How to make a timber wall decoration with floating shelves?

Revi

Hi team,

I would like to make a wall decoration like a wall covering timber two floating shelves both side . Bottom two sides drawer middle open area. L shaped with bottom C shape . Please see drawings and for purposes. I need after finishing black mat painting. Which timber good ?
please advise me .

Thank you

Revi

JacobZ

Hi @Revi,

You have two main options for building a feature like this.

The first is to build it entirely from plywood, with no internal framing. Plywood is stable, strong for its weight, and provides a smooth surface for painting. It's a good option if you want a cleaner, more furniture-style finish. This is often the simplest approach for cabinetry and floating shelves; however, strength would be determined by the thickness and quality of the plywood.

Option two is to build a timber frame using framing timber and then clad it with plywood. It generally creates a stronger and more rigid unit, which would be worthwhile if it needed to support heavier loads. The downside to this is it will usually be heavier and require more materials and labour.

Considering the design, I'd say it would be worthwhile building a frame for the vertical section, as the shelves could then be attached through the plywood into the framing, then simply using your plywood to create the plinth/base as this would allow the addition of drawers with greater ease.

In terms of materials, I would suggest using https://www.bunnings.com.au/70-x-35mm-framing-mgp10-untreated-pine-2-4m_p8030010 for any framing, with AA grade marine plywood for the plywood. The 70x35 will add sufficient strength for the vertical section and the marine plywood is strong and a quality material for painting.

For a matte black finish, apply a primer such as https://www.bunnings.com.au/dulux-4l-1step-prep-primer-sealer-undercoat_p1370234 before finishing with a matte black paint such as https://www.bunnings.com.au/rust-oleum-887ml-black-abyss-ultra-matte-chalked-paint_p0637275 .

Allow me to tag @Dave-1, @TedBear, @Herrenovacation and @SarahK1996 to see if they have any ideas they can add to the discussion.

Please let me know what you think and if you would like further guidance about materials or the design, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob