Let’s take some shelfies — you know, shelf selfies instead of the usual self-portraits.
We joked about wishing Beyoncé would photobomb them, but short of superstar cameos, the real win is that our Ikea floating shelves are finally up in the kitchen and the space already feels transformed.
The shelves replaced the old dark upper cabinets that made the room feel cramped and gloomy. After removing wallpaper and demoing the cabinets, we repaired and painted the walls, trim, and ceiling, rehung crown molding, upgraded the lighting, and installed these white Ikea LACK floating shelves. The result is brighter, more open, and instantly livelier.
From the same viewpoint after the changes, the difference is night and day. The room feels at least twice as bright and noticeably larger thanks to the light-reflective white shelves and paint.
We positioned the bottom long shelf 18″ above the counter so it aligned visually with the remaining cabinet on the left. The pre-made shelf widths left a few inches of breathing room around the window, which we liked. The second long shelf was placed 14″ above the lower shelf — a distance that keeps the lower shelf usable for taller items while still allowing someone of average height to reach the upper shelf comfortably.
Here’s how we installed them:
We held the bottom shelf in place and checked that it was level. Then we marked the top corners and drew a straight line across the wall to guide the placement of the metal mounting rail.
The longer LACK shelves come with a metal hanging brace that spans most of the shelf length. The slotted design lets you locate studs and fasten the brace securely with multiple screws.
We positioned the brace where the shelf would sit, used a single drywall screw to hold it temporarily, then used a stud finder to find studs and drove the provided long screws into at least two studs for maximum strength. We followed the recommended screw-to-stud placements shown in the instructions.
With the rail held in place, we checked levelness one more time and added the long screws. The installation includes small metal plates that act like washers under the screw heads to spread pressure and hold the rail even more securely.
After the bracket was secure, we slid the shelf onto the rail and tightened the three screws that pass through the shelf into the mounting brace. Doing those by hand is slow, so a power drill sped things up considerably.
The short side shelves were even simpler. We used heavy-duty wall anchors driven into the selected spots so the small shelves could be removed easily for painting or adjustments. While the long shelves rely on multiple screws into studs, the short shelves use strong anchors that still feel stable for everyday dishware.
So far they’ve been very sturdy. The key is using appropriate anchors or hitting studs and making sure everything is level. Measure twice, use a level, and choose good fasteners for the wall type to avoid wobbling or sagging.
Functionally, the lower shelves now hold the everyday items we use — plates, bowls, mugs — while the upper shelves display favorites and decorative pieces like a small plant or a pitcher-turned-vase. Open shelving makes unloading the dishwasher faster and turns practical storage into a design feature.
From another angle you can see how the white shelves reflect light instead of blocking it like the old dark cabinets did. They brighten the area around the window and help the whole kitchen feel more open.
Update: According to Ikea, each of the longer LACK shelves can hold up to 33 lbs when properly anchored into studs. We fastened our brackets into two studs and have been pleased with how much china and everyday dishes the shelves support. Our previous experience with similar shelves in another room also gave us confidence in their durability.
Looking back at where the kitchen started six months ago, it’s gratifying to see the progress. Removing dated dark cabinetry and adding open shelving has moved the space toward a lighter, more modern aesthetic.
Next up: painting the upper cabinets a lighter color and giving the lower cabinets a deeper, richer tone for a tuxedo-style look. We’re sanding and priming now and hope to reveal a refreshed kitchen soon.
Were you tackling last-minute home projects this weekend for the holidays? We often find ourselves in the middle of a big house project right around the busiest time of year — it seems to be our tradition. If you’re planning upgrades, consider how open shelving could brighten and streamline your kitchen as it did ours.
P.S. We’ve been trying out more quizzes on our home-life blog — one of them was surprisingly accurate and gave us a few laughs.