Update: DIY Open Kitchen Shelves

Back in October, I very excitedly removed a bunch of cabinets from the kitchen (7 of the 10 of the cabinets on top, to be exact). After repairing the walls and installing sturdy brackets (I wrote about that right here, if you need to catch up) I finally got around to painting the new exposed shelves, and they look GREAT.

The boards I purchased to use as shelving were just from Home Depot – they’re just a clean, smooth pine, and didn’t need a lot of special treatment. I had sanded down the edges just a little bit so they weren’t razor sharp, but otherwise they were nice. I primed (twice) and then painted (twice), using the sleekest, softest, tiny microfiber roller that I’ve ever encountered, and it made a big difference – the paint went on SO smoothly, left no (or hardly any) roller marks.

I had gotten a tip from a friend to put a few coats of clear lacquer on the shelves after they were finished, because it would help to make the paint last. I used a cheap clear spray paint to get that job done, and the shelves and coats of paint feel very strong, durable, and ready for use! (Wow, it will feel good to get all of my cups and dishes organized again.)