DIY Wood Shelves

My living room has always puzzled me. It is a decent size, rectangular in shape, and the center of our whole home. I have redecorated it about a thousand times, yet I never seem to be able to get it right. I have always loved everything that I put in the living room, I just never seemed to love everything once I put them all together.

First: I didn't like the paint color when we first moved in, so we painted it slightly darker.

Second, I made this Burlap Rosette Heart for over the couch, which I loved for a long time, but I'm ready for a change.

Then, I decided it needed a bench under the window, but now I sometimes think it makes it look too crammed.

Next, I thought it was too dark, so I lighted it up with lighter curtains and a white entertainment center.

After that, I made a wood plank coffee table to make the room a little more unique.

Even after all of that, I always felt like something was missing, that "WOW" factor.

I've changed my pillow covers about 12 times thinking that I just needed to change up the colors.

And then I saw Shanty 2 Chic's DIY Floating Shelves (Check out her full tutorial). They seem to have these shelves, or something similar all over their houses and I love them! My husband was nice enough to build some for me and I am seriously obsessed! He followed Ashley's instructions, but tweaked them a little. Here's what he did differently:

• created the E-shaped frame of 2x4's and attached the wood top to the E with pocket holes.
• attached the 1x6 side pieces with pocket holes as well. 
• pre-drilled everything to make sure it all fit together nicely. 
• We decided to stain the shelves before hanging them to make sure the stain didn't get all over the house (we used 2 coats of Minwax Provincial)
• Then he hung the shelves first putting on the E-shaped with the top, then attaching the sides, and finally screwing in the bottom.

We hung the shelves 14 inches apart, which has worked out perfectly for us. 

Here is our final project:

Okay, one last look...

What do you guys think? I want to build these for every room of my house!

Happy October!!