Make Your Own Shelves at Home
In contemporary homes, there is sometimes is a shortage of shelves. This is because newer homes have built-in shelves. There used to be a time when shelves around the home were a normal thing to see. However, contemporary interior design is minimalistic and tries to make clean edges and lines all around the home. If your house is like this, then you may need to make your own shelves.
Maybe you need somewhere to place your books, some family photos, plants, pens and pencils, or just a smartphone charger. When you make your own shelves at home, you can make any kind of design you want and therefore achieve the look you want and storage you need.
Choice of wood
For shelves, you should choose a hardwood that has the propensity to bend a little under reasonable weight. Don’t pick a wood that is too hard because you need a little flex to prevent cracking. Stay away from a low quality oak, but a high quality walnut is a good choice for your slabs or planks. However, beech and European yew wood are recommended for high-quality shelves as they are inherently more flexible and have a glossy sheen.
Cutting to size
The big issue with making shelves at home is the fact that cutting the pieces of wood you buy is not easy. Handsaws are not as accurate and sometimes dangerous to use if you don’t have absolute control of the wood. However, electric saws aren’t always the best option either because you still have the issue of the wood moving around.
By using one of the best portable table saws on the market, you can steady the wood by placing it on a flat surface. When you use the stable and sharp spinning saw, you can cut through the wood accurately and without a lot of pressure being applied. It’s portable, so you can move it around to where you like such as in the room the shelves are being placed or outside in the garage.
Carving patterns
Shelves don’t have to be simple planks of wood that are coming out the walls. They can be beautiful works of art and really add to your home’s decor. Styling them is a lot easier then you might think, but it does take time. Using wood carving tools, you can shape the edges of the shelves however you like.
You might want a smooth zigzag design that goes around the edges, creating a grander look that fits well with a classic decor style. On the other hand, you might want swirls around the endpoints, and that is also good for a Baroque style classic decor.
A strong finish
Before you can sit and admire your work, make sure to give your shelves a strong finish. A good thick varnish is needed to protect the wood from moisture damage, and chipping so the wood stays in pristine condition in your home.
Shelves are practical but they can also be expensive when you buy them from home decor shops. Making them by yourself at home is a therapeutic task and allows you to design them to your own liking and style.
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