I bought this bookshelf for $15 at a garage sale early last summer.  It's a sturdy old girl, and from what I can tell it was used to store cans of paint in someone's garage, or perhaps basement?  It has raised rings where the cans stood, and after I painted it black- two coats, after two coats of teal- I sanded it to reveal them.  I like the idea that it stored someone else's paint, as much as I love to paint myself. (before shot here)

I put it into place in my living room on Monday, and went up to the attic storage room to gather some things to place on it.  That, of course, was the fun part of the project.  Now I need to decide what will hang above it.  Some possibilities-- a linen pin board criss-crossed with ribbon to display snapshots and cards from friends?  A set of black and white botanicals I have yet to use?  Who knows.  First I need to remove the photos of fake people from the front of my Kolo boxes.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'll pan out to show you our table littered with my husband's expense receipts and work bag.  See that old bowl on there?  That was my father-in-law's gold pan, as in "panning for gold."  He's a native of San Francisco.

And another view, the armoire where we keep the family's games and some throw blankets-- formerly the hiding spot of the television.