What a simple coat of paint can do...

When my husband and I married almost 7 years ago, we somehow acquired this (ugly) little bookshelf...I think that it might have been his as a child, and as far as holding books go, it's great...but it does lack that aesthetic appeal...the faux wood paneling is not exactly pleasing to the (mainly {MY}) eye! So, yesterday I decided to spruce up my little shelf by simply painting back behind the shelves. I am in full-blown nesting mode...and my due date is still 4 months away!...but since I am probably not really supposed to be around paint fumes much I took the easier route of just painting this shelf enough to keep myself from going crazy. Maybe someday I'll paint the whole thing, for now though I am satisfied! I mixed up some of my craft paints...a variety of aqua, pale blue, navy, sea foam green and even a bit of brown to get the color I wanted.

This is the before...

...and here is my after! I rearranged my collection of vintage books and other vintage odds and ends to fit in better with the newly painted "back splash" on my bookcase. The curtain hides some of our board games, and just a few of the (too) many medical books that my husband has.


The top shelf holds some antique books from my husband's grandfather who was a preacher, and a plate that my sister gave me for a birthday years ago.


I really love the color that my paint mixture turned into! Very fresh looking! I turned a lot of the books around because all of the different colors of the spines were too much. I wanted a more neutral palette.


Some more vintage books and a handmade pottery dish that my sister, Gloria, made when she was little...inside the dish is a picture of sweet Gloria herself...back before she was all grown up! The pedestal I purchased off of Etsy from sweet Miss Mustard Seed!


My red berries in front of yet some more vintage books...the small red book on top is a Bible that is over 100 years old!


This shelf holds a collection of books and other mementos from my late great-grandfather...pictured in the small frame. He was a beloved physician and a wonderful man, and I have so many sweet things from his and my great-grandmother's home...one of my favorite possessions acquired from him is my antique wrought iron bed, which I showed you here.

So that's what a simple coat of paint can do...with a little tweaking here and there with the accessories! Hope you enjoyed!

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