"that little unusable space" -- grey corner shelving

I recently started a board on Pinterest called "that little unusable space." It was dedicated to this little alcove in my living room that was too small for a chair to be placed in it, but too big to be left alone. A month or so ago I picked up an adorable 1/2 table to go there, (see post here), but I moved it when my mom came in and said, "I need your end table for one of the other houses." No hard feelings toward my mom... that's the nature of living with someone else's furniture in your house!

A few days later my parents were having a garage sale. It was a pretty awesome garage sale. You see, they have 4 vacation rental homes in Maui, which they update frequently, and so they were selling almost everything that wasn't currently being used. (If you are planning a vacation to Maui, go to their FB page to check out the accommodations!)  There was this particle board/wood/spindle corner shelf, which I would never buy in a store. But I love the spindles and knew I would love all of it in a different color! I brought it in the house and Kit said, "You're going to paint, that, right?" Normally, he's like, "Why do you have to paint all the wood furnishings in our house?" 

So I sanded it. Kilz'ed it. Then painted it in a flat Owl Grey, to match my entertainment center. After my first coat, I left it in our car tent to dry. Well, I didn't get back to it for almost a week. Within that time my husband informed me that birds were perching on it, using it as their toilet! So I had to clean it, scrub it and sand down that disgusting mess on the top shelf. Yuck. 

(see the entertainment center in the foreground? match-matchy!)

I like it way better, now that the shelving is not that dated particle board wood color. 

On a lot of my furniture I prefer a flat finish, but then feel like I need a clear varnish on it, 

especially with a 2-year-old in the house. But since this is just in the corner, 

holding a few books and accessories, I left it flat-- no varnish.

So this is what's currently occupying my "little unusable space." 

Do you have a space like that in your house? 

Oh, and if you have a blog post you want to share, 

our 2nd ALOHA Friday link party is up! Click here.

Aloha, 

Rebecca

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Upcycled Shutter

I found this shutter "on the side of the road." Okay, it wasn't totally on the side of the road, but someone was clearly done with it, and I clearly wanted it. That's all I'm going to say about that. 

 It had some amateur-looking carvings in it.

There was a random wire hook on the back, that did the job.

I had great plans for this shutter, I did. You're on Pinterest, right? You've seen what people do with these things. I envisioned modge-podge-ing fabric on each individual louver. I envisioned antique-ing it or sanding it. Well, in the middle of painting the Antique Child's Rocking Chair (see post here) in Benjamin Moore's Hollingsworth Green, I slapped some leftover paint on the louver. I figured it would be a great 1st coat. 

Well, it was the only coat. 

A few days later I went back out to put a little thicker coat and get creative, and I realized it looked great just as it was! It's not a great paint job. It's not evenly done or anything, but I think it looks fine. 

It sits just above the little table I got a few weeks back (see post here). 

Yes, that's a whip on the wall. 

And yes, Kit painted that canvas on the little table. 

So get out there, pick up someone else's junk, and turn it into your treasure.

Aloha, 

Rebecca

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