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An Update on the Office & How to Install Wall-to-Wall Floating Wood Shelves

DIY Projects· Renovations· The Office

15 Jun
wall-to-wall floating wood shelves in home office

Sharing all the latest updates on the office and an easy-to-follow tutorial on building wall-to-wall floating wood shelves! [post contains affiliate links, which means we make a small commission, at NO additional cost to you, if a purchase is made. thanks for supporting north country nest!]

Remember that one time we talked about our office design plans? And then it was radio silence on here.

Well, a few weeks (eight to be exact, but who is counting?!) later and it’s time for some updates and an easy tutorial if you’re loving the wall-to-wall floating wood shelves. If you’re here for the how-to, scroll on down past the updates.

When we left you last, the office was right about here:

drywall in an office

Since then… We mudded and sanded alllllll the walls.

dark trim around doorframe

We painted the top half of the room this amazing blue (Alaskan Night by Dutch Boy).

half blue walls with dark trim in office

We installed the plywood plank floors and if you’re loving them as much as us, check out this tutorial for installation instructions.

wide plank trim around doorway with blue painted walls in home office

We added and stained the trim around both doorways, in Espresso by Varathane.

blue walls with dark wood trim in home office

We installed the closet bi-fold door.

floating wood shelves in home office

And we installed the wall-to-wall floating wood shelves, which surprisingly, were super easy to make. Yes, easy for me to say since I wasn’t doing too much of the manual labor, but Brett barely broke a sweat putting these babies up! 🙂

First, he measured the width of the wall and cut a 2×4 to fit the entire length. Then, he cut four 2×4’s into 10 inch pieces and secured them to the back of the long 2×4 using #9 construction screws that are 3 1/8″ long.

floating shelves brace


Once that was together, we screwed it to the wall studs using t-30 torkhead screws, 5″ long.

floating shelves base

We were a little unsure on spacing but went with about 15 inches between the bottom of the top shelf and the top of the bottom shelf – try reading that one five times fast 😉

After securing the base, Brett put together the frame using 1×4’s and 1×12’s. If you want your shelves deeper than 12 inches, you would need a wider board.

clamp holding together floating wood shelves

Clamps and wood glue were his best friend. After securing them together with the clamps, we went along the edge and using the nail gun, nailed the pieces together every 12-or-so inches.

floating wood shelves held together by clamps


Then they got a nice sanding with 120 grit sandpaper and stained with Minwax Driftwood.

It was a two-person job to lift up the shelves and slide them over the 2×4 brace. And we had a few minor casualties – the drywall we worked so. hard. to make smooth got a few nicks that required more mud to fill in.

floating wood shelves in a home office

I don’t know who was more heart broken about messing up the wall – both of us were diligent about making sure they were smooth before painting. Since the shelves are the width of the room, it makes sense they’d be battling the walls. If you find a way around that, please share!

floating wood shelves in a home office

Although each shelf was on the braces fairly tightly, we still went back over with a nail gun, just to make sure it’s extra secure.

We’re planning on getting started with the shiplap and desk this weekend…maybe working in it by the end of the month!

All our best,


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oh, hi!

We’re Brett and Kelly! A husband and wife team tackling our first complete home renovation. We love all things DIY, our two furbabes and lazy summer days out on the lake. Our mission? To share the journey of turning a house into a home.

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[posts contain affiliate links, which means we make a small commission if a purchase is made, at no additional cost to you. thanks for supporting north country nest!]

what we’re loving right now

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the archives

Who doesn't love a good before and after?!? Who doesn't love a good before and after?!?
Last summer, Brett and I didn’t get out on the w Last summer, Brett and I didn’t get out on the water at all – not once did we take the boat out.

Given the fact that we live in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, I felt like the worst Minnesotan. How could we not enjoy the water when there’s three within five miles of our house?

This year? We've been able to get out on some body of water at least once per week - how cool is that?!

What’s been really great about these last few months is that we’ve seemed to have found a nice “balance” between go-go-go and taking time to enjoy whatever it may be.

While this season of relaxed work is probably not the norm, it's been a pleasant surprise that we'll be enjoying for as long as we can!

Enjoy the week, friends!
If you need me, I'll be here gazing lovingly at ou If you need me, I'll be here gazing lovingly at our newly trimmed windows and painted walls 😍

We have to add trim to the slider, install the baseboards and frame up + install the pantry door.

And then...

This kitchen will be DONE! 🙌
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The second addition? Giving a little refresh to this laundry room by pushing back the washer, dryer and cabinets.

We finished it wayyyy back in 2017 but there was a small frustration: the washer and dryer cover the window.

Every few months we'd circle back to the space and see how we could make it work. It was one of those little issues that might not seem like a big deal to anyone else, but here's the thing - you deserve to LOVE your home.

After four and a half years of constant projects, I often find myself wondering why in the hell we are doing this and I keep coming back to this idea that a home is meant to be loved, to share a story, to work for you, to be a space that you can relax in and enjoy.

So while the washer and dryer covering a window might be insignificant to a visitor, for us, it's something we see every day. And, after three years of brainstorming, we finally found a solution that felt good.

I guess that's the bonus of being four years into a reno - the idea of knocking down a wall seems like an easy project nowadays 😂😂
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Hope you all had a safe and happy Fourth of July! 🧨
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New post #ontheblog today all about the lawsuit we've been in with our neighbor for the last year. And it started all because of our garage.

In short: three years ago the county required us to get a survey done on our property in order to build the garage. The results showed that the easement our neighbor was using to access her property was not in the right place - it was inside our property lines instead of outside.

Fast forward to July 2, 2019 when we were served lawsuit paperwork from said neighbor, claiming the rights to the easement location - and it's been a long, stressful process since then.

But, we received the good news last week from our lawyer - everything is finalized and we can finally put this whole mess behind us!

Cheers to starting the week off on a high note!
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Two words: dried grout.

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We started this entryway with white built-ins and light walls. Damn it looked good in pictures but real life? With two black dogs and a lake... Well let's just say the functionality of the design choices were at an all time low.

So, we overhauled the space and darkened the walls and built-ins. While I was a little nervous to go so dark, I have to admit Brett's instincts were right one this one.

So, here's to continuing to find that balance of function and design - and I'd love hear, have you compromised anything because it just didn't fit with how your family lives in your home?!?

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