Corner Shelf Redo

This corner shelf is actually part of a much larger entertainment center the sellers left behind when we bought the house. It’s been sitting in storage for years — until we decided it was time to pull this piece out and give it a job: adding a little visual interest behind Chris’s desk.

Confession: I was so excited to get started that I completely forgot to take a proper before picture. So, the “before” photo is actually after I’d already started sanding. Oops! 😂

Here’s what we did:

We started with 220-grit sandpaper, just enough to take the shine off the existing finish. Since this piece is mostly here to look pretty, we took a few shortcuts. Next came a coat of bonding primer, followed by a light sanding with 400-grit sandpaper to smooth out the brush strokes. Then two coats of paint, with a light 400-grit sanding between coats.

And just like that, the whole corner feels lighter!

Sometimes the simplest changes make the biggest difference.

Then came my favorite part — styling it! We used what we had on hand: a little plant on top, some of our favorite books, Chris’s Forbes award (he’s very proud, as he should be!), and a touch of Christmas with the “Oh, So Merry” sign.

It’s a good start, but I think this little corner is calling for a trip to HomeGoods or the thrift store to hunt down a few decorating treasures. And honestly, that’s half the fun! ❤️