On the Shelf....

When we moved into our house, I knew that I would eventually need a small hanging shelf in our bedroom, but it was one of those things that I didn't want to be impulsive about. I didn't want to buy something just for the sake of buying it, so I kept it in the back of my mind and always kept a look out for something special while out shopping.

I looked at Bed Bath and Beyond, Target and several other stores but I just didn't find anything that I liked. Most of the shelving that I saw was made out of compressed particle board and wouldn't be long lasting. The sure don't make em' like they used to!

The last time I visited the Salvation Army, Rick and I were looking around in the basement (where they keep the large furniture) for lamps and living room tables when we saw a shelf that looked a little beat up, but had amazing potential. It had a great shape and style, was solid wood and best of all, was only $10.00 marked down to half price! I was sold, but knew that it would need some love.

Isn't the little guardrail on the top shelf the best?

You can see some damage and discoloration on the side shelve and bottom.

We got it home and decided right away that we didn't want to stain it. I didn't want to mess with sanding it and worry about messing up the detail on the woodwork. I thought it might look good with a matte color and Rick agreed, so we made a trip to our local Ace Hardware store to look at their selection of spray paint. We decided to spray paint it mostly for ease of use and time conservation. I'm not always the most patient person, especially when it comes to setting up a new purchase!

We eventually decided to use Krylon Indoor/Outdoor Primer in a matte gray, at about $5.00 a can. As I said before, I liked the idea of a matte color and they didn't have the right shade in any of the regular spray paints. In addition, because we didn't want to sand it, we needed something that would give us good coverage. Primer was just the best choice for this project.

We set up shop outside, laying down a piece of cardboard on the grass and going to town with the spray paint! Talk about easy! If you don't like to paint and want a good job done fast, this is the way to do it. Start to finish the job took no more than an hour, and that includes dry-time. We ended up using one entire can to paint the shelf. We thought we might need to get a second can, but once the shelf dried, it looked perfect!

But remember: With spray paint, it is ALWAYS important to work in a well-ventilated area.

Drying

I love the way the shelf looks in the space. I know that when we finally get our bedroom painted, the matte gray will look just great with the light blue we have picked out for the walls! Now, I have a place for all my little goodies, and all for under $15.00! Can't beat that with a stick!