DIY floating shelves between walls

April 29, 2013

The basement bathroom has come up from nothing, and I have only really showed you the tile so far. Other than that the big stuff had been installed – the sink, toilet and shower. But the room sat half painted for months.

I was determined to get this bathroom done last week and I almost got there. Just a couple more projects to finish up and I’m moving on! WHOO!

This is how the space looked up till last week – you can’t see that the wall to the left is half way painted but just imagine it. It was pretty:

basement bathroom

Since I hadn’t installed baseboards yet I just had to tape off the shower and light fixtures with my loverly Frogtape in preparation for paint. I’ve gotten pretty good at cutting in on the ceiling so that saves a lot of time.

I finished up the paint (I listed all the paint colors for the basement here) and realized again that you can’t even tell the difference between any of the colors – I could have just painted the whole basement the same color. But OH WELL. It’s done. :)

I installed all the baseboards and quarter round: thick baseboards

It looks like poo there but just wait till you see the power of caulk and filler. ;) Wish I could use some caulk and filler.

Once I got the trim done it was time to address the little nook next to the shower. Yes, the shower is tiny. When it came time to decide what we were doing we realized the space would only allow for a couple shower inserts (I had originally planned on tiling the shower but didn’t for cost and time reasons). The size that worked best was this shower – and it is small.

But I have to keep reminding myself this is a basement bathroom – we will hardly EVER use this shower. Some guests might, but even that will be rare. So I would rather have some storage than a big shower we’ll never use.

So storage it was – I had the guys frame out a little spot in the empty space by the shower. All along my plan has been to put some shelves in there, and I finally got it done!

I started by adding supports – I just used scrap wood from the garage every 18 inches or so:

diy wood floating shelves

I was going to add a support along the back but realized it wouldn’t be needed since the space is so narrow. I only installed these with a nail gun – on our library built ins and the pantry redo I used long screws, but I knew this wouldn’t be holding a ton of weight so the nails were easier and faster.

I had a piece of 1 by 12 I cut down to use as the shelf, but it was just a smidge too small:

diy wood floating shelves

I ended up finding more scrap wood in the garage, took it to Lowe’s and had it cut just a bit wider than the other wood, and it worked pretty well – I stained them before I installed (for once! Are you proud of me?):

diy wood floating shelves

I used the dark Kona color I used here as well. Love it.

I just nailed the shelves down into the supports:

diy wood floating shelves

I made sure I had the right thickness of wood for the fronts before I started – I wanted it to cover the top shelf, the supports, and an extra board I installed underneath to give it a finished look:

dark wood floating shelves

I actually had most of that front trim too – I only had to buy one small piece to finish it up.

I absolutely LOVE how it turned out! It’s a great use of an awkward little spot:

diy bathroom shelvesbathroom shelves

Let’s talk about that shower curtain shall we? I went through my normal Goldilocks routine to find that one (the one I LOVE).

I started with this one, but the blue tone was off with the walls:

target shower curtain

I really loved this one and the colors were perfect:

ikat shower curtain

I’m trying to go with a slightly funkier vibe in the basement and I thought that was fun. But I wasn’t crazy about it when I got it up – too graphic for this little space I think?

And then I found the one that was just right. It had a bird on it:

bird shower curtain Target

And there. you. go.

Since the shelves only cost my $3 for a small piece of trim (BOOYAH!), I had fun gathering a few new accessories for this spot, at Tarjay of course (all Threshold items):

decorating bathroom shelvesdecorating bathroom shelvesdecorating bathroom shelves

I LOVE EXTRA STORAGE! Are you with me??

Here’s my little secret – I only had so much scrap wood so I didn’t even put the bottom piece on the two lower shelves:

diy wood floating shelves

You’d have to be sitting on the floor looking under them to notice so I’m not worried about it. Does it need to be perfect? NO.

I love having a little spot for the trash can too:

wood shelves in bathroom @ thriftydecorchick.com

It’s the little things. ;)

Oh yeah – I told you caulk and filler make a world of difference:

thick baseboardsthick baseboards

Oh my, they are my BFFS. For real.

I adore how the shower curtain looks in here and ties in the blues and greens and even the dark wood tone:

diy wood floating shelves

I’m SO glad to have this space (almost) done. I’ll show you the whole room soon, but for now I want to look back to see how far I’ve come:

before

This was back in January I think?

And here’s a finished spot that makes me super happy!:

wood shelves in bathroom @ thriftydecorchick.com

It’s a skinny little bathroom but it is turning out so pretty and functional. Love!!

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Comments

  1. I love it! It's so pretty but looks really well organized and useful too! And I think the shower is plenty big for occasional guests! (less to clean, too!).

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  2. I looks fantabulous!!!!! I LOVE the shower curtain. If my son would hurry up and move out, I could redo the guest bathroom using that shower curtain! ;-)

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  3. Looks great! I love the tile floor! Mostly because that's what we used in our master bath;) great minds...

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  4. Dang, girl!! Love this! When I pictured shelves in that little area, I thought it would be better to hide them with a cabinet door or something. But not your shelves! I think the stained chunkiness of the shelves is perfect. One serious question you've got to answer. How do you use caulk and filler (and what kind?) I mean, step-by-step tutorial. Do you tape off the wall, then peel if off while the caulk is still wet? Or just wipe off the stuff that gets on the wall with a rag? And when I do filler, I always have to come back to fill in what's sunk in, did you have to do that? Anyway, I'm a loyal reader, but have never commented before. Love you!

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    1. Hello Marie! Here's a couple posts that will help! http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2011/06/caulk-and-spackle-my-bffs.html
      and
      http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-favorite-new-gadget.html

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  5. It looks great! I'm starting to love awkward spaces because they force me to be creative and end up being my favorite spot in the room. Funny how that works!

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  6. Dude, this bathroom looks awesome!!

    Jenny
    Www.simcoestreet.blogspot.com

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  7. You really are one "Thrifty Decor Chick"! Great job and I love the shelves!

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  8. Oh how I love what you have done with that small space! I also am pretty partial to your final choice for the shower curtain. Hop on over to my blog to see what I did with the same curtain.
    http://jankappmeyer.blogspot.com/2012/01/oh-things-i-can-do.html
    and then I used more scraps of fabric...
    http://jankappmeyer.blogspot.com/2012/03/laundry-room.html
    I think I made a 20 dollar shower curtain a very thrifty buy with all I made out of it. Have a great day!

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  9. I love how you say "this looks like poo". I channeled my four year old daughter as I read that (and laughed out loud in a hearty belly laugh).

    What a clever use of space! Love your floating shelf - so rad!

    Also... I'm glad you picked that shower curtain; it's my fave of the three!

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  10. I have that same shower curtain and I LOVE it! Your room looks great - I like how you've accessorized!

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  11. The shelving looks wonderful! What a great idea.

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  12. There is something so amazing about shelves....I think these are awesome and now I'm trying to figure out where else we can put more :)

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  13. The room looks great. Love the shower curtain and the shelving makes it. Great idea!

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  14. just curious how you manage to make that curtain go to the floor. it seems they always hit about six inches too short for me?!?!?

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    1. They always seem too short to me too! I just hung the bar low so it would hit the floor -- I needed it to to help keep the water out too. :)

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  15. Beautiful job on your bathroom redo! Can I also comment on the 'great minds, great taste, etc.'? I repainted my kids' bathroom last week and bought those same Threshold towels in the same colors. Love how those two colors go together.

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  16. Great use of a small space in your basement. Love the shower curtain with the birds.

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  17. This is so pretty! I have that shower curtain in a closet, from another project I've yet to start, so I think I've found my inspiration for the girls' windowless bathroom. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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  18. Perfect! I love the little shelves and so what if the shower is small? I saw an episode of Candice Tells All where she gave the guest space in the basement the most amazing bathroom ever. I just thought, "there is no way I'm allowing my guests to live better than me in my own dang home! SHEESH!" You did a great job. I really like the tile. :)

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  19. We're shower curtain twins :) I told my husband (because he knows i heart your blog) and he laughed at me for being so excited!! I love the bird curtain in my guest bath!!! Looks great!

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  20. Oooh good choice on the shower curtain!! I bought 2 and made curtains out of them!

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  21. Oh my word, this is so smart. I have a couple of simple shelves that really need the "DIY floating" treatment. They look so much more finished. Thank you for sharing. I'm kicking myself for never thinking of this.

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  22. I have that same shower curtain in our basement bathroom too. I love it! I also love the rope basket. I saw them at Target the other day and am trying to resist buying one (I really don't need it but they are soooo lovely!). You did a fantastic job on those shelves - they look great!

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  23. This is fabulous! I have a towel and 2 hand towels that match that curtain (just for decorative purposes) and I love them!

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  24. perfect space for shelves! i think that second curtain would be better if it had more of an ikat instead of a repeating graphic like that.

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  25. It looks fantastic. Smart use of the tiny space. By the way... your second choice (the ikat) is the one I picked out for my kids bathroom at the new house. I can't wait to use it when we move in in July.

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  26. And yet again, my mouth is on the floor and I am saying wow, she did that all herself. You rock! And I am taking notes. LOL

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  27. It's all so pretty! I've been stopping myself from buying that birdie shower curtain since it came out. I have a perfectly cute one that I got at WalMart on clearance for $3, a few years ago and I wanna make sure I get my money's worth out of it before I run out and buy a new one--haha!

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  28. It looks great! Your shower curtain matches the hand towels in my powder room. I LOVE them. <3

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  29. I have that same curtain in my master bathroom and lurve it! Your bathroom looks great.

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  30. Cute shower curtain! The floating shelves look great.

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  31. What a great job! What's not to love about having an extra bathroom, even a small one?! It really looks terrific and it is obvious you have been working hard. You are so smart!

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  32. BEAUTIFUL! I absolutely love reading your blog. It inspires me!

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  33. The shelves look great! I am sending this link to my Dad, he is doing the same thing in my sister's bathroom and this would answer all his questions. Thanks!

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  34. That is AWESOME!! You are so freakin' creative! LOVE IT!

    Susan
    http://simplymodernhome.com/

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  35. Thanks for the links on your awesome caulking tools, Sarah, how did I miss those posts? You may have changed my life forever... )

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  36. Your carpentry skills have me in awe! I love those shelves, and really, how the whole bath came together. The colors are great and everything coordinates so perfectly! Great, great job, Sarah!

    XO,
    Jane

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  37. Your shower curtain is gorgeous! I love how you put the shelves together. Will those two bottom unfinished shelves drive you nuts in six months? Sorry, that shower is just too small, meant for Munchkins and people who weigh less than 100 pounds, well less than 100 pounds.

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    1. No they won't bother me at all. We've used the shower and it's plenty big. :)

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  38. Loving how this all came together! Booyah is right :) You don't know how many times a day I hear this from my boys!!

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  39. It's turning out so awesome. You have a lot of style and function going on in there. Hats off for getting in with such elegance in a smaller space.
    Love the rolled towels by the way! Reminds me of a good spa or hotel getaway.
    Cheers to you and yours,
    Therese @ Fresh Idea Studio

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  40. Beautiful. Just beautiful! You have done amazing work. The bathroom has a fun, yet relaxing feel to it. Love those shelves! :)

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  41. You know I am working on my basement bathroom, and here I was convinced mine was the smallest in the world. I think yours is a contender! I think you have done a fabulous job making it BEAUTIFUL!! It gives me hope for my tiny postage stamp bathroom :)

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  42. Beautiful makeover! That shower curtain is perfect, and the shelves came out great.

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  43. It looks great! Sneak a shower or two in there just to enjoy it!

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  44. It has turned out so nice. Love the shower curtain and it pulls everything together so well I would have guessed you bought that first as your inspiration! Great job on the shelves too.

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  45. The shelves turned out GREAT and the whole bathroom looks so pretty! I love blues and greens for decorating and everything you chose came together so nicely! Well done :)

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  46. great job! the baseboards look great and I know that's not easy to do. I love the way you did the shelves. It gives me some good ideas. Of course, love the color!

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  47. On the shelves, did you already have studs there with that purpose? If not how do you install and not have them fall off?

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    1. I nailed into the studs -- you'll either need to make sure you have some to work with (in a corner you always will) or use anchors.

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  48. My dad always says, "A little caulking and a lot of paint make a carpenter what he ain't ..." And boy have I used some caulking in my day ... :)

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  49. Love it!! The shelves look great and love all the accessories on them. Great job!!

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  50. I love it! The colors, the curtain, the shelves, everything! Great job! I think I might go to Target and see if I can find that shower curtain.

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  51. I'm so glad to see this. I am redoing my master bath and it has a shower door on it. I don't really want one, they are such a pain to keep clean. I would rather have a curtain that I can change out the liner. I think you've convinced me, if I change my mind I can always add one later. Beautiful by the way!

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  52. LOVE! And that shower curtain?!?!? I have been eyeballing it for FOREVER! My house is old and the color of the tile isn't a good color to go with it and it bums me out because that shower curtain is adorable! But now i'm thinking that it might look great in the kitchen as a blind or curtains! =)

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  53. So pretty! Love the shower curtain. Wasn't it you that once wrote everything looks cuter with a bird on it (or something to that effect)? It's so true!

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  54. Gorgeous - I have the shelves just like this - but without the front part to disguise the brackets! Must do this! And I have the same shower curtains ... but I am going to uses them as curtains in my bathroom!
    Kelly

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  55. love love love!!! I seriously am DOING this in a very awkward space in our new little bathroom - they look perfect and I LOVE the price of them even more!!! :)

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  56. Ok, seriously just squealed. I never have anything before any of the home bloggers I follow, but I have that shower curtain as the curtains in my living room. Well, two of them actually. I feel so justified! Lol. Silly, I know, but it made me feel awesome.

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  57. love love love!!! totally stealing this idea when we tackle our next bathroom in july! its perfect! now i just need to work on decluttering what's in there now...

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  58. OH Sarah, this is so stinking funny! And here I thought I was being oh so original!!! Amanda H. and I both are using the same exact shower curtains as our living room curtains! I wanted some pattern, something with a more subtle spring/summer feel but wouldn't break the bank. After looking for a few weeks I stumbled upon these (at Target of course!) and just knew they would be the perfect addition. So weeks later what do I discover? You and a follower both have the same shower curtain.... :-)

    Have a wonderful day!

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  59. Love the shelves and the shower curtain! Feeling inspired--thanks for sharing!

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  60. You did a GREAT JOB! I have that same shower curtain. I really enjoy reading your blog. You have got my creative juices flowing on many projects.

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  61. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!! Absolutely love the color scheme too. And I think it's awesome that you made most of it with scrap wood. Yea for extra $ to spend on accessories! :D

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  62. I love the bathroom. I have a question about when to use filler vs when to use caulk. Do you first use filler for all gaps in the baseboard and then put caulk? or do can you just go crazy with a caulk gun?

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  63. Can you tell me how deep the open closet it?? We are gonna have a narrow space and I want open shelves. Love your ideas, it looks great! Jetta

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If you have a specific question I will do my best to answer you back here!

You can find our paint colors and links to items at the "Our Home" tab at the top of my site.

THANKS so much for reading!