Cubby Shelf Makeover - UPDATED

I have some sort of odd fascination with tiny drawers and cubbies. Don't know why. Just love them. For a long while I've had my eye on this little cubby-shelf-thing from Pottery Barn. At first they only had it in a wood finish but then a few months later they came out with a white painted finish. Ahhhh, white. The price wasn't too crazy, $129 bucks I believe, but I still didn't want to pay it. When I saw this similar version on my last road trip for $20 I snatched it right up.

Image: Pottery Barn

Image: Pottery Barn

From afar, it looked okay as it was. However if you looked closer, you would have noticed that it was a cream colour and had a terrible check-out-my-random-ugly-brushstrokes paint finish on it. So I did what anyone else with an obsession with white would do.

I sanded it, primed it, painted it white, and lightly distressed it.

I had ordered alphabet and number stamps specifically so I could label each cubby. Little did I know that it would be a total nightmare!



First, I tried to stamp with ink directly onto the painted wood. The ink just smeared everywhere. Then I tried to stamp with grey acrylic paint but unless you have a foamy ink pad the paint wouldn't spread evenly onto the stamps. Then I tried to find some tiny metal label holders but couldn't find any small enough. Finally I decided to stamp on paper, however regular paper was way too bright to match my paint colour (Simply White by Benjamin Moore). Finally I ended up painting the paper to match, then stamping the number words on the paper. I cut the words out and secured them to each cubby with a tiny bit of Mod Podge (first time using it) but had to be careful not to touch the ink because it would smear. Soooooo frustrating.



It still turned out pretty cute, although I still wish the words could've been stamped directly on. Oh well, everything can't always be perfect, right?


I plan on using this little cubby-shelf somewhere in our breakfast room (which we're still working on oh so slowly). I haven't decided if I'm going to leave the back open so you see the wall colour or add a white back to it so that it looks more like the Pottery Barn one.

What do you think? Back or no back?

UPDATE:

Thank you for all of your lovely suggestions and comments! I took some of your advice (you guys are awesome) and added a back to the shelf. For some reason I kept envisioning a solid back covered with scrapbook paper or fabric but some of you suggested beadboard and HELLO! I love beadboard and I even had some left over from our bathroom reno.

Alex cut a strip of pre-painted beadboard into 5 equal sections and we attached them to the back of the shelf with carpenter's glue and little stapler nails. I like the back 'cause it kind of finishes it off a bit more.

Please forgive the lousy photos but it's getting dark over here and there is hardly any natural night left. Oh no, that means this beautiful, lazy weekend day is almost over (crying a little).

I just had to add that last picture in. That's Roary. He supervises all of my projects....... :)


Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest, Everything But The Kitchen Sink @ A Little Knick Knack, Weekend Wrap-Up Party @ Tatertots and Jello, Show and Share Day @ Just a Girl, Fresh Coat Friday @ Life in The Fun Lane, Saturday Soiree @ A Little Lovely, Check Me Out Saturday @ A Vision to Remember, The Weekend Wrap-Up @ It's So Very Cheri, Sunday Showcase Party @ Under the Table and Dreaming, Style Feature Saturday @ Perfectly Imperfect, Make It For Monday @ Cottage Instincts, Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on The Porch, Making the World Cuter Monday @ Making the World Cuter, Anything Related @ All Thingz Related, Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm, Make it Yours Day @ My Backyard Eden, Power of Paint Party @ Domestically Speaking, Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors