Following is a fun Home Decor Project and guest
post by Angie of The Cellar Door Stories… enjoy!!

into this…..
…for a lot less than you might think!!
When we remodeled our laundry room and mud room, I knew I wanted some storage for the odds and ends that can be overwhelming to keep track of ~ hats, mittens, scarves, sunglasses, etc., but I wanted to spend as little as possible. I remembered the set of bookshelves pictured above that had just been sitting in the garage since we had picked them up at a yard sale a few years ago for only $1 and thought they would be just perfect!
The bookshelves were solid wood and in pretty good shape, but just needed a little updating. We went to Home Depot to buy a little paint, and noticed they have an “OOPS” section for paint that was mixed incorrectly or returned by the customer. We bought a small can of black paint for $1!
We painted the bookshelves, and since I’m loving the vintage look lately, I used the palm sander around the edges to give it more of an aged look {which you’ll be able to see later}.
So the bookshelves were completed for a total of $2, and remained empty for several months while I searched for the right baskets. And search I did ~ at every retailer I could think of! Unfortunately, baskets aren’t cheap! {I did look at various thrift stores, but the difficult part was finding 4 baskets that matched}. I found baskets I loved at Target, but couldn’t believe it when I looked at the price tag ~ they were $16 each!! Back to the ole’ drawing board!
Finally, we took a trip to IKEA where I found the lovely Agen baskets ~ they would fit perfectly; the only problem ~ they were white, not brown. I bought 4 and unfortunately I don’t have the receipt, and they are no longer on the IKEA website, but I believe they were around $6 a piece. I didn’t love the white ~ but no problem. Enter Krylon’s Brown Boots…
For $2.99/can {I used about a can and a half}, I was able to spray paint the baskets to the brown color I wanted ~ and I don’t think anyone will notice!! Here’s a comparison of the baskets, and you can also get a closer view of the bookshelves…
What about the rest of the decor?
The white apothecary jar I found at a thrift store for $1.97, and spray painted white to give it a fresh new look. The “M” monogram was a Hobby Lobby deal normally priced at $5.99, but I had a 40% off coupon, so around $3.60. As far as the stack of books, two were passed down from grandparents, and one was a library buy for 50 cents, all tied up with a piece of twine.
The rest of the decorations were found “shopping the house,” which is a great trick when you are looking for something new and don’t want to spend any money ~ just move things from other areas of your home!
The grand total? Less than $40 ~ less than what it would have cost to buy just 3 of those baskets at Target!!
Moral of the story? When you are looking for a certain item, try to look past its current version, and think of the potential it may have ~ it could save you a lot of money!!
Angie is blessed to be a wife to Jon and a stay at home mom to Jackson & Carly. She blogs at The Cellar Door Stories and loves bargain hunting, iced coffee, dark chocolate, and all things domestic.
More Mud Room Inspiration!
Jeannie says
Very cool indeed! I spray painted an old sewing machine case with only a light sanding too (it had been painted before). It is holding up just fine.
angie @ The Cellar Door Stories says
thanks for the kind words, everyone! and thanks again to Heidi 🙂
Tracey says
It looks GREAT!!! You’ve inspired me to start looking around the house for projects!
Stacey says
I love this idea. I have an old dresser I was going to give away. However, I think if I take the drawers out and do a few other bits of “remodeling” it will work pretty much the same way.
Lisa says
Love, Love, Love!!!
Erin says
I love this! I have a similiar bookshelf I’d like to paint. Do you have to sand off the old stain first?
angie @ The Cellar Door Stories says
thanks! i’m definitely not a professional, so i don’t know if this is the best advice, but we sanded it really lightly first.
Darla says
I LOVE it! Great job and great finds. Than you for sharing.
Kristen says
I can’t believe you got that bookshelf for only $1.. Score!!
Sarah says
I have to learn to be thrifty like this! You’re inspiring!!
Peggy says
I loved the diaper-box basket idea you had a few weeks back. I have been looking for a reason to make them…I think I may have just found it!!! Thanks!
katie says
I missed the diaper-box basket. When was it posted?
Sherry says
Very cute. The shelf itself was a nice find for a $1! Very “Pottery Barn” 🙂