Shelf Makeover & My Boys' Favourite Books

I’ve been thinking about painting this little shelf that I’ve been using in the boys’ room as a nightstand for a while now, and I finally got around to doing it last week. It looked okay before, but the wood had quite an orangey-tint to it which looked a bit out of place in the room:

I had some leftover charcoal chalk paint from my entry way bench project, so I that was the colour I chose for this project. It was such a quick and easy update, and I’m so glad I did it!

I think the charcoal colour of the shelf goes great with the boys’ plaid bedding and their vintage-style rug. Much better than the orangey-wood colour it had before! I did two coats of chalk paint, then finished it off with some polycrylic finish that I also had on hand. I used a 2-1/2″ brush that I had on hand. The only prep I did was to wipe it down with an antibacterial cloth and some of my Thieves cleaner that I love. I really love painting with chalk paint. It coated really well, and the two coats was plenty. One almost would have been enough. I kind loved the matte finish of the chalk paint, but I knew that being in the boys’ room this little shelf would need a little extra protection. I used the satin finish, but I think clear-gloss would also work great.

I love decorating in my kids’ rooms, because they have so many cute books or toys that I can put on display. My mom has been collecting Hardy Boys books for my kids each time she finds one or two at a thrift store, so we have acquired quite the collection already! My husband loved Hardy Boys books when he was a kid, so he enjoys reading them aloud to the boys already.

This Thomas the Train book is my 5 year old son’s absolute favourite. He’s been a Thomas fan for a solid 3 years now, (I’m sure he could tell you every engine’s name and it’s number!) so of course we have to have a Thomas book and some trains next to the bed! This is the perfect bedtime story book because the stories all take about 5 minutes to read, and he loves all the exciting stories!

This dinosaur book is a new favourite! It’s an Usborne book, and their books are always beautiful and educational for kids. If you have a child who love dinosaurs, this book is for them! It has a beautiful hardcover and the dinosaurs talk in little speech bubbles, asking you to find different things. Kids who love I SPY books would love this! It’s also a fun and motivating book for kids who are just learning to read!

Who remembers Richard Scarry books from when they were a kid? My kids love this Richard Scarry book because there is SO much to look at and talk about on every page. It’s probably my favourite book to sit and cuddle up with the kids on my lap because it sparks so much conversation.

This digger book is my middle son’s favourite. It’s the perfect fit for my 3 year old (who wants to be a Digger Man when he grows up!) and who often has a bit of a short attention span but loves to press the noise buttons!

You can also see here a few of the kids’ favourite toys on display on their shelf. I’m sure the shelf will look this neat and tidy for about two minutes, but that’s okay! My kids love their room and books are meant to be read and toys are meant to be played with! My older son loves his wooden trains and Lego, while my middle son loves his diggers and dump trucks!

Obviously our lovely display is not going to last for long. Note the yellow dump truck is already missing in the picture below! But that’s okay! I love that the boys love their room and they like to read and play with the the things in it!

Thank you all for stopping by the blog to read this today! What do you all think of the new colour of the boys’ shelf? I think the boys’ room is one of my favourite rooms in our home, so I always enjoying sharing it!