Howdy! I've been planning our den redesign for my sweet hubby and one of the things he really wanted was a unique shelving unit to display some of his vintage collections. I've had my eye on this salvaged wood shelving piece at Restoration Hardware for quite some time now and thought it would be the perfect piece to showcase the things that make him happy.
But, at nearly $2000, it's not even in the same universe as our price range, so, I knew that I would have to come up with a way to build my own version if I really wanted it. So, first thing to do, find some castors that I liked that were cheap or free. I found an industrial set like in the photo but they were too expensive, as well. Then hubby came home the other day with a set of castors that he found, I couldn't believe how perfect the timing was. I was super excited to get started on the piece and he was super excited for me to get finished. :) Time for more barn wood.......
I started by prepping all the planks, which consisted of hosing them down, scrubbing with a brush, soap and water, letting them dry a few days in the sun, then sanding down completely with a palm sander, rinse again and let dry in the sun. Then I took 220 grit sandpaper and lightly sanded the wood to give it a smooth finish. I decided what size I wanted the shelf to be, 5' x 3' with a 12 inch depth, and cut all my boards accordingly. Here's what I had after all that. Beautifully salvaged wood. (And crunchy brown grass......please rain.)
The small planks in the photo are the lip that I attached to the front of each shelf to create the illusion of a thicker plank and provide a nice finish. For the steel rods like in the inspiration photo, I used 1/2 inch wood dowels that I spray painted oil rubbed bronze. I bought corner brackets at the hardware store and spray painted those as well, to create the same detail as the Restoration Hardware piece. The castors had a good bit of surface rust, so I sanded that off with steel wool. Hardware is all ready!
I have to say that this was a hard project to work on. Mainly because it was 100 degrees both days I worked on it and also because the wood weighs a ton. The first day, I just wasn't feelin' it and had to sit and stare at the pile for a long time to figure out how I wanted to do it. After a couple of hours, everything started coming together and I got busy and didn't take anymore photos till I was finished. The second day I worked on it, I was so happy to have my hubby home, instead of working, to give me a hand. It was HEAVY. And hot. And I just wanted to get it finished so we would stop melting. Here's what I came up with.....
I tried to create the same detailing as the piece in my inspiration photo. Corner brackets....
"Steel" rods......
And castor wheels......
It's not exactly like the other piece but I'm pretty proud of it and my hubby LOVES it. THAT makes me so happy.
I can't wait to put it in the room and fill it with his special finds. He found a few really cool things at an auction this week to put on the shelf, one of which I'm going to blog about this week because it is so cool, that I was even surprised by how much I liked it. Bet you'll never guess what it is! :)
So, that's it! I'm still picking up other things for the room here and there and can't wait to put everything together and surprise him! Stay tuned for that. I'm so excited to be doing this for him. And he is so excited that he's like a kid in a candy store!
Have a great day!
P.S. Almost forgot, total cost to build the shelf, about 10 bucks, for the cost of 4 wood dowel rods and 2 brackets. Everything else was either found or a supply we already had. Gotta love that!!
I started by prepping all the planks, which consisted of hosing them down, scrubbing with a brush, soap and water, letting them dry a few days in the sun, then sanding down completely with a palm sander, rinse again and let dry in the sun. Then I took 220 grit sandpaper and lightly sanded the wood to give it a smooth finish. I decided what size I wanted the shelf to be, 5' x 3' with a 12 inch depth, and cut all my boards accordingly. Here's what I had after all that. Beautifully salvaged wood. (And crunchy brown grass......please rain.)
The small planks in the photo are the lip that I attached to the front of each shelf to create the illusion of a thicker plank and provide a nice finish. For the steel rods like in the inspiration photo, I used 1/2 inch wood dowels that I spray painted oil rubbed bronze. I bought corner brackets at the hardware store and spray painted those as well, to create the same detail as the Restoration Hardware piece. The castors had a good bit of surface rust, so I sanded that off with steel wool. Hardware is all ready!
I have to say that this was a hard project to work on. Mainly because it was 100 degrees both days I worked on it and also because the wood weighs a ton. The first day, I just wasn't feelin' it and had to sit and stare at the pile for a long time to figure out how I wanted to do it. After a couple of hours, everything started coming together and I got busy and didn't take anymore photos till I was finished. The second day I worked on it, I was so happy to have my hubby home, instead of working, to give me a hand. It was HEAVY. And hot. And I just wanted to get it finished so we would stop melting. Here's what I came up with.....
I tried to create the same detailing as the piece in my inspiration photo. Corner brackets....
"Steel" rods......
And castor wheels......
It's not exactly like the other piece but I'm pretty proud of it and my hubby LOVES it. THAT makes me so happy.
I can't wait to put it in the room and fill it with his special finds. He found a few really cool things at an auction this week to put on the shelf, one of which I'm going to blog about this week because it is so cool, that I was even surprised by how much I liked it. Bet you'll never guess what it is! :)
So, that's it! I'm still picking up other things for the room here and there and can't wait to put everything together and surprise him! Stay tuned for that. I'm so excited to be doing this for him. And he is so excited that he's like a kid in a candy store!
Have a great day!
P.S. Almost forgot, total cost to build the shelf, about 10 bucks, for the cost of 4 wood dowel rods and 2 brackets. Everything else was either found or a supply we already had. Gotta love that!!
Wow! I love it sooo much! It looks just like the one from RH. Where did you get the wood? Was it recycled? it looks like it! Great job, I'm so glad I'm following you!
ReplyDeleteSusan
i LOVE it!!! i am going to fwd this post to my husband...he may have a new item on his "to do" list this weekend! great job!
ReplyDeleteWow! Double wow! That is one amazing shelf. It truly looks like the Restoration Hardware one. Kudos to you. (And I feel like such a wimp compared to you! You rock with those power tools.)
ReplyDeleteDiana you are so creative, this is great, looks like something you could purchase from Pottery Barn. You make it look so easy!
ReplyDeleteLooks great..I think its a dead on for the real deal! Way to go!
ReplyDeleteI love that shelf! I like the whole industrial feel, and the price couldn't be much better!
ReplyDeleteWell I LOVE it too!! You did a great job! It looks just like the RH piece. Look forward to seeing it all filled up!
ReplyDeleteYou are an amazing DYSer! The piece is gorgeous, but the best part is all the recycled components. I'm glad I found your blog to get me inspired. Great job!
ReplyDeleteThis looks great!!! I've been looking for a shelving unit for our apartment but had the same problem: too expensive. I love that this is inexpensive and looks JUST like the $2,000 one!!!
ReplyDeleteWow! It looks fantastic! Really nice DIY approach to make something that looks so similar to a $2,000 shelf! You should make more and sell them, LOL! Can't wait to see what you put on the shelves!
ReplyDeleteThat is beautiful! Where do you get all this amazing barn wood?
ReplyDeleteSusan, we got the wood from an old barn that my hubby purchased at an auction back during the winter for it's contents. The barn is going to eventually be torn down so he's slowly been removing the wood and bringing it home to me so I can use it for my projects. :)
ReplyDeleteFabulous! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm linking up to you on my blog for the display ledge w/ hooks. I'm loving mine, thanks for the inspiration.
www.ourthriftynestofsix.blogspot.com
Blessings,
We were just looking at that shelf in the RH catalog thinking we could do that. Yours looks fabulous! Love it!
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure we were separated at birth. That shelf is amazing.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to see what you have to put on it.
Grrrrreat job! I love it!!
ReplyDeletePS Diana, what is the camera that you use for all your wonderful photos?
ReplyDeleteUh, WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fabulous!
ReplyDeleteIt looks AMAZING! You've got skills!
ReplyDeleteThat is gorgeous!!! Goodness Diana! You are an amazing lady!
ReplyDeletethats pretty incredible. i love the narrower look too. the rh one is just way to big for this ol house.
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing, its really great.
Linden Townhouse, I use a Panasonic FH24, it's just a point and shoot but it's a really good one and I absolutely love it! It has a lot of really good settings. Nothing fancy, but totally happy with it! :)
ReplyDeleteI don't even try to figure out your instructions, they are way over my head, I just go straight to the pictures and wipe the drool off my keyboard! I have a pile of wood from an old privacy fence in my backyard that I want to make into a rustic table with wheels but no way jose can I do that! I'm just going to use some of the pieces to make beach signs...wish you lived close enough I could donate that old wood.
ReplyDeleteAnd oh yeah, your shelves turned out better than the RH ones.
Judy
This is such a cool idea! I totally love it and am amazed that you braved this heat to make such an awesome piece... seriously its flippin hot out!
ReplyDeleteIt turned out amazing. What a wonderful idea.
ReplyDelete~Heidi
It's amazing! You are so talented. So glad I stumbled across your blog!
ReplyDeleteI love your creation more than the inspiration :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome Diana! I wish I had a 10th of your talents! Can't wait to get a tour of your house soon to see all the new/old tuff you've added. Looks beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWell, I think there should be some sort of award for creating knock offs like this girl. It is outstanding, and really much cuter than the RH one. I absolutely love it, and struggle over jealousy of all your barn wood... oh if I had a barn, the things I would do!! LOL
ReplyDeleteBrilliant! What a lovely gift for your husband, and a great addition to your stylish home.
ReplyDeleteYour shelf looks great! I just found you through Beneath My Heart. I've been lost in your post for about 30 minutes now. A definite new follower. Your home is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI've admired that piece for quite some time now...love it that you made a replica!!! I'll be keeping my eyes out for casters and barn wood!!
ReplyDeleteHi - I am in LOVE with your home...You are bursting with creative ideas! Tracy - beneath my heart - introduced you very well and I can now say I am a stalker...uh em....follower of your blog....I have been in my new house for 2 years now and am struggling to make it our home....keep the inspiration coming...hugs...Beck
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm visiting from Beneath My Heart. WOW, this is a fantastic take on the original! I love inventive, "I can make that" DIYers. Fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI found your blog over at beneath my heart. I love love love everything you have created here! This shelf is my favorite! I got so inspired by this I decided to keep reading and I have read every single post on your blog. I just wanted to let you know that I think what you are doing is wonderful, and I can't wait to see more creations!
ReplyDeleteJust found your site, love your DIY attitude! I am curious as to the thickness of the wood you used. Was it 1 or 2" thick? I have access to some great reclaimed boards and some cast iron balusters that I would like to integrate into a book case design.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
This was a fantastic build! I totally love it! Wow...
ReplyDeleteI am in love with this!!! I scored an antique set of wheels like the restoration hardware one... if only I could get hubby to build me one. Wish I had some reclaimed lumber sitting around as Mother's Day is approaching! Fantastic DIY
ReplyDeleteThis could not come at a better time. I have been scouting out wood to DIY the exact same shelf unit!!! You guys did an AMAZING job! Gorgeous and functional...best combo! :)
ReplyDeleteThis is even better than the inspiration! I would rather have yours than theirs any day! You did a fantastic job! Found you through Pinterest and I'm your newest follower...so glad I found you!
ReplyDeleteIt is beautiful!! Awesome job! Love, love, LOVE!
ReplyDeleteI so love your blog....how do I follow you? Cheryl O/Voondi
ReplyDeleteI don't even know you, but I'm so proud of you! What a fun project and I think it's even better than the original! Way to go!
ReplyDeleteLooks amazing!! How did u attach everything together? I don't see any screws? Asking cause I'm totally gonna try & copy:) also could u give a quick run down of "how" you put it together? Like the order of assembly type deal?
ReplyDeletePlease let me know the size of all your wood pieces. I would like to make one of these but need exact measurments.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Sue
My email address is ggpass@hotmail.com
Hi- I just stumbled apon your blog via pinterest...I LOVE this shelf!!! what plans did you use to build it. I would really love to attempt to make my own and cant find any sort of plans online for anything similar. thanks
ReplyDeleteoops...forgot to mention..my email is bcc92207@yahoo.com...also love your decorating style!
ReplyDeleteIs there any chance you could send me the measurements of the wood that you used and the plans in which you put it all together? Like how did you put the shelving together without showing any screws on the outside? This is amazing and I want to make something similar for my fiance's birthday. Please help me out. Email me at mgbeaty@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI love it! I've been following you for a little while now! You did an amazing job on it!! Would you send me the details of size and thickness of wood and how you put it together?
ReplyDeleteThank you,
lezlee
the7browns@united.net
www.castorsandwheelsmanufactures.blog.com
ReplyDeleteSuper Auto Parts
BIL Castors and Wheels manufactures and supplies castors, casters and pneumatic wheels. Great deals on casters, big savings on pneumatic wheels. Huge selection of castors for all applications
I want to try and make my own bookshelf, and I came across your blog. I adore your masterpiece! Could you send me some specific dimensions and how you attached the wood together?
ReplyDeleteThank you! gnplatukis at gmail dot com
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI would like to build a version of this bookshelf. Could you explain how you attached the wood together?
ReplyDeleteThank you! sikora.ricketts@gmail.com
I love how the wood looks weathered, adding to it a beautifully rustic charm. You have given me some ideas for some storage shelves I’m thinking of making that would compliment really well with the general wooden theme of my house. The castor wheels are pure genius. The problem with big shelves is that once they are used for storage of whatever you want to put in them, they become this huge, imposing structure you cannot move. The wheels completely solve that problem.
ReplyDeleteHowdy Our Vintage Home Love! I love the reclaimed wood shelves in your kitchen! Have you blogged about it? Would love to hear more about the iron bracket used to support the wood planks. Where do you find such a neat and industrial ironwork? Thanks!
ReplyDelete