From Drab to Fab

So, I'm sooooo over the whole Tuscan, cherry wood thing. Yes it's very nice for some but I've had it for so long that I'm bored to death!

Probably about 5 years ago when first starting to really decorate our home, Stephen & I bought these really cheap cherry wood bookshelves. Of course not real cherry wood but mdf in a cheap cherry coat & a cherry cardboard backing. At the time it was perfect for what we needed & fell under our budget. Well, all these years later, one was destroyed by our ever growing monsters & the other still served its purpose quite well. Just last week I was DONE looking at the thing. I almost just put it on the curb & posted a "free" sign on it. But....for all of those who know me, I just couldn't do it. Anything that remotely resembles wood I know that I can paint. So into the garage I went to go through my trusty collection of OOPS PAINTS. My fellow thrifty crafters know exactly what OOPS PAINT is but for those of you just getting started, OOPS PAINT is found at all home improvement stores & is just paint that people have ordered & haven't retrieved. $5 bucks people, you can't beat that! Just make sure that the paint you choose is the enamel you need for your project. Most people suggest always using a primer but I've found throughout the years it's not always necessary. In fact, I've never done it. Shhhh don't tell! I'm sure if I had I probably would save myself a lot of time & paint (less coats) but my way of looking at it is, it's just one more thing I gotta buy :(

So back to my bookshelf. I put one coat of a purple gray tone to my totally drab bookcase when I notice that darn cardboard backing. Can I paint it? Will it scratch off easily? Yes to both...hmmmmm I know, material! While letting the bookshelf dry, I unfastened the nails & hot glued some scrap material to the cardboard all the while pulling the material tight on all sides. Once I finished that I set it aside to finish up the bookshelf. I love the whole distressed vintage look & the best way to achieve that is to sand the edges of any piece. I own a handheld electric sander & oh my, it's my favorite! 5 minutes of roughing up the edges & it's shabby perfection! I laid the bookshelf face down to reattach the now SUPER CHIC cardboard backing.

Vuala...from DRAB TO FAB!

Lesson of the day...Just because something serves it's purpose doesn't mean it shouldn't look extra FAB doing it. Remember, this is your home, it should reflect your personal style! Just do it!