Built-in shelving comes in many flavors: traditional, modern, DIY, modular... Here is a great tutorial that shows us how to take hardware store items and turn them into an industrial and minimalist shelving unit.
iVillage put together a tutorial to help you create custom shelving for very little money:
The uprights, called nipples, come in a range of lengths. We used the 12-inch version from top to bottom, but you can vary the lengths according to your needs (such as to work around baseboard heating). Assemble the whole thing on the floor, as if the shelves are lying on their backs, then enlist a strong friend to help you lift the assembled project into place. Because they are quite heavy, the shelves must be fastened to studs in the wall with the appropriate hardware; in our case, this meant using lead anchors because the wall is made of concrete.
- Read More: iVillage
(Image: ivillage)
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I disagree with the words "very little money" being used when there is a much cheaper way to do the same thing.
Whoever designed this version failed to realize how costly the end flanges are vs basic shapes. Typically the shelves rest on arms (constructed with a tee branching towards the wall, a 8" or so nipple and a 90° elbow at the end, the shelf rests on the elbow and tee and is centered by the nipple running throught it to the next tier). This version instead uses two flange ends in place of each arm.
using mcmastercarr prices for 1/2", you're going to fork out $13/ea per flange. $26 total per shelf end.
vs using an arm, with the following
tee - $7.85, 8" nipple - $2.48, 90° elbow $5.54, total of under $16.
so a basic 4 shelf / 2 column unit built the way listed in this article will cost you $80 more in fittings than the more commonly seen arm version. Add a third or fourth column in and you're talking $120 or $160 more.
Don't think most Re-Nest followers are going to use McMasterCarr (rip offs used for commercial applications only). I am sure most DIYers use Home Depot or Lowes where a 1/2" flange is $7. And the flange look is way cooler.
Love!!
Even with Lowes/HD prices, those shelves aren't cheap (or I guess it depends on your definition of cheap). Mine were about $260 which isn't bad but not cheap either :)
$260? I don't know what world you in but where I'm from it's pretty reasonable!
bagelpower, those flanges you speak of are galvanized, and don't have the black forged steel look. if you want the flanges silver that works otherwise you'll have to paint them black to get a similar look. Regardless, it is still less money not using flanges and using the tee/elbow arm. If you prefer the look of the flanges then the cost may easily be justified, but not f the main goal is just something "cheap"