My DIY Kitchen: Plate Rack Wall

Hi There!  So you want to see how I added a plate rack wall to my pantry cabinet?

This same concept can be done to create other types of storage as well, such as spices, craft paint, perfumes and even toiletries in a bathroom!  The possibilities are endless!

Plate Rack at Christmas

 When I previously left off, I showed you how I added an additional pantry cabinet to my kitchen for more storage.

Clearly, my kitchen is no gourmet kitchen, but by adding different trims and moldings, it allows me to customize the space to my liking.

So I started with the blank side of the cabinet and added bead board to the side to back my plate rack.   You can use any paneling or paint treatment that you like.

Here’s what I used:

• (4) 8 Bead board Panel
• (4) 8′ 1×3
• (1) 8′ screen trim piece (or 2 depending on the look you want and the size of the plate you plan to display)
• Nail gun and brads
• Level
• Saw (any to cut strait cuts)
• Measuring tape
• Paint, I use Behr Almond Cream on my cabinets
• Wood filler
• Caulk and Sponge
• Liquid nail (optional)
• Sanding Block
• Latex gloves

1.) Measure your 1×3’s to the length of your cabinet and cut.

2.) Sand your 1x3s if needed and align it flush with the cabinet. (Here you can add liquid nail if your plate rack will be in a high traffic area, or if you have wild children that like to climb, I did not).

3.)  Using your nail gun and 4″ brad nails, shoot the wood to the cabinet.

There’s a good chance that your 1×3 won’t be completely flush, but that’s where the caulking comes in.

4.) Attach your 1×3’s to both sides of the cabinet/wall.

5.) Measure and cut the 1×3 to fit the top and bottom of your cabinet, between the two side pieces (I’m so technical).  Do not assume that all horizontal 1×3’s will measure the same-(like I did), unless your wall is perfectly square.

6.)  Be sure the top and bottom pieces are level and nail them to your “wall.”

7.) Measure and decide how many racks you would like on your wall.  I  chose three.  Cut your remaining 1×3’s to fit within your frame.

8.)  Attach your horizontal 1×3’s to your wall with your nail gun, being sure to level them first.

9.)  Next, cut your screen moldings to fit the width of your rack, cutting each piece individually.  Sand and rough edges.

10.)  Nail your screen trim according to what you plan to display.  I only used one trim per “shelf,” and nailed them three inches from the bottom of each horizontal shelf.  This is all based on personal preference.

11.)  Fill your nail holes with wood filler and let dry.

In the meantime, since you will be so excited that you built something, put some plates on it!

Next you want to begin caulking the cracks and seams.

12.) To caulk, I like to use a bowl of warm water, latex gloves and a cheap, clean dish sponge.  Unfortunately, I don’t Have pictures of this process, because I tend to get ahead of myself.  But, this is what I do:

Put on your gloves (for easy clean up) and cut the caulk at an angel, making the opening rather small.  Push out a bead of caulk along the crack.  Dampen your sponge with the warm water and smooth the bead of caulk along the crack with the sponge.  Repeat, continuing to rinse the sponge–avoiding the caulk from building up.

Once your caulk has dried, paint it, and you’re done!

(Excuse the fuzzy, cell phone pic)

I still need to add crown molding, but I’ll get around to it eventually 🙂  (UPDATED:  Click here for crown molding tutorial)

 This is a really great beginner’s project, I hope I’ve inspired you to take on a project like this!

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Linking up with:  Chic On a Shoestring