Easy Shelving in a Playroom/Family Space... {Kiddie Things}

You may have spied our new playroom shelves in this post about our DIY desk.

We're really digging them. 

We also dug how easily they came together in just one evening. To start, I used painters tape to mark out the ideal number, placement, and approximate length of shelves that fit the space. This step was actually really key in helping the handyman and I picture what worked best. 

The painters tape I stuck to the wall on a whim measured approximately 36 inches and it turns out that Home Depot sells, you guessed it, 36 inch pine boards... so we brought four of these babies home:

Fortunately, we had nearly a dozen of the ekby kanna shelf brackets in white from Ikea, which we originally planned to use in the living room on the main floor but quickly realized they would do the trick in the playroom.

Installing the shelves ended up being a two-person job (or the handyman was using this small project as a coaching moment). He drilled the holes while I caught the dust below. We then pushed the screws and anchors through the holes in the shelf brackets and then through the pre-drilled holes, and the handyman used a drill to secure the screws in the wall. Using a level all the way to make sure the shelf was level and that the brackets were straight. We noticed that the brackets weren't always straight and required a little maneuvering. 

We're happy with the results and I'm impressed with how much the shelves hold. They primarily hold games - kids games on the right and adult board games on the left. I also brought in some kid art, including their painted bird houses, and a small low maintenance plant from Home Depot.  

I was a bit too eager in styling the shelves and skipped brushing on a clear protective coat. However, this period of time is helping identify if we'd like to stain them darker or even grey. 

It's already been a few weeks and we're finding the shelves work well for us. Having games on display encourages us to play them, considering "out of sight, out of mind rings true for us." We will play the game or puzzle as family on the playroom floor - so the handyman and I access the shelves, whereas the kids don't really have a need for this. Occasionally our five year old will access the bottom shelf on the right which has worked out just fine. And as far as we know, our three year old hasn't tried to scale the wall using the shelves. All of what they need and want to play with is right at their level. 

We're happy to check this off the list.