The Apple Street Cottage

I've always wanted built-in bookshelves - not just for books, but as a place to display the many treasures I've collected over the years.   In all the houses we've owned, it never happened.   Until this one. Welcome back to the next installment of Creating a Charming Cottage.  We've been very busy with all sorts of projects around here and I thought it was time to share a major improvement we made to the living room.  First, let me show you what we now have: And now, let's talk about how it came to be. It all began with this little wall: Remember that green paint? You are looking at it from the front door.  Now let's look at it straight on: The molding on the right is the coat closet.  Please ignore the 'extras' on the floor.  This picture was taken soon after we moved in and this is how things looked...you know I like to keep things real, but let's move on. In my mind, I could see cabinets across the bottom with shelves above, so I started m...

I found this vintage jewelry box at an estate sale and thought it was very pretty. However, the inside was not so pretty. It was faded, worn, and dusty.   When do I ever let that stop me from buying something at the right price?   Never! It came home with me and I got to work. First, a little research.  Since I couldn't find any identifying marks on it, I searched the image and found many references stating it was most likely a Godinger silver-plated jewelry box.  Good to know! This post may contain affiliate links. I cleaned-up the outside with a little silver polish and then focused on the inside, removing everything.  Each piece was chipboard covered with some sort of flocked fabric.  The mirror was left in place. All of the pieces were laid out how they were in the box and I took a picture.  That way I'd know how to put them back together! Starting with the ring organizer, the fabric was removed and an old toothbrush was used to remove ...