Last week, I wrote about “Kitchen Week.”
Kate commented: “Just a suggestion: If you lengthened the shelves to the left of the sink, so they stretched from the wall to the window, you’d have more storage space. Maybe you could add a third shelf too.”
I replied: “Ha! My mom just mentioned those shelves to me as well. They are cheap prefab shelves we brought with us from our college apt. It has been on our agenda to replace them with shelves that run the length of the wall, and to add a third for more than a decade. But, we have tons of other projects. We finally have the wood milled and dried and ready to tackle that shelving project, but as usual, other things are taking priority right now. But in the next year, surely we will get those shelves up.” (Jonny later corrected me, “No, my dad bought and installed those shelves for us when my parents helped us move into the house thirteen years ago.)
Kate replied to me: “To me, it seems like a quick and easy fix. My husband is too busy and I’m the handy one, anyway, so when I’m in the middle of organizing and I see something that would make things better, I do it (or get my boys to). My husband says I’m a Woman on a Mission during these times. A few pine boards (from the shed or hardware store), a slap of paint, a few brackets, a level, screws and screwdriver and it’s done. Even if it’s not what I ultimately want in my dream kitchen, at least it’s better than what’s there and will make home life better. I’m all about better, not perfect, just better.”
So, I just thought I would share a behind the scenes look at how a project, this shelf project, happened at my house. You see, first a tree had to fall in the forest…
(Easter, 2014)
(May 2014)
(July 2015)
(August 2015)
There are holes in the walls to be patched. We aren’t thrilled with the brackets, and I would love a beadboard backsplash, but these are the shelves of my dreams. They are beautiful, and are motivating me to spend more time in the kitchen, and to work harder when I am there. I am so thankful to our friends who helped make this happen, from the sawing, the hauling, to the milling and then letting it sit in your yard curing for so long. And of course to my dear husband, the artist, who can’t for the life of him just throw something together quickly. These shelves were worth the wait.
I am also thankful to Kate for leaving that last comment, one that Jonny read.
Kate, you lit a fire. Thank you!
They are *really* beautiful!
When oh when will you come and re-do my kitchen? Oh, nevermind. We are renting now. But seriously I love your style! Congrats on beauty.
Beautiful – and such a lesson too to appreciate the nature of one’s husband…I don’t always, and need to, always. Yes, it took awhile – but really they are a work of art. I love open shelving!
AND – isn’t that just like a “Kate” — 😉 I have a friend Kate and she is forthright and really does encourage one to action.
Ginny,
I love the thick wood and the brackets. What a great suggestions to expand the shelves. Johnny did a great job. Enjoy your new found love for your work space.
Gorgeous wood!!
We just bought our house 3 months ago and I often feel torn between perfect and good enough. Sometimes a little of both is just what is needed!
We struggle with that too, and I am learning that good enough is oftentimes pretty great and definitely better than not at all!
I love the spalting on those boards! They look amazing in your kitchen. We have similar spalted boards in our kitchen, which we were able to get from a friend with a mill who salvages local trees/wood.
Oh my they are gorgeous! Please send Jonny over the atlantic to help us out with our home projects! x
Awesome shelves, love the story that they came from your yard. Extra special!!!
Awww…I love the shelves and the brackets look great with them! All of your children are beautiful and growing so quickly!
What a great story and shelving journey! Looks amazing! Love your little ones creating their own stories under the making table.
Beautiful! You have made a very warm, friendly kitchen to work in and entertain.
I like the brackets. I have wrought iron (or black iron — they are from Pottery Barn) curtain rods in our formal living room and dining room and they give it a je ne sais quoi. It works. And btw — beadboard as a backsplash isn’t so great. We had it in the kids’ bathroom and it eventually swells when it gets wet often enough, even if you caulk it well. After a couple years we had to tear it out and replace it with tile.
Your shelves were certainly a lot more work than most people’s are, but they have a lot more character!
Thanks for the tip! My biggest concern with the beadboard is that food will get stuck in the grooves! Well, I know it will get stuck there, and will be a pain to clean. Since we have a small granite backsplash in place, and the beadboard will go above, I don’t think moisture will be an issue. We have leftover beadboard from our pantry project, and will probably end up sticking with that plan just to save money in the short term!
You are welcome! I am so glad Jonny made it happen. That wood is gorgeous and the set up looks lovely. I have to admit, that I did write that to you as a bit of a challenge (and don’t men love a challenge?) My husband says my specialty is (figuratively) slapping people upside the head and getting them to see what can be done now.
🙂
I love the “story of the shelves”. They are truly a work of art and love. So nice to be surrounded in a home by handmade items………I think it just adds good juju! ?
Stunning! I want some in my kitchen too! Can you send some the California way?!
Stunning!! I want some in my house now. Can you send some the California way?! <3
Your title is hilarious! I can totally relate to having to do every single part of a DYI project. The shelves turned out really well! So impressed!
I forgot to say in my comment below that after seeing these shelves I am even more excited to see the table you mentioned making (back when you originally posted about the tree falling)! Does the wood have to sit and cure longer for that sort of project?
Yes, a bit longer for furniture. Maybe that project will happen this winter? We don’t all fit at our current table anymore.
Those shelves are amazing and beautiful!
WOWOWOW. They are simply amazing. And what a great use of that wall now, too!
I love them!
I love your new shelves especially the natural edge and the brackets too.
Those shelves are beautiful, good job you guys!! And they have a special story behind them, I love that. Jeff is an artist too and sometimes I have a simple project in mind which takes much longer because he wants to do a really good job, and it’s always beautiful and always worth the wait. Every little home improvement project makes such a huge difference.
I love when the space we have available can be used more efficiently to maximize room for storage and organizing! Hooray for that!
Those shelves are lovely. It makes me feel better about all the wood curing in our “shop” (the garage that a car never enters unless it needs a fix) that will someday be the best dining room table ever.
The shelves are BEAUTIFUL! And yay for more storage space!
Great job!! Looks awesome & beautiful!! Great use of space
The grain in those shelves is stunning! They look just lovely. I have had a crush on your kitchen for SO long. I have actually shown it to my hunny and several family members and said, “SEE? This is my dream kitchen!” There’s something about the color of your cabinets and that big table-island in the middle… I just adore it! 🙂
They look beautiful in your kitchen!
lovely shelves, excellent commenter and my you got shelves to load lots more onto!! I love how the wood has meaning 🙂
Great shelves! I love the meaning behind the wood and the love and care that was put into building them. Do you still have the little dog that you brought home from visiting family a while back?
Yes, we still have Weasel…why, do you want him? 😉 Just kidding. He really is a sweet little dog, and he is FINALLY starting to settle down and not drive us crazy all the time. He’s such a cat chaser and a barker though, it’s been an adjustment.
I love the new shelves! I am very happy for you. High five, Jonny!
I love it! Love the style of your kitchen, Ginny!
I always love your home improvement posts. Love the shelves! Very inspiring and thanks for sharing. Yay Kate for mentioning it and yay Jonny for being such a great problem solver. Blessings.
Oh, they’re beautiful Ginny. A very worthwhile mission 🙂
Looks great! Well worth the wait. Is that a Wood-mizer? My husband used to work for them in Indianapolis.
Oh, they are really gorgoues – wonderfull story as well. K
They look fabulous! Nice work Jonny! Oh my, Gabriel is growing up so fast.
oh yay!!! they are BEAUTIFUL!!!! the brackets are fine I think! if the colour bothers you someday repaint them while on wall is my thought but seriously LOVE them! and I think it’s lovely as is! all those beautiful kitchen things on them! yay! and I esp. love that cake stand… I have a similar one… 🙂 blog communities sure can help us! God bless!! love those pictures of course also!
Wow, those shelves are lobvely. I love the way the grain shows in the edges. So worth the wait! Gratz!
Just beautiful and I also would be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen. Like yourself we lived for many years in a small house (77 sq m with 8 children) before we built our big home onto our small one. One day it occurred to me it was about footprint space, such as your wall, your footprint space was being underutilised. For myself the most exciting moment was when I husband built a floor to ceiling pantry, took the same footprint space but help 3 times as much.
Enjoy cooking up a storm:)
So cool! They look great!
What a beautiful and functional kitchen feature. It was well worth the wait. I love the story, the patience and the collabration from tree to kitchen furniture.
You could paint the brackets the color of the wall, Ginny. But, so much space now!
They look so good! I really love the black brackets.
The shelves are beautiful… thank goodness that tree fell! 😉
Love them!! It feels so good to get a project like that done and see the fruit! Great job!
Oh I love these so much! We have a fallen tree that needs to get taken care of at our new place and a kitchen that needs more shelving… I wonder if I can get my husband to tackle something like this!
Rosie, I wonder how close we are? Jonny has his own sawmill now….
Well, facebook has been telling me to add you as a friend for ages, so I’ll just do that and message you 🙂
Ginny!! I love them. Your husband did a great job and you almost doubled the storage space. Woohoo! I hope to see them in person one day soon. Hugs friend!
I love the shelves! I also have a question….Do you make use of your double ovens? We are trying to choose appliances and I am leaning towards spending the extra money for that type of stove. We had purchased a used restaurant (6 burner) stove but found that the pilot lights put out a ton of heat. Handy in the winter but not so much in the summer. And we hadn’t even lit the pilot for the oven. So we are back to a regular range.
Oh, man. YES. We loved it for the first couple of months, before one of the kids used the handle of the lower oven as a step up. It messed the door up and the lower oven no longer heats properly. So, we only use the top oven now, which isn’t ideal and obviously defeats the purpose of having two!!! SIGH.
❤️beautiful!
Oh my. I LOVE these, Ginny! They are gorgeous. Tell Jonny he did an amazing job. 🙂