Moody blues :o)

One of my many projects I've been working on this summer in my home has been my bookshelves. Here is a "before" picture. . .it's the only one I have in our house, from a fun night we had when the power went out in a rain storm. :-)

These shelves are solid pine, and painted black. I bought them at my local Garden Ridge. I also have the matching coffee table and TV stand - both purchased black. I was in a very modern-monochromatic phase in my early twenties. I've hated them for years now, but never felt motivated to do anything about them. The only reason I hung onto them is because they were solid wood. However, in our home, the visual effect of black shelving was dark and depressing. We decided to incorporate our love for the beach and the ocean into our home, weaving its hues and mood-soothing elements beginning with the shelves. 

Thomas' dad gave us some blue paint to paint his room - three different shades of blue from Sherwin Williams. I fell in love with one blue (its label said Blue Hat) and painted the small shelf and finished our "PRAY" sign above our prayer wall, and one black laminate shelf/drawer combo. We then brought the sign to the Sherwin Williams store to match it to a deeper blue in the same color. Mr. Sherwin Williams guy was fantastic and zoomed in lighting fast and found it and we purchased the little $5 sample jar. I fairly bounced back to my car!

It took almost two weeks to finish the shelves between playdates, errands, and preparing for my mother's GI surgery this past week. I finally got the last coat painted on the tall shelf in my new deeper blue yesterday morning. In the before picture, you can see the ridiculous textbook collection on the tall shelf. I decided that since I was homeschooling Thomas this year, we needed to have a more central location for all things educational - the only room left is the dining room, where I usually end up spreading out with my nursing school stuff. 

My #1 goal in my home is to create a soothing environment for my busy family and a welcoming place for friends and extended family to relax. A refuge for the senses and a delightful place to fellowship and make memories. To achieve this, de-cluttering and grouping like things together is key so the brain doesn't have to work to make sense of it all - it can just soak it in and focus on what matters most: the people and relationships. 

Here is my finished product: Ta-da!!! I will edit post to include pictures of the other two shelves, so stay tuned!

Nursing school books have been relocated to the dining room where they will be placed in low, shelf/bench (I'm thinking EXPEDIT from Ikea). I have a ridiculous shell collection, which with a dear friend's help, was pulled out of my bedroom and repurposed for living room decor. I also found a fun little fish-shaped glass plate at my favorite Salvation Army store and arranged some smaller shells on, which can easily be relocated if small children visit. (I've since moved the lamp cord so it is less visible)

I ditched a dark, espresso stained desk I had in my dining room because it wasn't deep enough. It had turned into a clutter catch all, so I sold it on Craigslist. I then moved a Freecycle desk I painted white from the living room (I was using it as a sewing table) into the dining room in a corner. Dining room pictures coming soon. . .but the effect in both rooms is breathtaking to me! Lighter, brighter, and more spacious! Hubbz and I spent the evening watching a movie and marveling at how much more relaxing it made us feel to have the shelves completed and the clutter gone. aaaaahhhhhh. . . .