Open Shelving Gets A Trim

Remember that open shelving we installed awhile back?  We made the 4-foot long shelves from the Ikea Valter brackets and simple 1x12 white wood boards.  I love our open shelving.  It's freed up cabinet space where we used to house our plates and bowls and cleared up counter space where our glass jarred food staples used to hang out.  But what I'm not too fond of are the thin boards and the unfinished edges of each shelf.

While the boys (the hubs, my dad and my brother) were hard at work on the mudroom and while we had all the tools out, I garnered some motivation (and possibly guilt over being the only one not doing anything) and decided to finally get these shelves up to par with a quick little fix.  I pulled out a couple 1x2s from our stash to update each shelf with mitered trim.  The 45 degree miter cuts were incredibly simple thanks to the use of a chop saw, but they could also be cut using a miter box and hand saw.  I cut three trim pieces for each shelf and left the back of each trim-free since they wouldn't be seen.

Once all the cuts were made and each was proven to fit perfectly as well as they could we busted out another handy dandy tool - the finish nailer - and the new trim was up in no time.  I snapped a shot while I was attaching the trim of the difference between the shelves - doesn't it make them look so much better?  Definitely a more finished and modern look.

All that was left was some sanding and a quick prime and paint job and these shelves were looking pretty damn good if I do say so myself.

Much better, right?  And the perfect little perch for Mr. Chicky.  There's nothing better than finishing a project.  One down, many to go.