Before & After: A $9 IKEA Gem Added the Perfect Finishing Touch to This DIY Open Shelving
When contemporary artist Farwa Moledina and her husband were designing their pink-infused kitchen in their modern Birmingham, U.K. home, they made a somewhat unconventional decision. “We had a blank wall that we wanted to use for storage, but didn’t want to add more wall cabinets,” Moledina said. Instead, they got creative.
The couple had already made some DIY renovations to their “boring white kitchen,” including painting the cabinets COAT’s shade of “David Rose” paint, installing Tile Mountain’s rose gold wall tiles, and adding new hardware. Next, rather than adding more traditional kitchen cabinetry to increase storage space, they hung up some DIY open shelving.
And the end result, which only took three days to complete and cost around $116, is both stunning and functional. The shelves are the perfect place to hang and store glassware while they act as art pieces on display. Here’s how they did it.
How the Couple Built a DIY Floating Shelf
To kick off the project, the couple purchased a planed wood plank from a local timber merchant (which cost just under $20) and used Danish Oil Finish to treat the wood. While the wood was being treated, it was time to install the supportive hardware. Four scaffolding brackets from Etsy were put in place to hold the plank.
@thehousewiththepinkbed Replying to @noreenmorris0 we made it! We used planed timber from a local timber merchant, brackets from etsy, and the IKEA HULTARP rail. So effective and pretty! #kitchenshelves #kitchenhacks #kitchenstorage #diyshelf #fyp #pinktiles #kitcheninspo #girlshome ♬ original sound – sped up audios 👏
After installing the wooden board, it was time to accessorize to increase their storage. Moledina used two IKEA HULTARP rails in a polished brass color to hang mug hooks and a kitchen towel holder. This addition was her favorite part of the finished look because it “added storage and saved counter space while also looking nice.” They then added a little greenery for that extra homey touch.
Moledina and her husband’s ultimate design goal was to create a “modern and functional kitchen that would be a joy to cook in” — and that’s exactly what they achieved. Their upgrades, which include the DIY floating open shelf with the clever IKEA rails, have transformed their bare-bones space into a stunning, bright, and practical space. Not only have they added color, storage, and a fun way to store their kitchen goods, they did so without making the space feel cluttered.
The kitchen transformation isn’t the only beautiful part of Moledina’s home. To learn more about their colorful Birmingham space, visit the full house tour on Apartment Therapy.