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DIY - Floating Shelves



I showed you this little powder room HERE,  I told you that overall I like this small bath but there were some issues I wanted to address.

The most important thing we have to do right now is change the lavatory, it got damage when the little bottle on the second shelf (picture below), fell and cracked the bowl.

In the meantime I need to fix what cause that problem, storage space. That's the principal problem because those shelves look good, but they don't hold that much.

My solution:  To install three floating shelves.



You can check the following video for complete instructions or you can continue reading the story.

I took off those boxes and traced level lines where I wanted to install the shelves.
Since they were going to be floating shelves, a cleat was installed to the wall to hold the shelves.  For the cleats I used the cheapest kind of 1x2s.  They were screwed to the wall with anchors where needed, and with nails to the studs. When all the cleats were installed, it was a good time to fill in the holes and paint the wall.
Then, it was time to build the shelves.  This is the material I used for the panels:
Not without removing those 2x4s and the hundreds of staples they were attached with.
I measured, cut, and sanded the panels.
I didn't bother to fill all those holes.
The panels and the 1x3 front boards were then stained.
For each shelf cover I used:
  • 2  -  32" x ½" x 8"   panels
  • 1  -  32" x 1" x 3"    board
For each shelf frame I used:
  • 1  -  30" x 1" x 2"
  • 2  -    5" x 1" x 2"  
The 1x2 pieces of wood where nailed in between two panels  like this:
Then, the 1x3 board was nailed to the front.
A look of the inside:
The shelves were then mounted onto the cleats on the wall.
Here, the three of them.
I found the perfect spot to display the one dollar find I got at the flea market, some decorative bottles, books, vases, towels...
and of course a basket for extra rolls of paper that I couldn't store in the room before.
I like both, my before and after picture, but what I like the most is having more storage space. :)
before and after of floating shelves diy
Check the new styling on the shelves right HERE.
small bathroom gets storage space with open shelves above toilet
Our next project: installing the new toilet.    

41 comments :

  1. love the shelfs im going to try this in my bathroom too you have inspired me to try this thank you sherri

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  2. The new shelves look great and I'm so impressed with your carpentry skills !

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  3. Wow! You are really talented.Noticed your bandaged finger...I can't do a single project w/o SOME bloodshed...smile! LOVE your shelves!

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  4. I know a thing or two about small bathrooms and storage...the shelves look AMAZING!!! (and I love staple guns...or any power tools)

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  5. You have such wonderful projects, ideas, & makeovers on your blog which just makes visiting that much more fun. I’ve nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. You can check out all the info on my blog http://frugalaintcheap.blogspot.com/
    Congratulations!

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  6. Great, great job, Cristina! You did a wonderful job with them. What a perfect finish to that bathroom wall- xoDiana

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  7. I love floating shelves- you did a great job!

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  8. Cristina, I have been a fan since I first found your blog. You are such an inspiration to those like me, with no imagination. :) I look forward to your blog, and learning from you. The bathroom looks AMAZING!!
    And I'm so happy that Daniela nominated you for an award! You deserve it.

    Pam (non-blogger)
    pamela19paws@verizon.net

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  9. GREAT POST:)
    Your blog is so wonderful and Im following..I hope you follow me also:)

    If you want some Swedish décor inspiration, you can check out my blog:)
    Have a great week.

    LOVE Maria at inredningsvis.se
    (Sweden)

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  10. Great project and tutorial! It's always nice to have extra storage in a bathroom. Stopping by from Thrifty Decor Chick.

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  11. Aloha and thanks for stopping by my blog :o) Looks like I can learn a lot from you and get inspired! Happy Creating!

    Aloha,
    Me

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  12. Great job! Love the elegant look of the shelves. Way to recycle!
    Happy Summer projects. ~CJ

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  13. Great Job and good idea! I have a small cut out area in my Masterbath that this idea would be perfect for...I have to work up the nerves to try :)

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  14. Your new shelves are perfect and actually make your powder room look larger. Styled so nicely too!
    Mary Alice

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  15. I'm so excited to do this!! Your bathroom wall looks just like mine! Thank you for the tutorial and great idea!!!

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  16. This is awesome!! We have a space just like this and we put three shelves there my son made. Great tute! Thank you for joining me at Home Sweet Home!
    Sherry

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  17. Pretty and practical - best of both worlds!

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  18. This is great but if you have lot's of stuff then I suggest that you just get a storage unit.

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  19. That is such a beautiful use of the space, so gorgeous!

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  20. Those shelves look beautiful! You give really good tutorials on how you did it, also! I have floating shelves in my masterbatch but they are sloping downward and I can' figure out how to level them. I have no side walls like you did. I think I'll send this to my husband and maybe he can improvise! Thanks for sharing!
    Your newest follower - found you through HofH party!

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  21. I love the shelves! You did a great job and thanks for your tutorial! I would love for you to share on my weekly Linky Party Blog Stalking Thursday!

    http://www.thecraftyblogstalker.com/2012/08/blog-stalking-thursday-55.html

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  22. Those look amazing! Thanks so much for the tutorial.

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  23. By far the best instructions with pictures for floating shelves. Thanks for sharing!

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  24. Un gran cambio para ese Cuarto de Baño! ha quedado hermoso!
    Victoria

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  25. I love the DIY spirit on this one. I'm excited for my own DIY venture this spring. Bought the dewalt tools australia that are specially made for home made crafts. I need to plan for my custom bathroom cabinet though.

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  26. I recommend cloakroom vanity units for bathrooms. Extra storage and an option sink station. You can also embed a mirror as well as custom lighting.

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  27. This is a terrific idea! What a great way to save space. We're currently doing a complete bathroom renovations and I will definitely suggest this to my contractors.

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  28. Very creative and resourceful. Once we settle in our new homes perth, the bathroom would the first thing I'd renovate. I want it to be the cleanest and the nicest part of the house.

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  29. I love seeing DIY lavatory renovation from regular people because they inspire me to proceed on designing my own lavatory. We can all be interior designers but we should be aware that we should follow the right steps in doing DIY renovation.

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  30. Perth storage boxes are cute. I already have clear ones but now I am thinking of creating a shelf for my other house decorations. Your idea is excellent but I don’t think that I can do this perfectly. I guess I will just ask my brother for some help.

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  31. My wife is always amplified in modifying our bathroom because for her it is her comfort zone. I just encourage her to get the things she wants pertaining to our home because I know for myself that I will benefit from it too. So we also put up a board on the wall where she can place her aroma candles.

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  32. You should also have some changes with your mirror. It should now match your racks that are varnished. The frames of your mirror should look just the same.

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  33. I had a huge remodeling done at the second floor of my home. They removed an entire wall at the rest room. I had an extension created to make it bigger to make room for a bathtub. I am pretty excited.

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  34. When we renovated our house, we first worked on in our bathroom area. We found out that there was a leak in our shower, good thing my mom knows some guys that are experts on this kind of problem.

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  35. Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic. If possible, as you gain expertise, would you mind updating your blog with more information? It is extremely helpful for me.
    Carpet

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  36. Wow, you did a fantastic job! What an inspiration and very complete instructions! Thanks so much. And like one of the other posts said...very impressive carpentry skills...thanks for being an inspiration.
    Nancy Orlando

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  37. What I needed was a storage facility that made me feel that my stuff would be secured. What I got was a clean and well-run facility, that sense of security, also a friendly staff to make my comings and goings a pleasant experience.
    storage in paddington

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  38. You are truly an inspiration for those of us who want to jump in and start some projects around the house. I love looking through your blog for ideas. The floating shelves look awesome in your bathroom.

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  39. I have those storage, but yours looks better. It's more organized and you can see the whole items. Love it.

    Marlene
    Seattle Sewer Line Repair

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