Smoothing out first DIY
January 17, 2019 7:06 PM Subscribe
I love my small kitchen apartment, but it's lacking on storage space, and I'm looking to go vertical. From designing my own basic shelving to building it, what sort of things should I have on hand and/or be aware of that aren't obvious?
As is common in Japanese apartments, directly nailing things into the wall is a non-starter, so the go-to solution is wall-to-ceiling 2x4s (held in place with a spring loaded top foot) which you then use as your frame. I'd like to reduce my trips to the nearby home center because I've forgotten something; besides the obvious materials (2x4s, shelves, nails/screws, power drill?), I haven't actually done a start-to-finish project since woodshop in middle school. How to I go from general design of what I want to making a shopping list? Also, if I'm not looking to stain the wood, how much sanding/treating to I need to do to it?
The general look I want is something like this -- Imgur upload is not working for me at the moment, so apologies if the link breaks later on; just something to attach shelving to so I can store larger kitchen appliances and spices.
As is common in Japanese apartments, directly nailing things into the wall is a non-starter, so the go-to solution is wall-to-ceiling 2x4s (held in place with a spring loaded top foot) which you then use as your frame. I'd like to reduce my trips to the nearby home center because I've forgotten something; besides the obvious materials (2x4s, shelves, nails/screws, power drill?), I haven't actually done a start-to-finish project since woodshop in middle school. How to I go from general design of what I want to making a shopping list? Also, if I'm not looking to stain the wood, how much sanding/treating to I need to do to it?
The general look I want is something like this -- Imgur upload is not working for me at the moment, so apologies if the link breaks later on; just something to attach shelving to so I can store larger kitchen appliances and spices.
Response by poster: Hmm, this might be more complicated than I initially thought. I currently have a countertop* I built under the spot I want to hang the shelves, so freestanding racks won't work unless they're just a bit wider than the counter (limited space), and I can remove the bottom shelves. That's why I was hoping for something that could go behind the counter but not push it too far away from the wall. I can try and get a photo later on for clarification of what I'm working with.
(*キッチンカウンター: Think a sideboard, but deeper so I can use it as a cooking workbench/extra counter space.)
posted by lesser weasel at 9:35 PM on January 17, 2019
(*キッチンカウンター: Think a sideboard, but deeper so I can use it as a cooking workbench/extra counter space.)
posted by lesser weasel at 9:35 PM on January 17, 2019
I got the Ikea Algot system in my previous kitchen and drilled in tracks up the back of my backsplash under the top cabinets down to the countertop then hung narrow (15cm deep?) shelves and baskets from Algot all along. It was a massive amount of extra shelving because it cleared almost everything off the countertops and we could put clear jars and boxes on the shelves with utensils etc neatly stored yet visible on them. Highly recommended, and it was a very limited amount of drilling and could be moved around. Ikea has quite a lot of different shelf systems and with lots of pre-measuring for your space you can come up with interesting solutions. They have the advantage of being semi-DIY.
Muji also has some very nice wall systems - pricier but much nicer looking. I don't know if they're narrow enough to go on a countertop backsplash.
You might try a restaurant supply store as well for basic steel/metal racks, baskets and trays that are designed for commercial kitchen storage. Those usually have lovely minimalist design and can offer great storage at a decent price when mounted on a wall. They probably have modular kitchen storage shelving (and islands) that you can buy.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 11:01 PM on January 17, 2019
Muji also has some very nice wall systems - pricier but much nicer looking. I don't know if they're narrow enough to go on a countertop backsplash.
You might try a restaurant supply store as well for basic steel/metal racks, baskets and trays that are designed for commercial kitchen storage. Those usually have lovely minimalist design and can offer great storage at a decent price when mounted on a wall. They probably have modular kitchen storage shelving (and islands) that you can buy.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 11:01 PM on January 17, 2019
If you're building these shelves around some sort of countertop, could you screw the upright supports to the countertop instead of the wall? (obviously they'd then need to go either side of the countertop and support shelves from the side rather than the back).
posted by stillnocturnal at 3:29 AM on January 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by stillnocturnal at 3:29 AM on January 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
Could someone link to what you mean by "spring loaded top foot" - I am following with interest as I have some similar DIY plans and would love to know what that is.
posted by Miko at 6:24 AM on January 18, 2019
posted by Miko at 6:24 AM on January 18, 2019
Nthing that you need to install these properly, probably in studs (or at least one upright in a stud).
Have you considered going to your landlord with a plan? They might be happy to have kitchen improvements made on your dime. If you go this route, be organized and clear, with pictures of the product you plan to use, and a clear description of the method you're going to use to install the shelves. This has worked for me before, but obviously, it depends on what kind of landlord you have.
posted by nosila at 6:48 AM on January 18, 2019
Have you considered going to your landlord with a plan? They might be happy to have kitchen improvements made on your dime. If you go this route, be organized and clear, with pictures of the product you plan to use, and a clear description of the method you're going to use to install the shelves. This has worked for me before, but obviously, it depends on what kind of landlord you have.
posted by nosila at 6:48 AM on January 18, 2019
Response by poster: Miko: They’re these, but I’m not sure how common they are outside of Japan.
posted by lesser weasel at 4:42 PM on January 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by lesser weasel at 4:42 PM on January 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
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You’ll probably want a level and also drill bits to predrill screw holes. Trust me - it’ll save a lot of heartache if working with shorter pieces of wood (more likely to split). A square to mark the wood for cutting. A hard point handsaw.
Personally, I'd do something with a 2x4 in each corner and one or two more along the back. Then I'd screw in 1x2 battens to the sides and back to support the shelves.
Do a lot of staring and thinking, sketch out your plans and start itemizing and adding up the components. Good luck.
posted by bonobothegreat at 7:55 PM on January 17, 2019 [2 favorites]