Today I am so excited to share this Metal storage shelf redo!
But first, let me say hi, how are you guys? It has been a week of nothing happening here on the blog because I was in hibernation mode. I got hit hard with a cold that left me miserable, then each of my kids decided to give the cold a tray. Lots of sick days around here. But, I am finally back-ish to normal and ready to get to working, decorating and blogging!
Before I jump in let me explain that this is an older furniture redo I did, and I did share it on the blog… but no one was reading it yet except my Mom and husband. We are planning for a rummage sale so I am all about figuring out what we are keeping, what I am going to redo and what I am selling or donating. Which got me thinking about this wonderful bookshelf I made. Everyone and I mean everyone has one of these metal frame storage shelves, and they can be turned into gorgeous bookshelves with just a few steps!
This metal storage shelf redo is going to be done by using spray paint, wood pallets and wood stain. The final result is a rustic and industrial bookshelf that could fit right in with any home decor store (if I do say so myself). I love projects like this because creating furniture from a low cost or old item like this storage shelf is an amazing way to decorate a home.
So bare with me on the older decor as this was done a couple years ago, but the project, idea and finished look still feels very current. First things first, I need to make this pretty. Make it look like it should fit in my bedroom. We have a light, bright feel to the room and this being a black color makes it not mesh well.
Nothing two cans of white spray paint won’t fix.
Next step, wood pallets! I am lucky enough to have a neighbor that either works for the mob and handles stolen goods or has a home business selling things online. Either way he gets a lot of things shipped to his home, I am not asking questions and take full advantage of the wood pallets he puts out for people to take. I am just joking, I of course know it is all in the up and up with his business. I just have a really sarcastic personality. Anyways… He has allowed countless people in our community to have their Pinterest dreams come true with wood pallets. For free!
I measured and cut wood pallet boards to the size I needed to line the surface of the shelf as well as having one long piece run on the front of each shelf.
I was sure to take out all nails and I also sanded them down. Pallets are wonderfully rugged and rough. Which means a little too rough around the edges. Like people, sometimes a little softening of the edges is needed. Wood pallets are the DIY version of a person with potential. We have to help them along and make them shine.
I set them all out on the table. I will mention I labeled and numbered the back of these because this shelf was lopsided and oddly shaped in spots where one pallet will fit another one won’t. So they are all cut very particular. Once I had them all placed in their right spots I knew they worked, but I needed to be able to put them back in the correct order after the wood stain was on.
I used a dark walnut stain, which is my absolute favorite right now. It is so rich and cozy feeling. These came out amazing with the wood grain coming through. They looked like wood floor planks that cost a lot of money, you know with the grain and beveled edge costing a ton of extra? I paid premium for these tiny details in my wood floors, and then I slap some wood stain on these pallets and get the same look for a fraction of the cost. Gotta love DIY!
I glued the top ones down and then using a air nailer and put in a few nails into the front ones.
The front piece was able to be nailed into the shelf by it being nailed into the wood boards laying down.
Done! This metal storage shelf redo is a beauty, I adore all of the wood grains and lines in this.
Rustic and industrial is very popular right now with home decor. Not that you should ever decorate a home according to what is “in” at the moment. A home should be everything personal, regardless of staying on trend. I just like coming up with alternatives to decor or furniture that would be expensive in a store but doing it myself for much less.
This shelf is no longer in my home, it was used in my bedroom for a few years and then my sister in law was redecorating her home and I thought that this shelf would work perfectly with her country/rustic decor.
When decorating a bookshelf staggering things on the shelf and giving different heights is key to have a shelf look complete and thought out. It is a fine line between a well styled shelf and a over cluttered mess. I am not saying mine looks perfect all the time, but when setting up initially taking the time to add things that flow is important.
I warned you that this was an older project, my bedroom does not look like this anymore. It has gone through a lot of phases and changes, for the last few weeks was where I sulked, coughed and complained my way through being sick. Then cuddled my sick little ones, and is also where I am attempting to get back into the swing of things with this here blog. I need to give an update on the room, share the subtle changes that have happened. But that would mean I have to clean it all up, and right now it is a hot mess.
This metal storage shelf redo took just a few hours, and that is including paint and wood stain to dry. That is it! I am sure most of you have one or two of these shelves in your garage or basement right now. Look at the possibilities of what it can turn into!
I love the rustic and slightly industrial feel to this. With the white frame it blends in nicely and lets the gorgeous wood grain and stain that came out shine. Yes, a good wood stain deserves to get all of the attention. In this house the beautiful wood stain always wins, just the way it is.
I had so much fun with this metal storage shelf redo, really and kind or furniture redo I adore. I put in a little work and get instant results. This bookshelf needed a few cuts to the wood pallets and some wood stain. Really quick way to revamp and bring new life to this previously dusty storage shelf. Now that I am feeling better I have a ton of projects waiting in the wings for me to tackle, and seeing this shelf redo reminds me just how much I love a good furniture redo. I might need to transform a few things again!
That shelf came out AWESOME. I love it. I would love to have something like that in my living room.
Now this is a gorgeous shelf redo! I love how you spiced it up with the old wooden pallets! It brings so much character to the piece!
Wow, what a transformation! You made it look so beautiful! I would have never imagined adding a wood could look so gorgeous, well done!
Doesn’t everyone have one of these metal shelf units around somewhere. This diy is great. Love how you did the wood shelves
Wow that looks great! I like how detailed this post is and the pictures at each step are very helpful.
I so want to try this! I am seriously in need of a shelf in my room, I wish I had a neighbor like yours lol! that thing about your neighbor made me really laugh.
While I’m not a fan of most things rustic, I am a fan of wood. You did a nice job redoing that shelving system.
This turned out so lovely. I need to do something like this. I always need shelf space since I take tons of photos.
I love how this turned out. What a great way to re-do this! The wood made it really pop! Good job!
Oh my goodness what an amazing idea! The finished idea is just beautiful that wood looks beautiful. I could imagine having something like this in my home!
That was a great DIY project which took an old metal shelf and made it a display piece in a bedroom or den. I will use some of these tips for my own projects.
Nice job on this project. I love adding rustic charm to basic pieces like that metal piece.
What a great project!! The dark wood really looks nice with it.
You did an AMAZING job. We have shelves like that lying around and I have never thought to make them really pretty and useful in the rest of the house. The dark word is gorgeous.
I love how you transformed this shelf. I have a similar one and this would be perfect for it.
What a unique way to bring new life into that metal rack. I love the dark wood too. I wish I was good at styling my book shelves but they are full of books, lol!
Wow that is so brilliant how cool is that. Wood is always a great accent on any decor. What a great transformation I wish I am as handy as you.
Such a clever idea! I love repurposing items! This looks great!
Not sure if I can pull off a project like this but it’s totally worth trying. I love how it looks afterwards! I think the shelves are pretty awesome!
That looks like a fun project and that shelf is beautiful. I’ll bet it looks great in its new home
That is such a cool idea. I like it a lot. I am going to try this with an old shelf I have outside.
I love the mix of the wood with the metal. It is a bit of the rustic look with some modern flair and the shelves turned out great.
I think this is a terrific idea for sprucing up metal shelves. The wood adds such a warm feeling to the shelving. I love the way you decorated it too.
Wow what a great idea. I wish I had seen this before I bought new bookcases at Ikea. We have wooden pallets at work all the time.
That is one fancy looking shelf. I would love to have something like this in any room of my house.
I absolutely love the end result! You did a great job. I love rustic style furniture. I have a similar shelf in my garage so maybe I will try this out!
Wow! It is really an amazing idea! Thanks Emily for sharing this post 🙂
I love this idea. It really changes the whole look of the shelves. I can’t wait to try this myself.
Love it! It went from an ugly garage shelf to a beautiful indoor shelf. Great job!
Oh man! I just don’t have skills like this at all! It looks so good. I would have never thought to transform a metal shelf like that.
This is why I love Spring because you can do all sorts of home improvement projects like redoing this shelf! I like the combination of metal and wood. It’s definitely perfect!