What started out as a few pairs of shoes here, and a few pairs there, suddenly turned into a slew so big they we’re overtaking my bedroom. They outgrew my closet, the little shoe shelf I bought, and then smack dab right onto the bedroom floor, and if you know me, you know that I love my things to be neat, tidy and in their place. So it was killing me that my shoes were lined up next to my bed like little soldiers ready to go to war. I needed to find them a forever home because I wasn’t about to ship them out!
I knew vertical was the way to go, and I have a pretty big room, so I began to draw out the plans for the floor to ceiling shoe storage that I covet. I wanted it to look like something you’d see in a boutique (thinking maybe if I have my own shop, I wouldn’t want to shop so much… Yea RIGHT!)
I headed out to one of the greatest stores on earth, where I picked up everything I needed for this project.
All gas piping and connectors are 1/2 inch diameter and I chose black iron. If you prefer it also comes in a silver galvanized steel but it’s a little more pricey. The Best thing about this project is you can customize it to be as big or small as you want it, you just have to tweak the list.
MY LOWES SHOPPING LIST:
- (5) 12″ x 1″ x 5′ boards
- (15) T-connectors
- (6) circle flanges
- (18) 90 degree elbows
- (21) 8″ gas pipe
- (6) 10″ gas pipe
- (6) 12″ gas pipe
- (3) 24″ gas pipe
- drywall screws (only 24 needed)
ADDITIONAL ITEMS NEEDED:
- Tape Measure
- Power Drill
- 1″ Spade drill Bit
- Pair of Channel Locks
- Lots and Lots of Soap
Before starting the good ol’ assembly part of this project, I laid everything out with like items next to each other, to make sure there wouldn’t be any confusion. I then sanded the boards to take off any splinters and jagged edges. This is also the point that you would stain your boards if you wanted. ( I get bored of my decor pretty easy so I decided to wait until then to stain, just to spruce them up when they need a facelift)
First things first, you need to measure out your studs in the wall. Typically they are every 16″ on center. I found my first stud by taking the outlet cover off and looking on the inside to see where the box was nailed. I marked that spot (middle) and then measured 32″ out both ways for the stud locations. On your first board measure center and then the 32″ out on both sides. I drilled my holes a inch and a half in allowing for a little edge when I was finished. Drill all of your boards using the same measurements before anything else to make sure your shelving is straight when finished. This is very important, DO NOT listen to others if the try to tell you different (even if they are a heating & cooling guru).
Starting with your circular flange, start assembling piece by piece as shown in the pictures. Once you get the first tier done, screw it into the floor to ensure stability while assembling. Also, make sure to tighten as you go with channel locks. This is the easy part and should only take an hour, unless you need to keep washing your hands like me, even if you know they are just going to turn black again! This is where the bottle of soap comes in!
When you have all your pieces together, screw the remaining 3 flanges into the wall making sure to hit the studs. The only thing left to do is to grab a rag and wipe down all the piping any black fingerprints.
I am so proud of my finished shelves, I think they turned out great! The finished size ended up at 6ft wide by 7ft tall.
I honestly believe that I can do anything! It almost makes me want to take a finished photo into Lowe’s and hand it to all the people who gave me weird looks as I was filling my cart full of gas piping. Just because a girl wears a dress ‘n curls her hair, doesn’t mean she’s afraid to get her hands dirty!
Let me know what you think and email me with any of your questions if you decide to do your own little DIY shelving unit. I want you to be as excited as I am with your own wall unit and feel that same sense of accomplishment…No Men Needed ( well unless you are a guy, and in that case I say I got faith in you too and thanks for reading our blog).
As always, Lindsey and I are always looking for a Photo-Op excuse…..We’re just girls that wanna have f-un!
xoxo- Brooke
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