11/24/2013

Entertainment Wall Before and After (Or, Cinderella Shelves)

(Note: I've recently updated this post by adding some brighter photos) 
One of the nice things about growing up is that I'm becoming more comfortable and confident with myself. For example, I'm not embarrassed to admit that I'm a little obsessive and type A. Therefore, when I dragged a pair of raggedy old shelves home and Jesse looked at me like I was nuts, I didn't feel hurt. I just said, "Wait and see! These are gonna be awesome!" and rambled on about paint, hardware and measurements.

As you can see below, the entertainment wall in our living room needed some love. Over the years, I've used various credenzas as TV stands but I never managed to snazz up the wall. A little paint, some modifications from my in-house carpenter *wink* and these raggedy shelves were going to be the ticket right outta boring town!
Entertainment Wall with Credenza - Before
And they were! But it didn't happen over night. The project was relatively simple, but with full time jobs, a kiddo and other modern family stuff, the shelves took several weeks to finish. A big chunk of time was spent covering up the thick brown paint. It took four tedious hours for me to sand the bumpy / drippy spots to a somewhat smooth finish, followed by three coats of white semi-gloss paint and primer.
Entertainment Shelves Sanded for Painting
The shelves alone weren't big enough for the wall, and there was nowhere to set our TV. So Jesse added four shelves; one across the top, one in the lower middle and a box type shelf in the center. When he was finished making the shelves, guess who got to paint 'em?! Yep. me.

Ta-Da! There she is! The Cinderella of Craig's List book shelves!


DIY Revamped Entertainment Wall Unit
Once the wall unit was in place, I spent some time styling up the shelves - my favorite part of the project! Back in my retail days I developed a knack for arranging displays, so it was fun to practice my little skill again. Everything on the shelves is from around our house except the two black canvas bins on the floor which I purchased from Garden Ridge - they're for B's toys :)
DIY Revamped Entertainment Wall Unit


DIY Revamped Entertainment Wall Unit

DIY Revamped Entertainment Wall Unit

DIY Revamped Entertainment Wall Unit

I'm so happy with how this turned out and I love having space to show off our treasures and tchotchkes!
Materials list and budget breakdown:
- Shelves, Craig's List - $65
- White semi-gloss paint and primer in one, Lowe's - $30
- Nickel and faux crystal drawer pulls, Lowe's - $30
- Pine lumber for modifications, Menard's - $80
- Large black canvas bins, Garden Ridge - $30
- Total project cost - $235

Have you ever transformed an old piece of furniture into something fabulous?  Leave me a comment, I'd love to hear about it!

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5 comments:

  1. Holly Kennedy3/4/14, 1:23 PM

    Great job! Good luck with CWTS!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Holly! It's a long shot but my fingers are crossed!

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  2. wow- so amazing and modern looking! great idea! stopping by from CWTS!

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  3. Just what I need in my LR! But didn't know it til i saw your great makeover. Well done! Found you through Hometalk.

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