A $2.50 Goodwill Shelf Went From Blue Spray Paint to Distressed Old White

A half-price Goodwill shelf became a seasonal display for the boys’ TV room. I paid $2.50 for it, repaired the holes, and changed its finish twice.

Remove the screws and fill the holes

The shelf looked beaten up and had random screws in it. I removed those and filled the holes with putty.

Start with blue spray paint

Blue spray paint gave the shelf its first new look. These photographs show that version in the room.

Paint Old White over the blue

Later, I used leftover Annie Sloan Old White chalk paint over the blue and distressed the finish lightly. The blue showed through in places after distressing.

The shelf became a place to change the display with the seasons. The curtains nearby came from World Market.

The $3 Goodwill phone table is another piece I refinished more than once, letting an earlier color show through.