A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I moved into an apartment together. This meant spending lots of money buying stuff we needed for our new place. It also meant buying something I really needed that we wouldn't have by our move-in date: bookshelves!
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm all about the thrift, so instead of spending a few hundred dollars on a new shelf or two, I went hunting to find some new (read: used) bookshelves at antique stores and farm sales. I ended up finding a matching set of two bookshelves totaling me a whopping $60. The only catch – they were in major need of some TLC. Here's a look at the transformation process:
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm all about the thrift, so instead of spending a few hundred dollars on a new shelf or two, I went hunting to find some new (read: used) bookshelves at antique stores and farm sales. I ended up finding a matching set of two bookshelves totaling me a whopping $60. The only catch – they were in major need of some TLC. Here's a look at the transformation process:
 The condition of the bookshelves at the time of purchase. Time to sand them down! |  After sanding, I used a flat, white spray paint to prime the shelves. |
Next came the fun part: picking out a paint swatch! I planned to put these shelves in my home office at the new apartment, which at the time consisted of only white walls and beige carpeting. Sounds like the room could use some color, don't you think?
 The shelves after their first coat of paint. |  The freshly painted shelves at their new home. |
This wasn't my first time refurbishing furniture, and it definitely won't be my last. But it's definitely something that takes practice, patience and time to do, but it's all the more rewarding in the end. All that's left to do now is fill these bad boys up with my personal (and constantly growing) book collection!
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