Summer projects - staying busy

Since my recent unemployment, I have been trying to stay busy. And once the kids were home school, I realized how busy I am already and have since backed off on my "staying busy" plans. Whew. Wearing me out.

So, in an effort to make our lives simpler, better, more functional, we've been rearranging rooms and furniture. On a zero budget. Gotta' love the challenge!

So we have made the 4th bedroom that was an office into Wonder Woman's new room. Superman moved into Wonder Woman's old room, and the loft/playroom is now the homeschool room. I really needed bookshelves for all our school books, kid books, etc. And even though the Billy bookshelves at Ikea are not expensive, I didn't want to spend $250 on three of them. So, I used two identical pieces of furniture we already have and did a minor transformation with the help of tips from this fantastic blog: Shanty 2 Chic.

Here are some in process photos.

One cabinet door with just the white paint.

One cabinet exterior with white paint, and the original color of the wood inside the cabinets. 

Original color of the wood inside. 

First cabinet door with java glaze applied to give it a beat up, shabby look.

Drawers with java glaze applied.

Here's what I've learned.

1. Always remove the doors. Just do it. Before you start. It's easier that way.
2. Always sand before you start. Just do it. The paint will likely not adhere well and require more coats than if you just bit the bullet and did it to begin with.
3. Plan your project. I did not plan this. It was a whim when I woke up Wednesday morning. Seriously. What in the world? Plan it. Do it right.
4. Do it right or do it twice.
5. Glaze is way fun! I love how it turned out.

So now, I'm hunting down new hardware. Not sure what I want. Something that requires no drilling and I can just use the holes I have already.