Distressed portable shelves

[Peggers]

Distressed Pine shelves painted in playful colours and made portable with caster wheels.

• The project
• How to make a cube storage unit
• More storage solutions

The project

Like most of my creations, this was a bit of an experiment. I used Pine lengths for the struts up the side and painted them white with a simple undercoat. I then sanded that back to make it look slightly older and distressed.

The shelves themselves are treated Pine that I painted different colours using sample pots from Bunnings. I sanded these back after painting too.

Putting the shelves on caster wheels and using scaffolding joints near the bottom gives it an industrial look. On the bigger shelves I attached a metal grid at the back and threaded fairy lights through it.

Altogether, the look is punky, industrial, vintage and playful.

How to make a cube storage unit

Build your own shelving unit on casters with this step-by-step guide: How To Make A Cube Storage Unit.

More storage solutions

Find more storage ideas for your home in our Top 10 most popular storage projects.

[rgoyne]

I like the LS Lowry print in the final version and the phone collection.  Shelves look great for vintage displays 

[EricL]

Hi @rgoyne

Let me tag @Peggers to make them aware of your kind words. I agree with you, they are great-looking shelves. Achieving that industrial, vintage balance is not that easy. Good spotting on the LS Lowry print, the vintage phones are a fantastic add on to the entire display. 

If you ever decide to give this project a go, please don't hesitate to post any questions you might have. We'll be more than happy to provide you with advice and information.

Eric