Easy, Functional, and Pretty Industrial Pipe Shelves
When I started thinking about what type of shelves I wanted to put in the updated laundry room, I immediately thought of this trend. Industrial pipe shelves an be found everywhere these days. It seemed fairly easy, and it turned out that is was. I showed The Mean Man a couple of pictures of pipe shelf units to see if he was on board, and luckily for me (as he is the one who takes my ideas and makes them happen) as always, he was all about getting it done.
I sketched out my idea, and it was terrible, as are all of my sketches- but it was effective.
We made our list of supplies based on this plan: We decided to use single pipe supports for the shelves on long wall. The wall is 72″ wide and our shelf is about 70″wide. We decided to use a 2×12 board as the shelf (this is a substantial shelf) and so we really wanted the supports to be sturdy. We went with four supports per shelf- oh yeah- I decided I wanted TWO shelves on the long wall and not just one. We went with 3/4″ diameter iron pipes that we purchased at Lowes. Each support consists of 1- flange, 1- 12″ threaded pipe (threaded on both ends), and 1- pipe cap. Again, we used 4 set ups per shelf- so it took 8 of each piece to make the supports for the two wood plank shelves.
The first thing that The Mean Man did was to cut, sand, and stain the shelves.
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Then the pipes, elbows, and flanges had to be cleaned. They were a greasy, dirty mess. You may want to wear gloves at the hardware store or you’ll wind up with filthy hands while making your purchase.
The single pipe supported shelves went together like this:
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Be sure to use a level so that the wooden shelves sit correctly.
The double, shorter shelf unit that we installed opposite the washer/dryer wall is a little more involved and took a few more pipes and connectors. In addition to the flanges, we also needed 2- elbows, and 2 “T” connectors.Our shelves are 30″ wide.
This unit takes the single shelf support like we used on the long wall, then adds an elbow. We used an 18″ threaded pipe that went from the elbow up to a “t” connector that connects to the top 12″ shelf support pipe (that then connects to the flange). Another 12″ threaded pipe connects to the top of the “t” at the bottom of the next 12″ pipe and then to another elbow at the top that connects to yet another 12″ pipe that goes back to another flange. The single support pipe system would have worked just fine on this short wall. We, honestly, just built this unit like this for visual interest. If you have your flanges screwed into studs, you should be good to go.
We added a bar to the bottom shelf to be able to have a hanging rack. That took two additional flanges, two 3″ pipes with two elbows connected to a 22″ pipe (we had to buy a 24″ pipe and have it cut down and threaded by a friend who had the tools to do this). It worked out perfectly as a bar to hang the clothes right out of the dryer.
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Here’s how the shelves look all dressed:
The width between your supports is based on the length of your shelves. This seriously is an easy project that makes an amazing impact in whatever room room you choose to use them. Don’t be intimidated!
Karen K
September 16, 2016 @ 10:38 am
Does Lowe’s have all these pipes pre-cut and threaded?
Kelly
September 16, 2016 @ 12:00 pm
Karen- All of the pipes we used were pre-cut and threaded with the exception with a bar we installed under the bottom short shelf to hang laundry on. We have a plumber friend who cut that one down for us. None of the available sizes at Lowe’s would fit that one particular bar we wanted. All the others were great sizes. Thanks for stopping by! Blessings- Kelly
LydiaF
June 6, 2016 @ 10:10 am
My son has used pipes to construct a steam punk looking shelving unit. Yours looks very different! I love it 🙂 Thanks for sharing with us at Creatively Crafty #ccbg
Kelly
June 6, 2016 @ 10:37 am
That’s the great thing about these pipe ideas. I went to a restaurant the other day and the handles on the entry doors were made from a combination of pipes, elbows, and flanges. So creative! As always, thanks for the forum! Blessings!
Nicole
June 3, 2016 @ 1:21 pm
That looks great and so useful. Those would be great in my sewing room!
Kelly
June 3, 2016 @ 5:53 pm
Thanks so much! They are so functional- I really love the look AND how many configurations you can create. Blessings to you! -Kelly
Janet Trieschman
June 2, 2016 @ 12:25 pm
What a great look, I just love the bar below for hanging clothes on! Thanks for sharing your post with us at #CCBG http://tryit-likeit.com/link-party-it
Kelly
June 2, 2016 @ 3:46 pm
Janet- Thanks so much! I just love how functional that little double shelf with the hanging bar turned out to be. I appreciate the opportunity to share- thanks for the opportunity. 🙂
Bernice Wolen
May 30, 2016 @ 11:22 am
I love this look! Thanks for posting a great tutorial.
Kelly
June 1, 2016 @ 2:00 pm
Bernice- Thanks for stopping by and taking time to give some encouragement! I just love those shelves and was very happy that they were so easy to install. I have them filled up with lots of stuff. 🙂 Take care! Blessings to you. -Kelly