Built-in Bookcase turned Bar...finally

Our “bar” is almost done! Over the weekend I FINALLY finished the last steps with the doors: sanding the wood filler in from the holes of the previous handles; doing one last layer of paint; the dreaded waxing; installing the new hardware, and putting the doors back on.

Phil deserves all the credit for the last two steps. He did all the measuring and drilling and installing of the hinges and the new handles. Here's a pic of him working in a button down and khaki pants. Our home's dress code is business casual. Kidding. You know that's not the truth for me. 

I used Annie Sloane’s Chalk Paint for this project because sooooo many people are a fan. I've decided chalk paint is not for me. I’d love to redo it if it was as easy as said as done. I think the reason I was not converted to the chalk paint is because I wanted a crisp, even finish. Almost every piece I've ever seen done with chalk paint has that “antiqued” look. I can definitely see how this paint would be great  if you are going for a polished shabby look. But I wasn't and so I had to do like 4-5 coats on every part, and the waxing was absolutely miserable. I watched about 2000 tutorial videos on how to do it, and I feel like I followed the directions and yet, my wax finish looks sooooo uneven. The other issue with chalk paint is that the wax is what seals it in and protects it from fingerprints, etc., so it wasn’t like I could just skip the wax step.

I did notice at the store that Annie Sloane offers a Lacquer. In hindsight, I wish I just done that. I’m sure it’s not the easiest, but it would be more the outcome of what I wanted. As a result, don't look too closely at the finish on the doors.

That being said, I AM SO GLAD THIS IS DONE. I should have been embarrassed that this built-in has been in various stages of priming and painting and unfinished-ness for …7 months. It would be one thing if we were anti-social, but we have guests over at least 2 times a week, so it’s a little shameful that I let this project linger unfinished for so long. I mean, the past 3 months all that needed to be done was finish up the doors, but I just kept forgetting about it/putting it off.

So at the end of November I decided to fancy-up the back of the shelving area and installed this marbled paper from Paper Source. I got the idea when I saw these boxes online from FurbishStudio. 

At first I thought “Oh! What a cute box to put the remotes in!” (Currently we have 5 remotes/Xbox controllers that are in regular use, so this was a valid “need”). But THEN I remembered that they sold this paper at Paper Source and I knew it was the perfect (and cheapest) solution for the shelving area. I installed it with these removable adhesive glue dots and it’s held up great over the past 3 months.

Another fun thing is that I have some stationery I had done recently and the liner is the same paper. I think it’s super cute. Each envelope liner is different, which is so fun.

The bar area needs a little styling and in a few months, we will have some lighting installed. I’m thinking that once I get the couches upholstered, that will give me the necessary momentum to make it look super cute.

We’ll end this post with my favorite part of the bar right now: A teeny little painting that I bought in Athens, Georgia when I was there in October. The artist is Erin McIntosh. Her body of work is definitely worth exploring.