Chest for the Mudroom – Before & After

In our old house we made a great little mudroom.  Last week I showed you the before and after of the bookcase I used for shoe storage.  Well, across from the shoe shelf there was room for another storage piece.  This time I went rummaging in my basement and found this old chest.

image chest unpainted

It was from my grandparents’ bedroom.  When my mom and I were cleaning their house out I was working in their bedroom and right inside the door there was a pile of laundry.  There was always a pile of laundry there.  I never really thought about it because I knew it was clean, folded laundry.  I guess I assumed that the pile was sitting on a table, but it wasn’t.  It was set on top of a chest and the chest was covered with a small blanket.  Total mystery piece.  My mom had never noticed it before either so we have no idea where it came from.  I am not a fan of its style, which I call “pirate-ship chic,” but I guess it’s really “Early American,” I decided I would put it into my storage space with all of the rest of the furniture and “treasures” I found.  Finally it came in handy.

Sanding, primer, red glossy paint did the trick, just like with the bookcase.  I had some Marimekko fabric leftover from working on a girls’ 1980s bedroom for the John Cusack movie “High Fidelity” (I save everything cute!).  I added some poly fiber fill from old pillows and stretched the fabric over the top and the back piece.  Now it’s a colorful and comfy place to sit, perfect for a mudroom.

image painted chest

Hold on to those old, good quality pieces and repurpose them!

xo

Elizabeth

Continue Reading

Bookcase for the Mudroom – Before & After

Our former house had a small breezeway/entrance that was created when the back porch was removed to allow for a rear deck.  I knew right away that it was the perfect size for a mini-mudroom.  The previous owner had covered the walls with sheets of “wood” bead board.  Some paint cheered it right up!

I was excited to use some cool vintage hooks I had, but needed some shoe storage.  A quick trip to my mom’s basement brought me to a very dirty old book shelf that had been used to store paint.  It wasn’t pretty – yet!

image unpainted bookshelf

All it needed was a sanding, a coat of primer and a few coats of glossy red.  I really love what a little paint will do to brighten up your world.

image red painted bookcase mudroom

Continue Reading