Shelve It Like Pottery Barn

Alright, so I have this old Pottery Barn catalog, circa Feb 2008, and it is to this trusty source I go when I need new inspiration to dream about before bed (after the computer is tucked in for the night). Now this catalog shows the Holman shelf and ledge, and when quite pregnant, I decided I needed to have it in my newly walled and floored Arizona room. (Similar to a Florida room, but renamed if you're from Arizona and is usually the perfect place to grow cacti.) Pottery Barn inspiration:

So, off to Lowe's I went with my mom and son in tow. I think the bump out front made them re-think me cutting six ten foot boards lengthwise at home, so they managed to rip them for me on that wonderful, handy dandy, huge saw they have. I took three 10' long, 1" wide, 8" high boards and had each sliced in half into 4" and 4" heights. I also purchased three 10' long, 1/4" wide, 2" high batting strips for the front piece.

 

What we didn't forsee was that after managing to cram them in my car, I would end up (and still have) a cracked windshield from where the boards squished up through the front seats in order to get them home. But, we got them in the car! (And us too!)

 

My husband insisted on priming the boards, professional painter and loving husband that he is, but in the end, I say I three coated them anyway with the semi gloss white that we have on our interior trimwork. Then, it was lots of nailing and propping just right, and nailing some more to come up with the finished product. Now, are they perfect? No. The Lowe's boys ripped one board on a bit of an angle and I didn't compensate for it when nailing it together - my pregnancy having eridacted those important brain cells at the time.

 

Yet, here it is. And, I like it. Looks good with some frames purchased on sale at 40% off at Michaels when I still had a paycheck every other week. Now, even my husband couldn't figure out the letters at first, but just so you know, they are also Michaels and there is the first letter of our first name for each of us, including the dog. Sometime, I'll get around to decoupaging these, maybe with old pics of each of us on our own letter. Or maybe I'll just spraypaint them in fun colors to brighten up the room as I continue to decorate the space - yeah, that just sounds easier!

If you are wondering, yes, I did get three 10' lengths of board, intended for three shelves. I plan on making several shorter shelves to use on the other side of the large room in the office/study area. That's another project, another day, another posting. I won't forget, I promise! (Some of my memory brain cells will return post partum!)