How to Make a Recessed Shelf In a Hallway

Build a recessed shelf into your hallway wall.

Recessing a shelf in the hallway involves cutting into the wall, creating a sort of nook in the wall to use as a shelf. These kinds of shelves are ideal for displaying decoration pieces, as they act as a frame around the items stored on them. They are limited in size due to the fact that they are recessed between wall studs, which means they have a maximum width of 16 inches. You can make a single shelf, which will look like a box recessed into the wall, or a small set of shelves recessed into the drywall.

Things You'll Need

• Stud finder
• Pencil
• Straightedge
• Wallboard saw
• 2 planks 1-by-10 lumber, 16 inches
• 2 planks 1-by-10 lumber, 14 inches
• Drill
• 1 1/2-inch screws
• 1 piece 1/2-inch plywood, 16-by-16 inches
• Paint or wood finish
• Paintbrush
• G-clamps
• 2-inch wood screws
• Wood putty
• Putty scraper
• Caulk (optional)

Instructions

Cutting the Wall Recess

1. Locate two adjacent wall studs using a stud finder in the hallway where you want to recess the shelf. Pencil in the inner edge of the stud positions with a pencil and straightedge. Decide on the height you want the shelf to be, and mark in straight lines between the stud lines to give the dimensions of the shelf on the wall.

2. Cut out a small portion of the wall in the center of the shelf with a wallboard saw. Hold the saw so that it cuts at an angle so that the cutout will fall outward, not back into the wall. Remove the cutout and check behind the wall for an electrical wires that you need to be aware of while cutting out the shelf recess in the drywall.

3. Cut out the shelf recess using the penciled-on dimensions to guide you. Hold the straightedge alongside the wallboard saw while you cut so you achieve straight cuts. Remove the drywall from the wall.

Making the Shelf

1. Position two planks of 16-inch 1-by-10 lumber on a 1-inch edge on your work desk. Take two pieces of 1-by-10 lumber that are 2 inches less than the height of the shelf, and place them between the ends of the 16-inch planks. In this example, a single shelf will be made with the height planks measuring 14 inches, so the overall dimensions of the shelf will be roughly square.

2. Pre-drill four pilot holes, sized for the shank of 1 1/2-inch screws, through the 16-inch planks and into the height planks, or in this case the 14-inch planks. There should be 16 pilot holes altogether. Fasten the shelf box together with 1 1/2-inch wood screws through the pre-drilled holes.

3. Place a piece of 16- by 16-inch 1/2-inch plywood over the back of the box for the back of the shelf and secure with 1 1/2-inch wood screws through the plywood every 4 to 5 inches around the outside.

4. Paint the shelf box the same color as the walls if you want it to look like a seamless recessed shelf, or if you want it to stand out a bit more, finish the box with a stain or varnish to leave the natural wood color showing.

Installing the Shelf

1. Fit the shelf into the cutout recess in the wall, so that the edge of the shelf box is flush with the drywall around it. Clamp the shelf box in place.

2. Secure the shelf box to the wall studs on either side with pairs of 2-inch screws every 4 to 5 inches up the sides of the shelf box into the wall studs.

3. Cover the screw holes with wood putty and scrape off the excess with a putty scraper. Let dry and retouch with paint or varnish.

4. Fill any small gaps between the drywall and the shelf box with caulk the same color as the walls.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to install a small set of shelves, make the shelf box taller and attach shelves every 10 to 12 inches up the shelf box before installing the shelf box into the recess.