Introduction
If you’ve been gathering inspiration for a kitchen remodel, there’s no doubt you’ve seen kitchens with open shelves. It’s a popular look since they make the room feel bigger and more open.
These shelves can be installed in several ways. After some research and testing, I found a slick system for adding open shelving that leaves no hardware in sight, giving the shelves a “floating” look.
Tools Required
Materials Required
- 1-1/4 16-gauge brad nails
- 3/4" x 4' x 8' sanded plywood
- 3/4" x 4' x 8' White Oak VC plywood
- 4' Hovr bracket
- 8' Hovr brackets
- Hovr Installation Bit Pack
- Hovr Installation Hardware Pack
- water-based polyurethane
- White oak pressure-sensitive adhesive veneer
- Wood glue
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Family Handyman
After looking into all the different ways to fasten open shelving, I settled on aluminum Hovr Brackets. They’re lighter and easier to cut and drill than the steel options I found. Hovr brackets claim to support up to 300 lbs., which is plenty for most kitchen supplies.
Figure A: Open Shelves
Family Handyman
Cutting List
(per shelf)
| KEY | QTY. | DIMENSIONS | PART |
| A | 2 | 10-1/4″ x L white oak plywood | Top/bottom |
| B | 1 | 9″ x L sanded plywood | Filler |
| C | 1 | Cut to fit stud span | Wall bracket |
| D | 1 | Cut to fit wall bracket | Shelf bracket |
| E | 1 | 2-1/2″ wide white oak veneer to cover the edges of the shelf |
