Number Fifty-Three: Easy Thrift Store Shelf Makeover

Happy Wendesday!

Today, I wanted to share with you all an easy makeover I recently did with a thrift store shelf I bought for under $20. I actually bought this piece for my living room, but ultimately felt the scale was wrong. Also, I'm a super visual person so if I have an idea, I sort of go with it and sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. For example, I had stripped this piece to bare wood and it was gorgeous, but didn't mesh well anywhere in my home.

This past weekend I got the idea to paint it dark (Valspar's Lincoln Cottage Black), and to hang it in our dining room. Note: This color is more of a soft black/charcoal versus a true deep black).

Anyway, let me show you where I started when I picked this up from my local Goodwill. What I liked was the size (even though it didn't work where I originally intended) and some of the detailing. What I didn't like was the dated finish and the trim work.

I removed the trim from the box of the shelf and moved the decorative piece from the back of the shelf to the front.

I have a lot of white and wood in my home, so I really love balancing it out with moody blacks and deep grays. I didn't distress the shelf at all, but I did wax it. I wanted it to have a bit of protection as I can see myself changing the décor with the seasons.

I also just want to mention that this was not originally a wall shelf. I could see from some holes on the back that it had been attached to a base piece. Because this shelf was so heavy we used cabinet screws to attach it to the wall, drilling directly through the back of the piece. You can't see the screws now because I dabbed some paint on them to help them blend.

If you saw my Instagram story from last night, then you saw how kind Figgy was to test out the strength of the screws. Note: it can hold nearly 12 pounds of cat...

I probably need to add more to this shelf, although I definitely want to keep it simple and minimal.

I picked up these old wooden salad bowls yesterday for $1 each. I loved the shape and that they had a few cracks.

I sanded the outside of each bowl to the natural wood and, seriously, it was such a pain! You know how you season wood bowls with oil? Well there was about 30 years of oil on them. I ended up using 80 and 150 grit to get it all off. Maybe I will tackle the insides at some other point.

While I look for more bowls, I've added my white ceramic pumpkins for fall and will most likely display my bottle brush trees for Christmas. I think both will look fantastic against the dark paint.

What do you think about my latest project? Are you all thrift store shoppers, too?