You Can Create a Wabi-Sabi-Inspired Storage Shelf Without Any Tools

Some design styles aren’t going anywhere, and Japandi design is one of them. The style, which incorporates wabi-sabi (highlighting the beauty of imperfection), offers a less-is-more approach with emphasis on natural elements. So it’s no surprise that there’s a wabi-sabi DIY project that looks great and is relatively cheap.

Arthur Braud, one of the brains behind antique store My Modern Oasis, recently posted a wabi-sabi-inspired shelf DIY that cost less than $100. In the Instagram video, Braud builds the four-leveled wood, earthy shelf from the ground up and decorates it with objects. The shelves are made of dark wood, and the side columns are gorgeous gray stones. It feels like it’s straight out of a Japandi brand, and it’s perfect for an organic-modern aesthetic. 

If you’re feeling inspired, you’re in luck: They shared how to craft this shelf from start to finish, and provided a few tips to keep in mind along the way.

What makes this project special is that there’s no drilling, hammering, or sawing required. (However, you might want to install the boards on the wall with shelf brackets for extra security.) “I like to use more primitive/rustic wood. But you are welcome to use whatever is accessible,” the caption of My Modern Oasis’ post reads. “Please note the longer the shelves, the more stones will [be] needed to carry weight. My shelves are 60 inches and I find two columns are good to support. I think any longer, you would need a middle support.”

You’ll need about 20 to 40 garden stones from a store, like these bricks from The Home Depot (Braud found his supplies at a garden center). The number of stones needed depends on how tall you want the shelf to stand and the size of the rocks that you choose. You’ll also need wood boards that are all cut to the same length, which, again, can be totally custom.  

To build the shelf, stack two columns of stones against the wall where you want your shelf to be installed. Then add your first board. Then stack another layer of stone columns, then another board, and repeat until you reach your desired height.

The shelf features several different sizes of stones, with the largest ones being at the bottom to provide more stability. But you can use stones of the same size if you want a more uniform look.

“For a more stable shelving, I would opt for the larger size garden stones,” Braud continues. “Lean the stones directly on the wall so the wall can also serve as a support … These aren’t going to be ideal for extremely heavy things but can support quite a bit.”

There’s no ideal way to secure the stones directly to the wall (which means this shelf build might not be great for homes with kids or pets!), but as long as your floor is level it should be pretty steady. Braud shared that their DIY shelf has been up for about three years in a high-traffic area and hasn’t budged.

Whether you’re building a shelf for knickknacks, a TV console, or a sideboard, this Japandi, wabi-sabi-inspired DIY unit will absolutely make a statement.