Gardeners are always looking for a spot for one more plant.
What about the prime real estate above the kitchen sink? Would that be a suitable spot for a year-round indoor garden? Shawn thought so, and we set out to design a suitable shelf. The plan was to create something that would be functional and not obstruct the window view.
I started with 1/2” dowel rods and some lumber scraps and transformed them into an easy-to-build plant shelf.
The side supports were cut to the correct length. I used stock 1×3 pre-primed pine for these parts as I had scraps from another project.
I mitered the visible ends of the supports at 45 degrees, because that is the look Shawn wanted and the customer is always right.
The 48” dowels were cut to the correct length to span from cabinet to cabinet. Cut the dowels 1/8” shorter than the span to make installation easier.
Mark the centers for the holes to be drilled on the supports using a nail set. Since I need two identical supports I opted to make a template.
I would not recommend working on the granite counter top as a normal course of action. The shop temperature was well below freezing, and Shawn wanted to help so I moved as many steps indoors as I could. My tools are carefully placed on a towel to prevent any disturbance in the marital force, and the taps with the hammer were light enough not to damage anything.
Now drill the holes. The drill press makes this an easy task.
In addition to the side supports I needed two identical spanners to be used in load distribution as shown.
A dry fit verifies alignment of the parts. The shelf spanners distribute the weight of the plants across all the dowels and should prevent sagging dowel syndrome.
Paint the parts and let everything dry. Install the shelf according to the cabinet arrangement. I used #10 pan head screws through the sides of the cabinets and fastened them with lock washers and nuts inside the cabinets.
Add the plants and invite the Boss in for final inspection. She loved it!