Cross it off the List: Shelves are Done!

Just like at your house, noTTafarm's December has been filled by a flurry of holiday activities. Above the holiday din, however, Scott managed to find time to complete our kitchen shelving project. The end result is even better than we imagined!

After considering all sorts of options, stair treads were selected as the final shelf material.

Scott found the 1-1/16" thick, solid red oak treads at Builder's Supply, and trimmed their 60" width down to a final size of 55". The bull nose edge gave an already-finished appearance to the front-facing elevation.

Trimming to the proper width

Dry Run Fitting

Just to make sure the width was right, Scott placed the three unfinished shelves on the brackets.

Scott used dark espresso-colored stain which was leftover from the kitchen and bathroom cabinet finishing. Using this particular stain was tricky. When he applied the wipe-on poly, some stain was lifted off. Scott ended up sanding everything down, and starting over. The second attempt went better after allowing more drying time for the stain, and using spray-on, quick-drying matte lacquer for the finish.

Ta Da!

Once in place (finally, on Christmas Eve morning) we loaded the shelves with Fiesta. The top shelf is too high for daily use but is a wonderful place for displaying oversized pieces.

When Scott first described his idea for the shelving design, I was worried that they wouldn't be strong enough for a large collection of (breakable) dishware. I am happy to report that these steel-and-oak shelves are not only gorgeous but are (as Scott describes) strong enough to hold three cars. However, I think we'll keep them in the garage for now.

What should we do next? I'm giving Scott a few days off then we have to tackle some master bathroom touch-ups.

Stay Tuned for Our Next Adventure!