I am so happy to say that we officially have white living room shelves! When we moved into our house last October there were a few things that I wanted to get done immediately before the holidays.
There were only three main things, other than unpacking.
*Reface the fireplace wall above the mantel.
*Paint the shelves beside the fireplace.
*Remove wall paper in the bathrooms.
Happily, we did get the fireplace wall done. If you missed it, you can see how we did that here. And while The Hubs worked on the fireplace wall, I removed the wall paper in the bathrooms. When we were done with both, Thanksgiving was fast approaching with Christmas not far behind. We decided to call it done until after the holidays.
Fast forward, the holidays were long gone and it was time to get back to work on the house.
The first thing we did was remove all of the decor. Since the wood was in fairly good shape, it was decided that it didn’t need to be sanded. We used a Deglosser instead. A deglosser will “rough” up the finish so that the paint can adhere properly and it also has a cleaning agent in it that removes any dirt and oil. I also removed the doors and shelving as I would paint those in the garage.
After taping off all surfaces next to the shelving, it was time to paint.I used a pure white cabinet and trim waterbase latex.
It took three coats of paint on every surface and 5 long days of painting, but I am so happy to say that they are done. And the difference is amazing! These bright white shelves make the room look so much bigger and brighter. We couldn’t be happier.
We did change up a few minor things after painting. The doors looked pretty plain once we were done. I had 4 crystal knobs leftover from the window seat in my art studio that I felt would be perfect here.
This picture does not do them justice.
Why is it always cold and rainy on the days I need to take photos?
I love how they give the shelving a little touch of bling without being overwhelming.
When it was time to put the decor back on the shelves, I added a few pieces of new artwork. Have you seen Hobby Lobby’s new selection of chinoiserie decor? So cute!!!
As you can see I added a tall piece of artwork here, trying to hide the lamp cording. However, I’m thinking I need a bigger piece to hide all of the plastic wall covers also. This used to be the TV cabinet and all of the plug ins, cable connector outlets etc. were still here. Six in all! Yikes. I covered all off them with plates, which looks a ton better than they did, but I’m still not thrilled with that. However, I have a plan for this, but that’s another day.
We still have a few more projects before the living room is complete. Originally, I had planed on painting the mantel white, but now I’m thinking of staining it darker to match the flooring. Just for a little contrast. New curtains need to be made, a few minor decor changes and we have ordered a new recliner. However, all things considered, I feel like this one update makes the room feel complete!It’s finally starting to feel like home.
Until next time…