Recently a post asked us our opinion of various woodworking magazines. I voted for Woodsmith because (1) they have no ads and (2) I am able to understand and follow their project plans better than some of the others.
Whether a project is from my own design or from other plans, I usually build a protoype. This allows me to change design or construction technique to my preference or skill set.
The Dec/Jan issue V30 No180 Woodsmith has plans for some nice QSWO hanging wall shelves. The design was straightforward, and since we needed several I decided to build 8 at a time. I did change the front piece from the original, cutting out about half its height so you can see the items on the shelf with less obstruction.
The wife, thinking I had sniffed too much glue, just shook her head in agreement when I proposed the project.
To her surprise (will this ever go away?), they turned out quite nicely. We now have them in my son's bedroom, the guest bath, the dining room and the living room.