DIY Bookshelf Revival

I came across a local garage sale find... a bookcase handmade in oak by a resident of my own town of Kalama. It was in questionable shape, having spent some time in an unheated garage. As any renovation junkie can tell you, it's all to easy to buy a potential project only to have it sit in a corner awaiting it's turn indefinitely. But when you are a 7 and a half foot long bookshelf sitting in the middle of my dining room, well Baby you just made the top of my list! I am not tripping over this monstrosity for the next (insert number of procrastination weeks here).

Original shelf in the Nice Lady's garage.

The first thing I did was tear off the soiled backing (a thin sheet of faux wood wall panel) and scrub her down with a dry brush. Once the debris was removed, I attacked the discolored and dinged wood surface with a medium grit sandpaper on the electric sander.

Now this picture above makes the sanding job look really good, like maybe I can stain that wood. Deceptive! The truth was more like this...

Some of the wood must have been different types because I could see they were not going to stain the same. Hence the next important decision: Paint!

I've really been digging the navy and white combo lately, and my living room already happens to have a blue wall. Official Seahawks blue... Go Hawks!

So... I chose white. I think it will be striking against the dark blue of the wall, and a cheerful addition to the room. As time continues, I would like to add more white accents to the room.

Primer coat complete, waiting for it to dry (and to do a second coat).

I let the paint dry overnight and moved it into location in the morning. 

Finished bookshelf in place and ready to play!

Thanks for joining me on all my journeys through life, decorating, and renovations!