DIY kitchen shelves
Modern kitchen shelves differ in a variety of shapes, sizes, design solutions. They are functional and cozy. But it is not necessary to buy such products in the store - many varieties can be done by hand at home, using improvised tools and materials.
Varieties of kitchen shelves
Comfortable, beautiful kitchen shelves for a medium or small kitchen are very different. These are closed and open, wall and floor, hidden and built-in, desktop and in the form of shelves. They are part of the headset or a separate element of the interior.
Closed
Closed structures differ in that they have a back, top, side walls. The front part is decorated with hinged or sliding doors - wooden, glass, MDF, plastic, painted plywood. Usually, the item looks like a closed horizontal cabinet, inside which there are at least two shelves.
Tip: inside closed shelves, it is permissible to mount a backlight that turns on when the door is opened, so that you can easily find the items you need.
Hanging (above the dining table)
Such products are mounted on the wall - above the table in the dining area. Most often they serve as decoration, fit into piers, niches, are made of different depths, lengths. The shelves are equipped with hidden fixtures and fit perfectly into most modern, trendy interiors. Shaped steel structures designed for storing glasses are fixed to the ceiling - above the bar counter, kitchen table.
Hidden
Hidden shelves are disguised as the surrounding interior, they are mounted in a niche, "Khrushchev's refrigerator" located under the window, the lower or upper part of the headset. The option is optimal for a modern, minimalistic interior.
Floor standing
Floor structures are strong, stable, suitable for placing heavy household appliances (multicooker, electric meat grinder, microwave oven), utensils made of cast iron, steel. Their design allows the weight of the content to be distributed over four legs, sometimes with additional wall mounting. Some variants are equipped with casters for maximum mobility. The product is made of wood, metal.
Open
Such structures are made suspended, do not have front and side walls. Such shelves expand the room, but require constant care - wiping off dust, washing all items located on them.If there is a powerful hood in the kitchen, cleaning will be slightly easier. Open shelves, decorated in light colors, will perfectly fit into the interiors of Provence and country.
Tabletop
Tabletop options are attached directly to the tabletop, bar counter. They are placed close to the wall, in the corner, fixed or removable. Cups, sugar bowls, salt shakers, decorative vases with flowers or sweets, framed photos, souvenirs are placed here.
Built-in
Shelves built into the outer modules of the kitchen cabinet, island set or niche diversify the interior. They create additional storage space, expanding the functionality of the furniture, which is especially important in cramped kitchens.
Suspended
Such shelves are attached to the wall, ceiling, side surfaces of furniture using cables, belts, cords, chains. This is the best option for any non-standard interiors. If necessary, the product can be easily dismantled and moved to another place. The only drawback is the instability of the structure, due to fastening at only two points.
Racks
A rack is a kind of organizer that has many shelves of different sizes inside. Different things are put here - from small decor to relatively large household appliances. Shiny metal shelving is suitable for high-tech, brutalism, futurism interiors.
How to choose a shelf for your kitchen interior
Kitchen shelves are matched to the existing or planned interior. For tight spaces, narrow, open options are optimal. Massive racks are installed in spacious rooms. Before buying, measurements are taken of the space to be designed so that the "construction" does not come as a surprise when the object does not fit into the right place.
Wooden products are mounted in classic interiors, Provence style kitchens, Country style, Scandinavian, Hygge. Variants for semi-antique rooms are decorated with volumetric carved elements, hand-painted, “noble patina”. Steel products, with dark metal fasteners, suspended from chains or ropes, are installed in the interiors of brutalism, loft, and industrial. Lightweight plastic products are suitable for kitchens in the style of minimalism, kitsch, pop art.
Decorating a room with purchased shelves is to hang them on special mounts, usually purchased in a set. You can install an L-shaped or triangular shelf in a corner, a straight one - above a table, in a niche, in the middle of a wall, above a door, or on a kitchen apron. Less often, the structure is mounted on the ceiling, hung over the sofa in the recreation area.
How to make kitchen shelves with your own hands
The original shelves for the kitchen made of wood, made by hand, will decorate the interior and become its important multifunctional detail. Unlike cheap options from a furniture store that have dubious aesthetic value, homemade ones are almost guaranteed to come out beautiful if you get serious about the problem. You can design them in your home workshop yourself or according to drawings, drawings from the Internet.
Required tools, material
In the manufacture of shelves, it is permissible to use almost any material:
- natural wood is an environmentally friendly material that always looks good. The most commonly used species are pine, oak, birch, cedar, spruce, linden, larch, yew, ash, beech, hornbeam, maple, alder, walnut. The shelves come out different in color, weight, texture. They are easy to restore, decorate with patterns, artistic carvings;
- metal - strong, thin, graceful, stylish designs that can withstand significant weight come out of it. Stainless steel is used as a material, less often aluminum, individual elements of cast iron. The dish shelves located above the sink are made with mesh so that the water from the cutlery can easily flow down;
- plastic is the most economical, cheapest option. Plastic products are made in various colors, they are easy to wash, and if necessary, disassemble. They are often hung over a sink or countertop;
- MDF, chipboard, plywood - they resemble wood in appearance, but cost less. Such options are suitable for the design of modern interiors;
- tempered glass - suitable for a light, air-filled interior. Products will have to be washed often - fingerprints constantly remain on them. The shelves come out strong, hidden fasteners are preferable for them;
- drywall - items are made of various shapes, thicknesses. The design is complemented by LED bulbs, suitable for light decor placement. Waterproof plasterboard is preferred for kitchens.
At home, wooden shelves are most often made - for work you will need a jigsaw, a screwdriver, a puncher, a grinder, a hammer, a pencil and a square for marking, a level, brackets or consoles for hanging, wide boards, stain, furniture varnish, screws, hardware, a brush , decor.
Advice: if the shelf is planned to be decorated with lighting, the place for connecting light bulbs, LED strips is planned in advance.
Manufacturing process
Instructions for making homemade shelves looks like this:
- first, the design, configuration of the product, the number of elements, their location are thought out;
- a drawing of shelves is being carried out, a sketch of placement in the kitchen space;
- boards intended for manufacturing are marked out, cut out according to the intended shape, sanded - it is permissible to use only dry material that does not have falling out knots;
- so that objects do not fall, small sides are mounted on the front, side parts of the structure;
- consoles, brackets are chosen smaller than the distance between the shelves;
- open ends are decorated with veneer, special decorative tape;
- on a wooden surface, varnish, paint, hand-painted are applied.
The final stage of manufacturing is wall mounting. Even a novice master can handle the installation of the structure. The wall is marked, holes are drilled for dowels, the shelf is fixed with self-tapping screws, its horizontality is checked with a building level, a plumb line. The shelves are made of MDF or chipboard in about the same way.
To make a drywall product, you need gypsum plasterboard, aluminum profiles, perforated corners, wooden bars, self-tapping screws, dowels, mounting tape, wall fasteners, plasterboard putty, paint, self-adhesive film or wallpaper, lighting elements.After creating sketches, drawings, the material and the wall itself are marked out. A frame made of metal profiles is mounted on the latter, plasterboard parts are fixed. All surfaces are carefully putty, sanded with sandpaper, primed, painted or pasted over with decorative self-adhesive film. The backlight, if possible, is mounted so that the wires are not visible.
What to put on the kitchen shelves
The shelves usually contain:
- decorative plates, cups, vases;
- cookbooks with colorful covers;
- photo, paintings in frames;
- all kinds of figurines, souvenirs, decorative candles;
- jars with spices, coffee, tea, cereals;
- TV, lamps;
- bottles with drinks, glasses (placed on special holders);
- pots, salad bowls;
- live potted plants;
- detergents in jars, sponges, oven mitts.
On the surfaces placed inside the headset, they put less beautiful crockery, cutlery, textiles, tools for cleaning various surfaces, cutting boards.
It is not at all difficult to make shelves of wood, glass or other material on your own if you have interesting ideas, suitable mechanical tools. It is important to decide in advance on the purpose, design, installation method. Homemade shelves will become a real work of art, or they will be standard - rectangular, angular.
Video: design options for open shelves in the kitchen