The Affordable Way The Property Brothers Turn Pipes Into Upcycled Shelving

The Property Brothers, Jonathan and Drew Scott, have been delighting HGTV viewers with their refined yet unpretentious style for 15 years, but their design isn't limited to sleek new kitchens and spa-like bathrooms. The brothers know how to work with a budget and understand that not all homeowners can afford or even want an upscale remodeling. Small, affordable projects, when taken together, can add up to a stylish home. One of these small projects, which the brothers showed off on the Rachael Ray Show (via YouTube), offers a budget-friendly way to transform your space with upcycled floating shelves using inexpensive pipes and pipe fixtures. This method is suitable for any room and is infinitely customizable, limited only by the length of the pipes and the size of the space you're creating shelves for. It's a straightforward project that only takes a few hours to complete from start to finish.

The Property Brothers created their suspended shelf with two flanges screwed into the wall, two threaded, straight pipes screwed into the flanges, and two 90-degree elbows attached to the opposite ends of the straight pipes to hold the shelf in place. You can paint or stain a piece of lumber for the shelf, buy something readymade, or use a fun object like a piece of driftwood. The pipe can be made of any rigid material — galvanized steel, iron, cast iron, rigid copper, or PVC. Flexible PEX pipe, an important improvement on rigid pipes, won't work because it's malleable. These budget-friendly materials are all widely available at hardware and home improvement stores, but you can also upcycle used materials.

Two pipe flanges can be bought new for under $20.00; a couple of 90-degree elbows are under $5.00. The price of the pipe you use to hold the shelf varies by which sort of pipe you buy, but galvanized steel pipe costs under $10.00 a foot. PVC is less expensive, and upcycled materials are generally much more affordable, too. Look for them at surplus and salvage stores that specialize in reclaiming used building materials. You might also be able to find them at yard or estate sales where people have completed a kitchen or bath renovation, local online marketplace groups, or at places like Habitat for Humanity ReStores, which sell used building materials.

There are a few considerations to keep in mind before you begin the project. You can't just randomly screw pipe flanges into drywall and expect them to hold the weight of the assembly, including the pipes and whatever you're putting on the shelves. You'll need to drill into studs or use heavy duty drywall anchors, and you'll need masonry anchors or concrete screws for brick, concrete, or stone walls. Another consideration is the decor of the rest of the room. Suspended shelves made from pipes are a nod to industrial style design and may not go well in a cottagecore home. You can make them fade into the background by painting them the same color as the walls and styling your floating shelves with beautiful objects to draw attention away from the pipe supports.