Pottery Barn Wannabe

Good morning to you all!


Today's project has to do with my never ending list of wants.   I really REALLY want a mudroom and I really REALLY want a cute coat rack, shelf combo with a bench underneath.   Like everybody seems to have nowadays! 

Something like this would be fine.  Nothing too fancy. 

Even just one of these...

That would do.

I saw this one from Almost Amish (cute name, no?) 

It's $139 dollars.   Not exactly falling into the decorating on a small budget theory.

Courtesy of Woodworkers Warehouse

This one is gorgeous too.  I love the little cubby drawers instead of the usual baskets you see.

Anyways, I did  already have a small shelf coatrack thing so I looked at it, and looked at it again, and looked at it some more, and got to work.

I can't seem to find a before photo, but it was basically that ugly oak material.  Or wood I guess you'd say.  So I got me my faithful black paint and just painted the whole thing.  While it was still attached to the wall actually - Don't Tell My Husband.

Then it seemed to look kind of funny with this bulletin board I have above it with my daughters school "stuff".  This I do have a before picture of...

There she is!

Basically kind of basic and boring.   She wanted a make over too.  Luck would have it that I am so lazy sometimes that I never even hung the damn thing up.  So I took her down and started painting away.   Yes right on my kitchen counters.  Again, Don't Tell My Husband.

I've been using some of the cheapest acrylic craft paint possible (it's about 1.42 at Walmart) and a matchingly cheap paint brush.   Works absolutely fine so far.

Don't worry if things don't go exactly perfect - this project got a bit all messed up (maybe I SHOULD get a better brush) but it doesn't show when it's on the wall anyways.

I did 2 coats and it literally dried in about 1/2 hours, so up on the wall she went (hung with push pins - this will someday prove to be a mistake - I can just feel it).

It's still pretty basic and boring, but I added a basket to the shelf (makes me feel more pottery barnish)

And then I took a crooked picture, because all the cool bloggers do that...

That was a joke by the way.

My point is that looking through "designer" magazines and websites can leave us jealous and frustrated at times, but it can also be an incredible source of inspiration.  I love paint.  I look around my house for things to paint.  Often.  Too often apparently.

If anybody has some cool or interesting painting projects or updates, I'd love to hear about them!

Smiles and Hugs,
Joyce