I make built-in shelves in the closet of my home office! These shelves are easy to customize and install. Great for closets or pantries!
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I am on a mission in 2021 to get my life more organized than ever! I feel like 2020 was about coping and settling in to whatever this new life looks like through a pandemic and working from home and just surviving. But 2021, this year is for thriving and flourishing! So what does that look like? For me, that looks like being organized physically, so my thoughts aren’t disorganized mentally.
I’m using my home office more than ever these days and it’s turned into a bit of a mess. In this week’s blog post, I’m ripping the doors off this closet and expanding my home office by installing built-in shelves. These shelves are great for closets or pantries and were a quick install. I hope you like it and cheers to 2021!
YouTube Video
Tools & Materials
Lumber
- (1) – ½” Plywood
- (4) – 1x2x8
- (2) – 1x2x8
Supplies
- 1” Nails
- 2 ½” Wood Screws
- 120 Grit and 180 Grit Sandpaper
- Wood Glue
- Paint
- Painters Tape
- Caulk
- Polyurethane
- Shelf Brackets
Tools
Get more info on my favorite beginner tools in my blog post, ‘5 Woodworking Tools You Need For Your Beginner Workshop’
Steps
1. Cut lumber For Shelves
Measure the space to determine your shelf sizes. Measure the back and front of the wall, as well as the length of both sides of the built-in shelves.
Use the Kreg Rip Cut with your circular saw and cut the plywood for the shelves. You can also use a table saw or track, but using my Rip Cut and circular was easiest and made the most sense to me. Cut the support pieces from the 1x2s.
2. Install supports
Use a stud finder to find and mark the studs in the wall to drill your support pieces into. Install the support pieces along the wall and where the front of the shelf will sit.
If you choose to do the long shelf, I suggest using a few shelf brackets in the middle depending on the length of the shelf and weight of items that may be going on the shelf.
3. Lay the shelves (top and trim)
I chose to cut the trim from 1x3s with mitered corners on the front on the longer top shelf so it appeared more cohesive. I also ran all of the fronts across my table saw on a 30 degree angle. This was purely a decorative idea I had and I really loved how it turned out. It added this really nice accent to the front of the shelves.
Use wood glue and nails to attach the shelves and trim.
4. Woodfill your nail holes
Sink any exposed nails with a nail set and fill the holes with wood filler. Additionally, filling in any cracks will also help create a more cohesive look for the built-in shelves.
5. Caulk
Run a bead of caulk around the shelves where they meet the wall. Then smooth it out with your finger. Keep a damp cloth nearby for easier cleanup.
6. Paint & Seal
Make sure your caulk is dry (it normally only takes about 20 minutes, depending on the type of caulk you buy). Also make sure any dust is removed using a damp or tack cloth on the built-in shelves before painting.
I chose to use Sherwin Williams’ Oxford White, but of course, you can paint with any color you choose. After 2 coats of paint, I applied 1 coat of polyurethane to prevent scuffing.
7. Style and Decorate!
That’s it! Now just add your favorite books and decor pieces and you’re all done!
If you’re not already, make sure you’re following along on Youtube, Instagram and Facebook! Be sure to tag or DM me on Instagram or Pinterest @MelanatedMakerDIY if you build this beauty!
If you want behind the scenes footage of how I accomplished this or any of my other projects, check out my Instagram @MelanatedMakerDIY.