Today I want to share with you my latest DIY project – installing wood floating shelves in my kitchen. I used to have cabinets in this location, but they looked bulky and awkward in the space; they were one of the first things to go when we bought our home.

This was a fun and relatively easy project, and I’m thrilled with the final result. If you want to tile your wall like mine before installing these shelves, first check out my gray subway tile installation tutorial. Now, let’s get started!

Step 1: Purchase Materials

The first step is to gather all the materials you will need for this project. Here’s what I used:

• One inch metal floating shelf bracket
• Two 1×8 inch premium pine boards, cut to width
• 1×2 inch premium pine boards for each side and the front
• Nail gun and nails
• Wood filler
• 80 and 120 grit sandpaper
• Varathane wood conditioner
• Varathane whitewash
• Rust-oleum Java Brown antique glaze
• General Finishes flat topcoat

Step 2: Install the Shelf Bracket

The first thing you need to do is install the one inch metal floating shelf bracket on the wall. I used a level to ensure that it was straight and then drilled screws into the wall to secure it in place.

Step 3: Build the Wood Floating Shelves

Next, I built the shelf itself. I used two 1×8 inch premium pine boards, cut to the width I wanted the shelf to be. I used my nail gun to nail these larger boards to 1×2 inch premium pine boards for each side and the front. This gives you the right thickness for the shelf so that it will fit snugly onto the shelf bracket when it is ready.

Step 4: Fill Holes and Sand

Once the shelf was built, I needed to fill any nail holes or cracks in the seams with wood filler. I let the filler dry completely, and then sanded the shelves with 80 and then 120 grit sandpaper. Don’t skip the fine grit sandpaper; it really makes a difference in the smoothness of your shelves! After sanding, I wiped off any debris from the shelves.

Step 5: Paint

Now that the sanding work is done, it’s time for the fun part: paint the shelves! I chose to do my favorite white wash with antiquing to tone it down. Since these are real wood shelves, I used the same painting technique that I used on my Narnia hutch:

1. Apply Varathane wood conditioner to the entire surface of the credenza using a clean cloth. Then quickly wipe off any excess and allow it to dry completely. Now, apply Varathane whitewash with a rag. Work in sections, rubbing on the whitewash and then immediately rubbing it off. Make sure to really work the whitewash into the wood!
2. After the whitewash has dried for 1–2 hours, apply Rust-oleum Java Brown antique glaze onto the whitewashed wood. Work in sections, wiping on the glaze and then rubbing it off to your liking. You want to work quickly as the glaze dries fast.
3. Once the glaze has dried, you can apply two coats of General Finishes flat topcoat using a four-inch foam roller. This eliminates any oiliness from the previous glaze and protect the finish. Be sure to wait for the first coat to dry before applying the second coat. Alternatively, you can use a spray sealer instead of the matte clear coat. Allow the topcoat to dry completely.

Step 6: Install the Wood Floating Shelves

Finally, it is time to install the shelf! I simply slid the shelf onto the floating bracket and it fit perfectly. I repeated this process for each shelf I wanted to install in my kitchen.

And that’s it! Installing floating wood shelves is a great DIY project that can add both beauty and functionality to your kitchen. I hope this step-by-step guide has been helpful for you. Thanks for reading!