose a length that is long enough for your shelf, plus some extra to make the support brackets
• One 1x8 board (or 1x12 if you prefer a deeper shelf - also make sure you choose a length long enough for the shelf, but you won't need extra)
1 5/8in trim screws
2 1/2in cabinet screws

Building a Kitchen Shelf

To show how simple building these shelves really is, we filmed a quick video you can watch below.

Pine works great on a project like this if you will paint the wood (good idea to prime raw wood before painting!), whereas a hard wood like oak would be better if you plan to stain. But either way, these shelves are sturdy, easy to make and are a quick project that can be tackled in less than an hour.

Building a Kitchen Shelf

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  1. Did you find out where your studs were in the wall prior to building the shelves? I ask because I’m thinking that my studs would likely be right behind one of my shelf supports.

  2. Looks lovely, and also practical! I asked my contractor to do something similar and was told that building code did not allow a wooden shelf over a stove top. I ended up going with a commercial grade stainless -additionally, we could not put stove in front of a window for similar code issues!!!!! I seem to live in a town with stricter codes than most !

    1. I think you misunderstood your contractor. IRC M1901.1 “Freestanding or built-in ranges shall have a vertical clearance above the cooking top of not less than 30 inches (762 mm) to unprotected combustible material. Reduced clearances are permitted in accordance with the listing and labeling of the range hoods or appliances.”

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