diy open shelving

Awhile back I posted this post about our future plans for a shelving unit in that awkward "window" space between our kitchen and our living room. It's finally a reality!

We went back and forth... symmetrical? Asymmetrical? Should we think of future people living there or just make it to fit our own wants? In the end we went with asymmetrical selfish shelves. Just for us, in a good way.

We got one ten foot board of red oak from Lowes, and I liked the color enough to not stain it. We literally made the shelf cubbies to fit what I wanted to feature. Five Christmas presents.

We taped it out on the floor in the kitchen, using tape and a tape measure to see exactly what it would look like in the space. Love. {sorry, no picture. I really thought I took one... but alas.}

Then Matthew went to work.

After he cut all the boards we lined up up to make sure they were right...

Looking good so far! Moving on to attaching them and then installation. Matthew used wood glue and wood screws, and we had two feet of the board left when we were finished. Yesterday Matthew installed it and today he finished sanding off the wood putty. I love it! I also love having such a helpful husband.

These birds are hand-stiched by my sister-in-law Sharon. Matthew and I had a "love-birds" themed wedding, so this is personal. One of my favorite Christmas presents. 

There it is in relation to our diy heart art, making our living room look pretty snazzy. So there you have it. I know most of you don't have this "unfunctional" window to deal with, but it's part of our apartment, and I like it even better now.