How to Build An Industrial Pipe Shelf
I have been wanting an industrial pipe shelf in my kitchen for a very long time… but I’ve been putting it off. And putting it off… and putting it off. Mostly because I had this idea in my head that it was going to be a difficult project. I’d have a hard time cutting the pipes, finding the materials, securing it to the wall… For whatever reason, it seemed to be an extremely daunting task!
So when “J” and I were planning for the new desk and pantry area in the kitchen you better believe open-concept industrial pipe shelves made their way into the design! At that time, I was determined to make them happen. And boy-oh-boy I’m glad I did, they were incredibly easy to make!!! Cutting the pipes was a piece of cake (in fact the associates at Home Depot cut and threaded them for me), all the materials were easy to find, and while securing it to the wall took some careful calculations, the installation turned out to be very simple!
I am thrilled with the results! I look at the shelves every day and smile… who knew simple DIY shelves could bring me so much joy! If you’re looking to add a little joy to your life I highly suggest giving this project a shot! You can tackle it in four simple steps… Like I said, it’s easy!
Building an Industrial Shelf in 4 Steps:
Step 1: Measure The Area // There are two key measurements you’ll need for your industrial pipe shelf project: the width of the area your shelf will occupy and the depth. Depending on the width of the area you may need to add another support in the middle. In our case the shelf was going to span a space a little over 3ft so we’d only need two supports.
Step 2: Buy The Supplies // Head on out to your local Home Depot to purchase all the supplies needed for the shelf project. Most of the items needed to build the pipe wall supports can be found in the gas/plumbing section of the store. We purchased a 6ft, 1 inch round pipe to use for the supports and had the helpful department associate cut it to the 11 inch lengths.
We also purchased flanges, to attach the supports to the wall, and pipe caps to close off the end of the pipe. Depending on where you’ll be affixing your shelf you may also need to get some heavy duty wall anchors.
If you want a more polished look for your shelf you can purchase pine shelf boards at Home Depot and stain or paint them. “J” and I wanted a more rustic look and feel so we opted for some reclaimed barn board. Cut the board to the proper width and depth for your space.
Step 3: Spray Away! // Thoroughly wash and dry all the pieces of the pipe supports before assembling and painting. Assemble the pipe supports by screwing the cap on one end and the flange on the other. In a well-ventilated area, evenly spray the pipes using Rustoleum spray paint. Do two quick coats and allow the pipes to dry for 24 hours.
Step 4: Install // Using the holes in the flange as your guide, mark the holes to be drilled. Measure to ensure you are centered and level or use a laser level as a guide. Drill the hole and insert wall anchors. Because we drilled through tile (using a diamond tip tile drill bit – so worth the money) we needed to make use of heavy duty toggle wall anchors. Once supports are securely fastened to the wall place the boards across… and you’re done!
// Project Breakdown \\
For those of you who are interested in the materials breakdown of this project, you can find everything listed below. I choose to buy everything new, so your total costs may vary based on what you already have on hand.
Industrial Pipe Shelf Materials:
- 6ft 1-inch galvanized pipe, cut to desired length and threaded on both ends
- 2 1-inch floor flanges
- 2 1-inch caps
- 1 pine shelf board or reclaimed barn board
- 1 can Rustoleum spray paint
- 8 wall anchors
What do you think? Is it a project you’d try?
If you liked this post you might also like these other kitchen posts:
- How We Installed Our Subway Tile Backsplash
- How to Build An Industrial Pipe Shelf
- Creating a Dream Kitchen with Renuit’s Cabinet Refacing
- Kitchen Makeover Inspiration
Disclosure: This post was in partnership with Home Depot Canada. As always, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Reveal photos by Christine Kufske of Click Photography.