So, whenever I have time to work on it, my plan is to:
buy some silver or gray curtain rod brackets, probably this one
buy some gray spray paint (not silver, because that would require a very smooth surface, and no way am I doing all that sanding!)
buy some 1x3 construction lumber, and configure it something like this[2], but don't have it stick above the shelf so far, and make sure everything is gray or silver, so it looks a little more uniform and less "hacked on"