Patience. Not a word I would use to describe myself when it comes to projects.
My husband would agree. :)
Remember this wood I showed you last week?
Imagine my surprise when I cut into it and realized it was pure gorgeous walnut.
Well, my hubby and middle son went out of town this past weekend for a sports event and I decided I was going to get to work on the project I had in mind while they were away
so I could surprise him when they returned. The walnut discovery had me so excited,
I just couldn't wait to get started.
I just couldn't wait to get started.
Silly me thought it would be something I could easily tackle myself.
Wrong.
Wrong.
While I show you pictures of the finished project, you should know that getting to that point was somewhat of a nightmare.
For starters, I couldn't get the previous cabinet off the wall. So, I had to call in a neighbor to help out with that after I fell off the counter. Because the wood is so extremely heavy,
I really had no idea what kind of brackets to use.
My lack of bracket knowledge caused 3 trips to Lowe's in one day buying and returning various brackets of different sizes and weights. Not to mention, attaching them to the wood thinking they would work and then removing them when I realized they wouldn't. Attaching and removing, attaching and removing.
For starters, I couldn't get the previous cabinet off the wall. So, I had to call in a neighbor to help out with that after I fell off the counter. Because the wood is so extremely heavy,
I really had no idea what kind of brackets to use.
My lack of bracket knowledge caused 3 trips to Lowe's in one day buying and returning various brackets of different sizes and weights. Not to mention, attaching them to the wood thinking they would work and then removing them when I realized they wouldn't. Attaching and removing, attaching and removing.
When I finally decided on the track system with brackets, only because of the amount of weight it could hold, I couldn't get them screwed into the studs. It wasn't that I couldn't find the studs, I could thanks to the previous cabinet. It was that I wasn't strong enough and happen to have a bad habit, to which my hubby can attest, of stripping screws when I have difficulty getting them into studs. And because of my precarious position of standing on a countertop, I simply couldn't get a good grip.
But, I was determined. And I really wanted to have it finished before my hubby and son got home. They had had a lot of car trouble in desert heat while traveling 5 hours and the last thing I wanted was for him to have to come home to fix what I started.
And Sunday was my first born's 20th birthday.
I wanted to get it finished so I could concentrate on making his day special.
And Sunday was my first born's 20th birthday.
I wanted to get it finished so I could concentrate on making his day special.
I finished up around 2 a.m. the morning my family was supposed to return and just in time for my oldest son's birthday celebration. The look on their faces and the "wow" and big smile that came out of my hubby's mouth made all of the frustration totally worth it.
This is definitely a two person job. And I did have a little helper. Our youngest, who made me laugh every time I wanted to toss the shelves into the trash. :)
I love these shelves. My family loves these shelves.
Would I do this project again?
No. :)
But that's because I got in a rush, thought I could do it fast and without any help.
Boy was I wrong.
Live and learn, right? :)
For those wondering, the paint on the walls is called Light Gray by Farrow and Ball.
Boy was I wrong.
Live and learn, right? :)
For those wondering, the paint on the walls is called Light Gray by Farrow and Ball.
All frustrations aside, I am so happy with how it turned out and
how they are a nice accent to the barn wood center island table.
Have a great day!
how they are a nice accent to the barn wood center island table.
Have a great day!
Diana
Your shelves are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteIt looks amazing! Love your kitchen, and that wall colour is divine.
ReplyDeleteHope your son had a great birthday
Thank you, Joyce! My son had a great birthday! :)
DeleteI would say they are gorgeous and well worth the effort - but that's because I wasn't the one who put forth all the effort - so I will just say, gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteYour entire kitchen is inspirational.
Linda
The shelves turned out beautiful Diana, despite all the frustration you had with them. All your special touches truly make your house a home.
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Judy
YOU GO GIRL!!!! You tried and you conquered... They look fantastic.
ReplyDeleteThese are stunning. You should be so proud. It sure is frustrating when things don't go the way we want during a project, but the end result here is fab. Great job.
ReplyDeleteOH boy... I know the feeling... wanting to do the project all by myself and finishing in time! Its gorgeous... really love the shelves... and the whole kitchen.... so pretty and warm.... i love those bamboo shades... may i ask where do you get them.. and if you close them every night.... i have them in my kitchen/family room. i used to draw them down every night but it wasnt made to last... i paid a lot money for them from country curtains... yet am so disappointed in their mechanism. i love having it open.....but we need some privacy. Again... love your kitchen and wished I had your guts!!!
ReplyDeleteCindy
Hi Cindy! We bought our blinds at Lowes and I do close them every night. So far, crossing my fingers, they have worked fine with all the opening and closing. I'm like you, I have to have privacy at night. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI have the same problem, Cindy. I have bamboo shades from Lowe's in my bedroom. I like to open them in the day and close them at night for privacy. I've had to replace one of them twice already because the mechanism broke from opening and closing so often. So far Lowe's has been great about replacing them but I'm not sure how many times they'll do that-lol.
DeleteAbsolutely beautiful!
ReplyDeleteSomething Ivory
Diana, you continue to amaze me with your ideas, knowledge and fortitude! I am keeping an idea file titled "if Diana can do it I can do it!" My husband and I are looking for a project house and I hope to use your ideas for inspiration. Once again I love the things you create.
ReplyDeleteI've been in that same position many times myself (one of those "have to do it right now" gals) and can almost feel your frustration. But the end result was SO worth all the doing and undoing to get it right. Your shelves look fabulous!!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. I want to do the same but my studs are not centered / spaced proportionately to my future shelves. Suggestions?
ReplyDeleteThanks
dana
Gorgeous! I'm definitely one to jump in and try to get it finished so the man doesn't have to help me finish it up. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. :-) Great job!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! And walnut - what a score! Glad you stuck with it and finished - the results are stunning. (I always seem to be in that predicament - my husband just shakes his head) :) Again, wow, they are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThey look great!! You'll appreciate all your hard work even more every time someone comes over and says how awesome they look! There the gift that's going to keep on giving.
ReplyDeleteAw honey don't feel that way! Now that you've actually done it, you know how to do it best the next time around! Besides, we learn way more from making mistakes than we ever do from getting it right the first time around.
ReplyDeleteLove your shelves! They are superb!!!
Absolutely beautiful! My husband is kicking himself right now because he missed out on free barn timbers on craigslist over the weekend--we want to do something similar...
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful kitchen! I love the walnut shelves, turned out fabulous, great job!!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous and worth it! Even though it was one of "those" projects, your insight will benefit others and it's staged to perfection. Love your blog & your kitchen
ReplyDeleteKathy
It might have been a PITA during the process but the outcome sure looks great. :)
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Melissa
Thanks Melissa! :)
DeleteI love your kitchen! Sweet shelves. The wall color is perfect.
ReplyDeleteYour blog has inspired our kitchen remodel which we plan to start very soon. Where did you get those large glass canisters under your new shelves? I've been looking for something similar with no luck.
ReplyDeleteHi, the glass canisters came from Target. And they are very reasonably priced. :)
DeleteDiana - I LOVE those! They turned out beautifully just like I knew they would as soon as you mentioned the project!!!!
ReplyDeletexo
Shannon
OH it did turn out wonderfully...all of your hard work paid off! What a beautiful kitchen you have!
ReplyDeleteIt looks FABULOUS!!!!!! All that hard work paid off!! And...I love what you put on the shelves! :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Emily!
DeleteLove, love, love! I compare these types of projects to childbirth....it can be a painful process and you swear never again, but you forget all that once you see your reward.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree, Tamms! :) And thanks!
DeleteYou are totally my kinda gal!!! Beautifully done! Where did you find that gorgeous wood my friend? And are you for sure those track brackets will hold over time and that wood looks so heavy?? Wow I have some definite wood shelf ENVY,lol
ReplyDeleteHi Deidre, the track system I used has a weight capacity of 500 lbs, so I'm thinking it will hold everything just fine. :) Fingers crossed. :) thanks for stopping by!
DeleteYep, just like you i jump into stuff..and then have to figure out how to do it! Looks lovely with the rest of the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteWhat type of brackets did you end up using?
ReplyDeleteHI! I used a track system that attaches to the studs and then has metal slide in brackets that go with it. It was the only thing I could find that had a huge weight capacity of around 500 lbs. :) It cost me around $30.
DeleteLowe's?
DeleteDiana the Walnut shelves you made are awesome! I love them. I have a set of your bread boards, now if you ever do make more of those shelves I want some! They are beautiful! lin lbprich@bellsouth.net
ReplyDeleteThey look fabulous, there is no way I would do something like that- well done. I am amazed at the returns policies in the US, there is no way they would take something back in Australia if you had already tried it unless it was faulty.
ReplyDeleteHi Deanne, thanks! Just to clarify, I didn't return the brackets that I tried out. I only returned the 4 others that I bought for the rest of the shelves that hadn't been used. :) I'm not sure they would have taken back previously used brackets either. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteDiana,
ReplyDeleteYou are allot like me.Once I get something in my head I have to get it done.It was allot of work but the results look amazing!!! LOVE those shelves.You go girl!
xx
Anne
The shelves are gorgeous! No doubt about that, but are you ok after falling off that counter?
ReplyDeleteYou're so sweet, Jessica! Yes, just sore, but I'm good! :) Thanks for asking!
DeleteSorry it was such a fusterating project for you, but they look absolutely amazing!!! I just love the gorgeous wood!! Happy Birthday to your son! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa! :)
DeleteI just had to laugh at your story; that has happened to me more times than I would like to admit! The shelves are amazing and you did a wonderful job, thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThey turned out even more beautiful than your inspiration pictures. I hope that you didn't fall too hard. It is going to be tough to beat that project in a lot of ways. :). I hope that you have a wonderful week. Love to you, sweet friend of mine!!! :)
ReplyDeleteI love it! My husband brought home a trailer load of old wood from an old warehouse the other day. We plan to build a storage building with it but I will be sneaking out some for my house projects:) I can't wait to see what I can do with...but you've given my inspiration:)
ReplyDeleteCheryl
Absolutely beautiful!
ReplyDeletexxx
I'm sorry to hear they were such a pain, but man are they gorgeous! Give it a few days, and I think you'll agree it was totally worth it :)
ReplyDeleteThey are GORGEOUS and you are AMAZING! And congrats to your boy for his 20th. I have 2 boys of my own (growing too fast), and they completely have my heart :)
ReplyDeleteAnd here's a quirky tidbit: Since finding your blog, I go to bed almost every night wondering, "how would Diana do it?" Hahaha! I'm trying to redo my decorating and I think you have given me the best ideas that match my style. Thank you, and I hope that's not too creepy LOL!
Thanks Kelly! And no, I don't think that's creepy at all! LOL! I've done that before too with designers who's taste I admire. :)
DeleteDiana, I just recently started reading your blog and you so inspire me!
ReplyDeleteI love,love,love the shelves! They are beautiful! Sorry they gave you such a hard time,but in the end you won.
Terry
Hi Diana. Like a few more peeps lately, I've been a little involved (obsessed) with your blog since I found it a few days ago. I've been giving thanks that I have a job where I can steal away to dreamland. My stealing away has been a little excessive..enough to say I've read just about your whole blog and have sent your link to several of my friends. So which brings me to a question (and possibly a great idea!!) Would someone like you (and I say that with the upmost respect and admiration) gives suggestions to someone like me (that has no idea how to decorate but has a home with good possibilities) I even have a great name for it! Take This House. Since you seem to have every inch of your home looking amazing you could take someone else's home (MINE! MINE!) and "direct" from miles away and do what you do! I have multiple saws, old lumber, sewing machine, hot glue gun. I'm ready and willing! Think about it...sleep on it...and let me know. *smile* (with fingers crossed) Can send pics and references.
ReplyDeletep.s. Love your blog btw (in case you couldn't tell)
The shelves turned out great! Isn't it funny that the worst projects to work on are always the ones you end up being the most proud of? I can't believe you took that on on your own! I imagine your arms felt sore? Alex is going out of town for a couple days this weekend, I'm debating what kind of trouble/projects I should dig into while he is gone, hehe! Great project thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteFound your blog a couple of months ago and find that my style clicks with lots of your ideas...these shelves hit the mark perfectly! Beautiful! I have been wanting to put a shelf up on a bare wall above our side counter/island since we moved in a couple of months ago. I've been searching a brainstorming ideas and your strenuous project is the epitome of my vision. Thanks so much for sharing the completed picture so that my "shelf dream" can be realized...but now to find the wood. Thanks Diana! You have an incredibly lovely home!
ReplyDeleteI love these shelves! We're upgrading our kitchen this fall and now I have to add something like this to our plans. Thank you for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteKitchen utensils are now days made from wood. Bone china is now a day’s becoming an old fashion. Many utensils such as plate’s cup etc. are coming in the wood. Yes they are expensive but it’s uncommon so people buy it.
ReplyDeleteReclaimed Wood
The shelves look great!
ReplyDeleteYour home is beautiful!
Where did you get your blinds you have in the kitchen?
I have to say - I am blissfully in love with your kitchen. I have reclaimed wood in the rafters of my garage that I'm planning on doing a very similar project with - just one big long shelf on a long, awkward wall in our kitchen. If I could convince my hubs that we need open shelving in our kitchen (which we absolutely do) then we would be doing something very similar. Love love love it!
ReplyDeleteI love your kitchen! I'm just starting a remodel of mine. Could you kindly share your paint colour?
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you did anything to the wood after you got it? Did you sand it or stain it or add a finish to it in any way, or just leave it raw? Thank you so much for your inspiration, it is beautiful!!!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you sanded or did a finish to the wood after you got it from your friend? It's beautiful, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely beautiful! Looks lovely with the rest of the kitchen. specially the shelves are gorgeous. Luxury Beds and Mattresses
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. I love most this kind of Blog. I, too, would love reclaimed wood shelves in our study and needed to know how to make them. There are more item of wood and wood institute. I love it very much. I need to know more about wood. So I am searching this kind of blog.
ReplyDeletereclaimed woods
Amazing...you did your homework and didn't take shortcuts. I love it all! :)
ReplyDeleteJane x
I love your Shelves!! How thick are they?
ReplyDelete