When I sit at my desk today, there’s a story right behind me. It’s told in shelves, books, and the small things that make up a life.

But for nearly four years, that same wall was just blank.

It started back in 2021 when many of us were still working from home through the pandemic. I had turned a former bedroom into my office and creative workspace, slowly arranging everything just the way I wanted. Except for one wall—the one with the sconces. Based on the layout, with an outlet floating in the middle, I guessed the previous owners had used this room as a small home theater. But I didn’t need a TV in the office.

At one point, we covered the outlet with an old framed map of the galaxy—a placeholder that fit with some of the other space and sci-fi decor we’d added.

Originally, my desk faced the windows with space-themed artwork behind me. Eventually, I turned the desk around to face the room so I could look out the window and get more natural light for video calls. In this new setup, the framed galaxy poster hung behind me along with the two sconces and that awkward outlet, all featured prominently in my daily meetings.

I kept thinking about changing it—imagining the kind of backdrops I saw on YouTube: shelves, knickknacks, and bits of personal history. But as often happens, life gets in the way.

That blank space gnawed at me for months.

I tried replacing the lights. The Edison-bulb sconces had that vintage warmth I liked, but they weren’t quite me.

Eventually, I realized the lights weren’t the problem. The problem was that I hadn’t started.

A Saturday Morning Shift Link to heading

It was a fall Saturday morning. One of those rare, quiet ones. I was sitting on the couch sipping my coffee, sunlight cutting across the room, when I decided: today’s the day I deal with that wall once and for all.

For years, I’d walked past it, thought about it, made plans for it, but never acted. That morning felt different. Not because I had more time, but because I was done waiting.

I opened my laptop, snapped a photo, and pulled up ChatGPT. No grand plan, no blueprint. Just a question and a bit of curiosity.

“I want this to look cinematic and modern — something I can use as a YouTube backdrop but that still feels like home.”

ChatGPT’s first render — exploring the concept.

ChatGPT’s first render — exploring the concept.

We went back and forth. I uploaded more photos. ChatGPT generated concept renders showing different shelf arrangements between the sconces. The AI visualizations helped me see the potential, but I still needed to figure out the actual materials.

ChatGPT’s layout render — centered between the sconces.

ChatGPT’s layout render — centered between the sconces.

The Home Depot Detour Link to heading

That same morning, I drove to Home Depot to browse options. I found the Hardwood Reflections solid wood butcher block shelving display—beautiful walnut and birch options with black metal brackets. They looked substantial and professional.

Browsing solid wood shelving at Home Depot — beautiful, but over $300 for what I needed.

Browsing solid wood shelving at Home Depot — beautiful, but over $300 for what I needed.

The problem? The three shelves I’d need would run over $300. And while I liked the look, I wasn’t sure the butcher block aesthetic was right for my space. At that price point, I started thinking: I could make these myself out of real walnut. Or maybe plywood. Or even just pine boards with stain…

And there it was—analysis paralysis creeping back in.

I stood in the aisle, phone in hand, uploading photos to ChatGPT and second-guessing every option. Custom built? Too time-consuming. Butcher block? Too expensive and maybe not the right look. DIY from scratch? There goes another six months of planning.

I needed to break the loop.

Back in the truck, I decided to start with IKEA LACK shelves — they’re modular, clean, and cheap. Under $100 total. Since I wasn’t sure about the look, I could always upgrade later, but they’ll get me out of planning mode and into done mode.

That was it. Decision made. Coffee finished.

Time to actually do something.

The Trip to IKEA Link to heading

That same Saturday afternoon, I jumped in my truck and drove to IKEA with meatballs and shelves on my mind.

The IKEA trip that made it happen.

The IKEA trip that made it happen.

Once I arrived, I had to stop for some IKEA meatballs first. No one wants to walk through IKEA on an empty stomach.

I’d decided on three shelves:

  • Two 43-inch black-brown LACK shelves (Product #: 402.825.24) centered between the sconces — $29.99 each
  • One 74-inch black-brown LACK shelf (Product #: 402.794.70) below them as a visual anchor — $34.99

Total cost: $94.97 — roughly a third of what I’d have spent at Home Depot.

The LACK shelves — simple, clean, and modular.

The LACK shelves — simple, clean, and modular.

They weren’t custom. They weren’t solid wood. But they were good. And they were enough to get started.

The Build Link to heading

Sunday morning, after a cup of coffee, I unpacked the shelves, grabbed my Milwaukee drill, and got to work.

Installation tips:

  • Used my stud finder to locate studs - the two smaller shelves had one stud between the sconces, the longer shelf had two between
  • Measured and marked center points for each shelf using the 48" level
  • Top shelf: 12 inches below the ceiling
  • Middle shelf: 12 inches below the top shelf
  • Bottom shelf: 12 inches below the middle shelf
  • Pre-drilled pilot holes where needed
  • Used the E-Z Anchors for additional support points between studs

The whole thing took maybe an hour. A satisfying hour, the kind where you stop thinking and just do.

Before: the blank wall that never felt finished.

Before: the blank wall that never felt finished.

After: three IKEA LACK shelves, finally done.

After: three IKEA LACK shelves, finally done.

Tools I Used Link to heading

A few solid tools made the process simple:

What’s On the Shelves Link to heading

Now, these simple shelves hold fragments of my story — small, ordinary things that together feel like me:

Lighting:

Bottom Shelf:

Middle Shelf:

Current Book Rotation:

Reflection Link to heading

Perfect is the enemy of done. The LACK shelves aren’t high-end, but they transformed the space exactly how I wanted.

Analysis paralysis is real. Standing in Home Depot, I could feel myself thinking about research, lumber comparisons, and DIY plans. Sometimes the best choice is the one that gets you moving.

Start with good enough. I can always upgrade later. But for now, these $95 shelves do exactly what I needed: they make the space feel complete.

AI as a decision partner works. ChatGPT didn’t just generate pretty renders; it helped me break through decision fatigue.

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