Ikea Floating Shelf with Plants

In a small kitchen without a window, I think making it feel like there is a window is super important. Bringing the outside in helps it from feeling like it’s so closed in, especially when you are doing tedious chores like washing dishes.  With this client’s home, I decided to put a floating plant wall shelf on the wall opposite of where the kitchen sink was and use an Ikea floating shelf or two to create the idea of nature on the wall area in the dining area. They sent inspiration photos and it had many hanging plants it it.  I started with one and decided not to add the second one. It looks so nice and clean with just one.

You can see  a fun video of putting the plant wall together after the ad..

 

The Ikea Malmback is actually a great floating shelf for pictures and had a nice, clean aesthetic as a sleek wall shelf. I really wanted to get the one in black or clear plastic, but our Ikea was cleared out of them. I grabbed the white one and decided a coat of cool gold craft paint would give it a brass look.

Paint the Shelving First

I gave it a few coats of gold multi-purpose paint, and worked on some other items while it dried between coats. Before using the multi-purpose paint, wipe it with a lightly damp cloth, or a mild cleaner to remove any oil or residue. If the surface feels really slick, give it a light sanding to rough it up a little.  Don’t worry about getting a perfect coat of paint on the shelving. The less perfect the paint is the better. It will give it that “cast brass” look. You can use any paint you want thought to get a custom, perfect color.

Hang the Shelving According to the Directions

Once the paint it dry, it’s really to hang.  I didn’t have any stud locations available in the right spots, so I used wall anchors. The plants are really light. If you’re worried about it pulling from the drywall, make sure to use  the right kind of wall mounts that are included with the product and the directions for installation included as well. . After I hung my shelf, I added a drop of paint to each of the screw heads so they would blend in and look like brass. After they dried, I grabbed my Fejka faux plants also purchased at Ikea.

I liked the “drippy” look of the plants and how deep green and glossy they were. They kind of look a little real. I had thought about pulling them from their pots and putting them in floral foam, and then I realized I was making waaaay more work for myself with no difference in the outcome. In fact, if the homeowner wanted to use the floating shelves for photos, holiday decor or other small light objects and knick-knacks instead, they can use the faux plants somewhere else.

I carefully laid them sideways on the shelf next to each other. 4 across worked perfectly, and I fluffed the leaves up to blend into each other to fill out the hanging plant wall shelf.

I love the accent it brings, and the touch of unexpected greenery. It also leaves the floor space clear, which is nice in a cozier space.  This would also work in a basement or bedroom where a little more greenery is needed. I love that this is the homeowners view from the kitchen has a bit of nature, even if it’s faux. Care is just removing the plants and wiping to dust with a clean cloth. Speaking of a view with plants, I added some in the kitchen opening I’ll share in this post about hanging Kokedama balls.