1st, I had to make a plan and come to an agreement with my wife so we both like it and so I'd know how much material I'll need to buy. I recommend finding online some free printable graph/grid paper.
2nd, I had to look for the cheaper yet still good quality options in wood material for shelves. Here people can choose whatever they want, but I prefer stronger shelves, since we want to put books on our shelves too. So, the particle board is not a good choice for our needs, that is why we went with plywood. I do kind of regret not getting the 3/4" thick plywood with both surfaces finished, I wanted to save money, so I went with one surface finished and like 5/8" thick plywood, I mean it worked just fine, but the other one would be better.
3rd, I decided to take off the old shelves which then I realized how much more work I just created for myself 😝
But it had to be done, so yeah, took off the old shelf which gave me damaged walls that needed to be repaired.
After cleaning up and/or sanding out all the bumps and roughness I had to touch up with mud/spackle all of the holes or lower depth areas.
Then, I had to buy a can of texture spray for touch-ups.
4th, after fixing and painting the walls with matching paint I could finally proceed with the "fun" project 😁
So I drew some reference lines for where the shelves would approximately go.
5th, I built the supports for the shelves and the shelves themselves. When you're at the store try picking the straightest pieces for your own benefit and ease of work. To save on material I cut all the 8'x4' sheets centered on the measured lines. The depth of each shelf was 12 inches, but to save on material and cut right on the lines, so in reality the actual depth size was like 11 15/16".
I planned ahead and cut couple extra supports and actually planned for which shelf what better looking piece would go and which side, so I could hide the imperfections of the wood.
I made 45 degree cuts on one side of each of these supports for better looks and to hide it more from the front view.
6th, I installed screw supports into drywall where there is not stud behind it. Use a stud finder if you must. Then I started installing the shelf supports on the walls.
Also, I stalled shelf supports on some of the panels where needed, and started installing shelves themselves.
If the shelf is too short, then I didn't install a middle support, but the ones you see below that are long without supports I found out that there is a kitchen vent in that wall and there is nowhere to put a screw in where I need one, so this will have to be light load shelves 😜
7th, I had to touch up with mud/spackle the holes and deformities of the wood especially that are very visible and then sand them down.
8th step was a nightmare, Taping!!! I'm so glad it's done and over with 😄 I recommend using this blue kind of masking tape, because it comes off easier and cleaner after you're done painting.
9th was the painting step. I used brushes to paint these shelves with interior semi-gloss paint. If you feel more comfortable with rollers or a paint gun, then go ahead, just make sure it's all clean and even. I had to sand lots of rough areas to smooth out the wood roughness after first coat of paint. Then I had to paint a little more all of the thin areas of paint.
10th, I removed the tape, touched up all of the paint that came off the walls, sanded whatever was still too rough, and installed the hanger's poles.
It was a huge excitement and relief when the project was done. It cost me about $200 and I personally know it's all nice and solid.
Below are some of the products I recommend you have or get before starting this kind of a project:
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