giving green - the shutter shelf

Last fall, our dear friends, the Judge's, moved into a beautiful 'green' home outside Milwaukee. Complete with solar panels, sustainable wood, radiant heat flooring, the whole 9 yards. When thinking about a housewarming gift, we knew we had to pull out all the stops and give them a gift as equally green as their home.

It started with an idea I saw in a furniture book from the library, turn old shutters into bookshelves....and just my luck, I have a spare set of shutters.

These were pulled out of the FREE bin at the ReStore. Great condition, just a few nail holes. Mine in fact, they also served as a display rack at my summer show, so this is a triple use.

Our friends new home has a very open, log home feel. Their style, however, is a bit more modern with an Asian feel. Hmmm, how to meld the two? Recycled, rustic, cozy, with clean, modern, Zen. The easiest place to start, the palette, ....black & red.

Since I wanted to a create a worn look, I started with the base, a rich cool red, and worked backwards.

Once dry, I took a tea-light (sans metal tin) and rubbed it on random edges and corners. You can use any wax. This is where the top layer of paint is NOT going to stick. Leaving it easy to "wear" it off. Then 2 coats of your top color, in this case black. Don't be afraid if you forget where you waxed either.

...you'll be able to see where the wax is. Then, take a medium to light sandpaper and sand off those spots. Smooth up and down strokes make things look the most natural. The red peaking thru instantly ages the shutters.

Now, the assembly begins and where Nathan enters. Using a reclaimed piece of cove molding, he ran it down the entire length of the shutters and shaped the form.

Since we wanted this shelf to be sturdy, Nate drilled in wood screws as well as securing with wood glue.

The concave shape of the trim, made the angle easy to set and even though it is on the back...gave it a nice finish.

Next the shelves, once we decided on the heights, Nate got to cutting.

Reclaimed faux bead board, again from ReStore.

The style is traditional and linear, but with a bright paint job, the modern comes out.

The top, another reclaimed wood piece, but this time floor board. Nice groove detail, but thicker and a little more substantial. Extending the top just a little bit really framed out the piece. Painted black and securely attached, our shelf had a roof.

After careful measuring, gluing and nailing, the 3 shelves were attached. Because he had added braces to each side of the shelf board, they were much sturdier and also gave him a good place to set clamps.

After a good 24 hours to set, neat trim strips (actually the only new thing) were painted black and nailed to the face.

The result ! Positively inspired. The shelves are tall enough for their Buddha, and the base and other shelf could easily house a plant, candles or books. Truly unique, truly custom and truly green.

and when the light comes thru the shutters.... positively Zen.

This project might have opened up a whole new custom realm for me. Is there such a thing as 'salvage enlightenment' ? Namaste.