Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Bookshelves..Part 2 {FINISHED!}

Okay...SO...the blessed things are FINALLY finished. What was supposed to be a one weekend project has managed to take up almost an entire month! Do you remember this very first post: Unsuccessful Project #1 or how about post number 2: Shelf Assembly Pitfalls... orrrr how about number 3: 1.5 ?
 Well...as you can see... to say these have been a challenge would have to be a massive understatement. Not just because they are heavy and came with zero directions but because I failed miserably at the thing I do best....Planning! I didn't think about drying time or having to do multiple layers of paint PLUS the finish, or that I should have though of all of these things before I ever even started.  But all of these woes are a thing of the past...#ThankBabyJesus
Excuse my mess on the desk...
  
Angle 2
Here goes...I finally got them all "installed" and painted with 2 coats of the white paint I showed you in 1.5. Since they didn't have to be a solid white for the finish I was doing on them I wasn't so concerned with the patchy-ness of the shelves. If you want a pure white shelving system I would suggest just purchasing them in white...butttt if you want to go the complicated route...do it like I have. If you have never seen any of my other projects you know that I DIE for anything and everything shabby chic. Here is a picture of what the boring bookcases looked like when they were first installed-with the two coats of paint-no stain yet. From the next few pictures you can also see that amazing green color I told you all about...{Dark Eucalyptus Leaf}
The shelves did not take up the entire back wall so I had a small table I used when I was in college. When I purchased it from a gem of a local shop back in Harrisonburg, Virginia, it was a horrifically ugly wood tone. I then painted it black {back then I was in to super modern furniture} and now it is white...
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So starting off, here is what you'll need, a stain of your choice, some of the $.69 foam brushes and some paper towels. I have tried using many things and although the paper towel pills and sometimes breaks apart it really is the best for the desired effect.  This is the type of stain you will need, MinWax which can be purchased at *big box hardware store*. I went with Jacobean because it had a nice green undertone. Make sure when you are looking at stains you realllyyy take note of what color undertone they have. The first pieces of furniture I used this finish on turned out pink....I used a "Mahogany" stain...it was nooooo bueno. Also when shopping for a stain, do NOT get a huge gallon of it because a little bit goes a VERY long way-and if you are like me you will use it for multiple different projects!
Here are the steps! STEP ONE: Spread it:
Take your brush and just throw some stain on there...Don't be shy!
Like I said above...with this type of stain there really is no way you can mess it up, if you get one spot that you feel like is too dark, just sand over it to your desired color OR you can paint a little bit of white back over it! {easy peasy} Soak your brush and try to squeeze off the excess using the can...not your hands {Stain is true to its name...it STAINS...EVERYTHING}You might also want to be wearing some gloves...if you're messy like me and just don't care then prepare to have stain on your hands/arms/legs/chest for a week at work...scrub the top two layers of skin off :)
Once your sponge brush is soaked you can do two different things, depending on how dark you want the stain. The first option being this..Just throw some stain on there which will give you a darker color OR you can dab your papertowel on your foam brush to transfer the desired amount of stain...then scrub the living heck out of it!  {depending on how dark you want it} either let it sit a minute or two {for a darker stain} or immediately wipe it off for just a tint. I did the latter of the two. Since the walls in the office are such a dark green and the desk is also a dark wood color I wanted to be sure that it wasn't too dark in there and that the shelves had that shabby chic look I was going for.I am going to keep saying this...YOU CANNOT SCREW IT UP...I promise! If it is too dark for you, just grab your fine grit sanding block and go over it a few times. The nice thing about this option is that even if some of the wood shows through that is great because it adds to the charm.

If you are wanting the same look I went with then you will want to take the edge of your brush {remembering that if you aren't getting much stain out of it you need to re-dip it back into your stain can} and go JUST along the edges when you have reached your desired stain wash on the rest. I like this effect a lot because it give it a touch of primitive. *DO NOT WIPE THIS OFF* The point of the edging is to give the edges more depth and to look more distressed, as if you sanded through the white paint through to a darker wood. Make sure when you are doing this effect you will want to hit ever single edge.       If you screw up...just wipe it off with your papertowel {it will stain the wood still but it will look more natural} then start over again. I promise it will be worth it in the end when you see the finished product and get to enjoy this awesome project in your home! Comment with questions...and ignore the paint all over my hands...I OBVIOUSLY neglected decided not to wear gloves :) I like to feel my hands in the paint...plus I promised you the pretty AND the ugly ;)




I am now the proud..DIYer...of an almost complete office. Bring on the photos you say?..stay tuned for a fully accessorized and clean office...it may be a few days...

As always....good luck my DIYers.
{DIY Davis Style}
HD

UPDATE*** Here are pictures of the completed bookshelves! Comment and let me know what you think!


I'm thinking about some fake ferns on top but J says no....what do you think?
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