When I used to hear the term farmhouse, my first thought was often of country store with chicken figurines, old timey rocking chairs, and red and white plaid linens. Now when I hear "farmhouse" I think of bright open spaces with hardwood floors, and warm accent pieces.The farmhouse look has come a long way, and I really can't get enough of it. Transforming our home into the modern farmhouse(ish) style we wanted would be incomplete without these rustic shelves.
To get this look, here's what you'll need:
Materials
- Reclaimed Lumber (our shelves ended up being 1” thick, 5 1/4” wide, and 48” long) if you don’t have access to reclaimed wood you could use 2” x 8”s or 2” x 10”s depending on the desired width. - Metal Shelf Brackets (we used these)
- Wall Anchors (something like this works well)
Tools
- Circular Saw
- Drill
- Router with 1/4 straight bit (if you don’t have one you can use several passes with a circular saw set to a shallow depth)
- Angle Grinder with cutting disk or hack saw if your wood is narrower than the shelf brackets. We had to cut the metal to size for ours.
- Sander
- Stain/Finish
- Level
Steps
Step 1. Cut shelf to length. Using the circular saw, cut your wood to the desired shelf length. We went with 48”.
Step 2. Sand. Depending on your desired rusticness, sand the shelves. We sanded up to 180 grit and made sure to leave as much of the wood’s character as possible -- like the band saw marks on the edges.
Step 3. Cut plate groove. With your router or circular saw set to 1/4” depth, cut a groove along the length of the shelf about 2“ from the back. You can use a straight edge clamped to the board to get a straight groove. This will assist if you want to display plates or other items as they’ll easily rest in the groove and lean against the wall.
Step 4. Stain/Finish. Pick whatever finish you like. We kept it simple and just wiped on a coat of boiled linseed oil and let it dry for about an hour.
Step 5. Cut shelf brackets. Depending on the brackets you use, if your brackets are too long for your shelf’s width, you may have to cut them with a hack saw or angle grinder.
Step 6. Install shelves. Mark any studs, but chances are the brackets will not line up with them (which happened to us). Attach the shelf brackets to the bottom of your shelf about 8” from each end. Put the level on the shelf and then mark the hole locations of the bracket on the wall. With the locations marked, you can set the shelf down to drill and attach the anchors. Put the shelf back on the wall and finally attach the shelf to the wall. VOILA!
Pro-tip: if you cut the shelf brackets, use some black paint to cover the cut ends. Also use this paint to cover the screw heads!
These shelves were simple and easily constructed. One of the beautiful things about farmhouse decor is the rustic look, which highlights the imperfections. So don't worry about making this absolutely smooth or flawless. It's part of the appeal and charm to keep those rough edges and saw marks visible. And there you have it! - K and J What's your favorite thing about farmhouse decor? Let us know!👇