We have now been living in Michigan a couple of months now & I’m finally starting to do things that I love that are not necessarily just for our Michigan casa. Things like creating art, painting furniture, & stocking our booth. This past week I painted a homely looking bookshelf for our booth & you’ll never guess what color I painted it… gray. Seriously the few pieces of furniture I have painted since we have been in Michigan, like this chair [here], have all been gray. I promise I have another furniture makeover coming very soon that is not gray & I will branch out to new colors soon. I just love gray. It’s different than white, it’s neutral, it’s warm, yah.. I just love it. This little leggy bookshelf needed some love & I think the gray paint gave it a whole new life that it needed.
I mean it’s just simply cute. I can see this piece being used in a little kids room as a bookshelf, in an office, as a small entertainment center, a drink bar in a dining room or kitchen, a coffee bar, I mean the list can go on. If our house wasn’t bursting at the seams with furniture, I would keep it for myself. But alas I’m trying to work on that whole not being a hoarder thing. It’s going well so far. Here is what the bookshelf before I got my hands on it…
& after some Maison Blanche fransiscan gray paint, a good cleaning, some distressing, & a little bit of clear wax to seal it. & I emphasize a good cleaning including getting rid of all that dust…
I keep trying to not get attached to this bookshelf, but man is it cute! Β This little guy will be in my booth soon & ready to go to a new home. What do you think of this quick little bookshelf makeover? Are you loving gray furniture as much as me? Or is it just my obsession? Let me know in the comments below, find me on Facebook, & chat with me on Instagram. xx
Source list:
Rug: Marshalls
Small cream baskets: Target
Bookends: Target
Large cream basket, candle, frame, plant, large jug: Marshalls
small clear jug: antique
Green jugs: Target
Fiddle fig print: unkown. It’s been so long I forget. If you know leave it in the comments below! Thank you!
Frame: Antique window.
I have been enjoying your emails for a couple of months now. I am probably older than your parents – I am young at heart though. I do like the little bookshelf and I liked the chair you did as well. I would love to see some color! How about turquoise? I am really liking it as an accent for my home in which I have lots of red.
Super fresh & spring-ishhh! Btw I love your late night postings hahah night-owls reunite ;)! Happy week!
Paige.Rose
haha always a night owl!!!! I’m glad you like them π thanks for your sweet comment. I’m glad you like it too!! xx
I’m so glad you like that chair & bookshelf!! I will use some color… soon π haha I like that suggestion of turquoise! I’ll pull out some color for spring for sure. Stay tuned!! xx
Thank you for taking lots of pics I love that you do that! Love the beauty you find in things!
I love the grey!! The walls in my rental are grey, which I love, but our furniture and rugs are mostly browns, so it’s kind of a weird mash-up right now.
I also love that fiddle leaf print – super cute. I’d love to know if anybody figures out where it originated from, because I can’t keep one of those alive so a print might be a solution. π
This bookcase makes me want to take the 10 hour drive to your booth!! EEEK SO COOL!
Wow……from drab to fab. What a difference that gray paint made. You certainly have an eye for seeing the beauty in things and of course your styling of the leggy bookshelf makes it even more fabulous looking!!
So Stinkin’ Cute! You can never have too much gray! π
The little gray bookshelf is so cute! Great job! I, also, am probably about your parents’ age, but love getting your emails. Checking out thrift stores, second-hand stores and junque shops is my favorite pastime to find treasures for our home. I enjoy your way of showing your latest projects intermingled with what’s going on in your life. Keep it up!
Gray is one of my favorites, too, and this bookshelf is just striking! Plus, I love the staging and keep staring at that, too. Maybe it won’t sell and you will be forced to keep it!
yes, love that! been looking for a leggy shelf myself to spice up my little ones room a little. but I do love that grey! idk if others think its boring, but I love it. I tend to get tired of colors fast so I play it safe with the furniture and can go crazy whenever I feel like it with the styling! LOL!
I’m on a gray kick right now, too…..The interior of my front door, back of my built-ins, living room end table. Something about it makes me feel like my house “grew up” just a bit. Love the serenity, the calm of gray. And the bookshelf is INDEED versatile! Love the legs…
I’m a huge fan of grey, so I say keep it up! π I don’t blame you for getting attached to this one.
Love it! What an improvement! Am thinking I might put some legs like that on a bookshelf for my daughter’s house…Thanks for sharing.
I love it! It looks like a piece right out of the 1960’s (the before!). I love gray, too, and I must have a zillion different shades (sounds like a movie!!).
Can’t wait to see what else you are up to. I’m in Illinois, we have another home on a Michigan lake, too), and it’s too cold to paint anywhere.
Jane x
I believe your fiddle leaf fig print came from this store, and is sadly no longer available,
https://www.etsy.com/shop/unitedthread?ref=l2-shopheader-name
Thank you so so much Camille! That could very well be. I have been racking my brain the past few days and just can’t remember. I love it though!
Haha I have no idea what movie you are talking about t;) It’s not like all over the news or anything LOL & yes I love how retro this piece is for sure.. those legs just get me! Love that you have a house on a lake here, so do my parents & it’s one of my favorite places to be. Hope you are enjoying your winter π xx
haha glad you are a gray fan too! I was starting to think people were going to get really annoyed with me. xx
Wow! Thank you so much Sharon for your sweet comment.. you made my night π I do love this little bookshelf now. It just needed some love π Hope you are having a great week! xx
Do it!!!! haha Road trip! It for sure turned out pretty cute. Thanks for being excited about it with me π
That is so so so good to hear!!! I hear a lot of times that it’s annoying that I do that, but it’s such a habit for me. I feel like I need to share a ton of photos. It’s how I roll. Thank you for sharing that & making my night! xx
haha love that you love gray too!!! So the last comment on this post is from someone that says she thinks it’s from the shop she left, but it’s not being sold anymore. Not for sure if that is the print, but she does have other awesome pieces! xx
LOVE!!!! And the styling is β₯β₯β₯ !!
Love your blog, cute idea’s!
I am in the area and wondering when the bookshelf will be in the store? I have been looking for something like this for a spot in my house and this might be perfect!
If you have the demensions and price I would love to know might save me a trip ;0)
Thanks!
[…] Leggy bookshelf makeover [HERE] […]
Welcome back to Michigan! New to your blog, and reallly like your posts! Michiganders unite!
You might have mentioned before but I was wondering what kind of clear wax you use? Thanks & love your blog!
Fiddle Leaf Fig:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/45538733/fiddle-leaf-fig-original-watercolor
It did come from that website someone mentioned earlier. Sold out π
Liz, here was your original post on it. I remembered which one because when I saw it I loved it and printed it. Plus we had a room painted the same Relaxed Navy paint and it looked totally different (no windows=much darker)!. https://61833.showitstaging.com/2014/07/navy-blue-office/
[…] {via} […]
That is sooo cute. I just love it!
Nice job! Had the same bookcase and it lived in a VERY small utility/laundry room. We took the legs off the ironing board and attached it to the top of the bookcase. Two birds w/one stone.
you give a life to your ideas
thx