New Shelves!

Good morning and happy Friday! Ever have a house-related epiphany?  I did.  And I am going to share it with you. 

I have been searching for a solution for the desk area of my dining room.  I really need more storage, and I wanted a place for my shredder.  You can see the area I'm talking about right here - the secretary is along that back wall.  

My printer is on top of the desk, and the whole area just felt a little bare.  I had been scoping out Craigslist and the other usual inexpensive furniture sources for a small table or cabinet that I could put next to the desk and use to keep the printer and shredder in.  Nothing fit the bill.  But one day around the holidays over my morning coffee, I realized I could go vertical and get two tall IKEA Billy shelves that would flank the desk.  I looked up the sizes online and measured: it was perfect.  The price was perfect too: each shelf was $40.  

Annnnnnnd here they are!

I have some plans for these shelves though. I want to add crown molding to the top so that they look more finished. I am also going to add doors to the bottom parts and hardware that matches the existing hardware on the desk.  I need to hide the shredder and Little's multitude of art supplies.  I want to paint the backs of the shelves so the contents really pop.  And, of course, I need to accessorize and style up the open shelves.  

The lamp on top of the desk feels a little too skinny for the space now.  No fear: I have a really substantial lamp on hand that will work better. It is just begging for a few coats of white spraypaint and a new shade -- I blogged about this lamp's twin right here.

from this ...

to this! (once I paint it and swap the shade)

The printer, unfortunately, was too big for these shelves.  No worries: it now lives in the dining room buffet, which had plenty of room.  I don't use the printer all that often, so it is not a huge deal to get it out when I need to print.

Stay tuned for how this space evolves! The addition of the shelves makes such a huge difference already. The whole room feels homier and more finished.  What about you?  Ever had a home-related epiphany that made a huge difference?  I would love to hear. 

See you swoon,