A $15 Project Turns an “Ordinary Corner” into a Major Design Moment in This Living Room

This article may contain affiliate links that Yahoo and/or the publisher may receive a commission from if you buy a product or service through those links.

ABOUT THIS BEFORE & AFTER

HOME TYPE: Bungalow

PROJECT TYPE: Furniture, Living Room

STYLE: Eclectic, Mid-Century Modern

SKILL LEVEL: DIY

RENTAL FRIENDLY: No

Since last summer, stripes have dominated home decor — and one way DIYers have been incorporating bold stripes in their homes is by creating a two-toned stain (or brown paint) look on wood pieces, like in this painted table by Tina le Mac, for instance, or this budget-friendly shelving project by Joanna Chrysocheris (@aimabledesordre.)

Joanna and her partner, Michel, have transformed much of their 52-year-old bungalow into a cozy, pattern-filled space with DIY projects, down to small details like the shelves in their little living room niche.

The shelves came with the living room.

“They were already here when we moved in,” Joanna explains on Instagram. “They’re just basic pine boards turned into shelves, really.” After painting the living room walls and fireplace Farrow & Ball’s Setting Plaster (lightened) and the trim light blue, and furnishing the room, Joanna decided to make a feature moment out of the shelves.

“I love how this little project turned an ordinary corner into a fun and eye-catching spot in our living room,” she says.

All it took was painter’s tape and stain.

Inspired by a striped wooden antique piece she’d seen online, Joanna decided to DIY her own stripes using painter’s tape and stain. She sanded the shelves for a smooth surface to paint on, taped off chunky stripes using Frog Tape, and then used SamaN’s One Step Wood Stain and Varnish in walnut to create the new look.

The project, which took only a couple of hours for all four shelves and about $15 for the can of stain, gave the shelves “a whole new life,” Joanna says on Instagram. For more dreamy living room shelving ideas, check out this $500 project and these green shelves. And to see the rest of Joanna and Michel’s home, check out the full home tour.

Inspired? Submit your own project here.

Further Reading

I Just Discovered the Smartest Way to Store Paper Towels in Your Kitchen (It’s a Game-Changer!)

We Asked 5 Contractors Which Kitchen Reno Trend Homeowners Regret Most, and They Basically All Agreed

We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Pottery Barn — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need

Sign up for Apartment Therapy’s Daily email newsletter to receive our favorite posts, tours, products, and shopping guides in your inbox.