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Distressed Farmhouse Shelf in the Kitchen

August 4, 2015



CREATE   |   Published August 4, 2015







Today's post has been months in the making.  I'm sure you know what it's like to do the type of project that just seems to drag on for no real reason. It just hangs over your head being bold enough to remind you that it is still there, yet not pushing you hard enough to actually get over whatever is blocking you from completion.  












My mom has been searching high and low for a shelf to add to the kitchen between the window and pantry cupboard.  It was a pretty narrow space and most shelves we've found were either too long or too short.  Two never seemed like it would be enough, but we couldn't find three that matched.  We searched for new and we searched for used.










Through our hunt this shelf sat patiently in the basement.  At one point it even made it upstairs for consideration.  But nothing happened with it.









Until one day we both finally agreed that this shelf was the perfect size to fill the space on the wall.  And it is wide so there didn't need to be two or three shelves for storage.  Plus, as an added bonus, this one had meaning for my mom because it belonged to her father.  The decision was made that this shelf was the one....but then the hardest part came of actually trying to make it work.










Everything in the kitchen is going to be white when we get the cupboards painted.  The trim is white.  The pantry cupboard is off white.  The doors and windows are white.  And the backsplash will likely be white subway tile.  I hated the idea of painting the shelf white, too, and wanted to stain the shelf,





But it had holes drilled into the wood in weird places where it had been attached to the wall of my grandfather's garage.  They were too big to be easily concealed with wood putty.  The screws holding everything together were rusted and unable to budge so tearing the shelf apart was not an option.  So I finally opted for painting the bottom of the shelf white and staining the top.






Once I finally decided I was okay with the idea, the project went really quickly.....it just always seems like there are so many things to think about and decide that I tend to delay actually working on what I'm making.





The wood shelf portion was sanded and then coated with Fusion Tough Coat Sealer.  This is the first time I had tried this product and it is amazing.  It is basically a polyurethane-like sealer but goes on really silky smooth.  And best of all it doesn't yellow over time which is a problem that I normally have using poly.  It is best to use two coats of this over your wood.









The bottom half of the shelf was painted with Fusion Mineral Based Furniture Paint in Casement.  It is a lovely warm white.  In case you've never heard of this paint before, it is manufactured by the same company that makes Miss Mustard Seed's Milk paint.  Fusion is a totally unique paint that covers much like chalk paint.  The paint does not have to be sealed, so after distressing the painted portion of the shelf it was ready to be hung.








The shelf was never supposed to be pretty since it was used in the garage.  I don't know the history behind it, but I'm guessing my grandfather needed a shelf, he found one at a yard sale, put a coat of stain on it, and it remained on the wall.  My goal was to update the piece to make it look like it belongs in a kitchen, but still maintain the rustic look of a shelf in use.  Do you think I accomplished what I set out to do?











I had to throw in one more picture....I added some blackberries in a cup to sit on the countertop for these pictures and thought they looked so pretty that they deserved their own glamour shot.  Taking photos of food can be so much fun!






You can learn more about Fusion Mineral Based Furniture Paints and find out where to purchase their products here.



**  This post may contain affiliate links.  You can view my full disclosure here.


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anderson+grant is a lifestyle blog dedicated to helping you to create a slower, simpler home with contemporary style.

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