Replacing My Barnwood Shelf With 2 Open Shelves Above My Kitchen Sink

4 Materials
$20
2 Hours
Easy

I mentioned a while back that I was moving away from the rustic look entirely. I sanded down and stained my beams before I started most of my other renovations. Also, when I refinished the floors here in the kitchen I sanded down and stained my kitchen sink base as well. With that complete my attention turned to the big barn wood shelf above my kitchen sink and I knew I wanted something totally different and far more delicate.

Just like with the beams and my sink base that shelf could not be wiped down, it caught everything and it gave major splinters.

It had to go!

A few minutes and a little surgery and I got it taken a part with no trouble at all.

(Here’s a disgustingly perfect example of the smoke damage I’ve been talking about, just look at my back splash where the shelf used to be!)With it gone I couldn’t believe how it felt to stand at my sink… it was like I took my baseball hat off and the bill was no longer shadowing my eyes. Amazing!

I had screw holes in my back splash that I filled with white caulk then I moved on to my new shelves.

I’ve always wanted two shelves here, one lower for my practical things and one higher up for some decoration.  These brackets on Amazon were just the ticket.

I used 1x8s from the old shelf and sheetrock anchors to put them up.Then I tackled something that’s been bothering me for the last four years. My light above my sink isn’t centered above my sink. Its off by about five inches…*eye twitches*It’s the old yard light and we all know they just don’t make things like they used to so, of course, it weighs a ton. It isn’t something that I can just use a couple of sheet rock anchors to keep up on the wall and that’s exactly why its off center.I had a 1×10 on hand that I cut to 11 inches long and then drilled a hole in the exact center of it (for the electrical line). After putting the light back up I was so excited to finally have it centered!

I am SO thrilled with the two smaller shelves. After several coats of paint I can clean them, they give a great space for kitchen accessories and, finally, I have a centered light above my kitchen sink too!

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  • Jennie Didier Jennie Didier on Aug 10, 2019

    I love the backsplash. Is it tin or tile?

  • Martinez Martinez on Aug 12, 2019

    Your upgrade looks great! However being married to an electrician, do you realize you have an electrical outlet right next to a water source and it's not a GFI outlet? That is extremely dangerous and should be fixed asap!

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