When we were done, we were left with a hole:
Next came the shelf-building part. Each part of the shelf was cut separately and nailed in place as we went. So for that bottom section, there were two horizontal pieces, two vertical pieces, and a back piece. We built it this way so that we’d have something to nail to. The back of this area is the drywall in our living room, so we couldn’t nail anything into the back–only the side studs.
After building the shelves and nailing them all together, we added trim… molding along the top and bottom with thin slats of wood along each side. We used the same slats (I think they were made for lattice) to add a lip to each shelf.
Here’s a close up:
After a lot of wood filler to cover up all the imperfections and several coats of white paint, we have a between-the-studs shelf!
I love how it turned out! It’s the perfect place in my pantry to store little things… spices, sauces, etc. and of course, our candy jars which are empty at the moment. Boo!
Do you have a place in your house that’s just calling for a between-the-studs shelf? They’d be great in any room… craft room, bedroom, bathroom, entryway. Really. Such a great way to add storage without taking up any space!
We are getting so close to being done with the pantry! All that’s left is painting the door and installing baseboards, door trim and crown moulding! Can’t wait to show you!