powder room uses (as mentioned): toiletries, *(deodorant, nail polish, perfume bottles, etc
(rolls of tp are only 4 1/2 inches long when laid on their side)

in the Kitchen: spices, or decorative plates, any miniture collections?

depending on how much space is in between each shelf, you could put small framed pictures on the shelves, and your keys, by putting in some cup hangers screwed into the bottom or it

Cute little shelf, I would have gotten it to for $5 :)

Painted black? rubbed off edges (my new fave) white would be great too.

I would use it in the kid's rooms. They can fill it with their treasures and trophies.

It is a very cute piece but you are not going to do it justice filling it with plastic shampoo bottles and half squeezed toothpaste tubes. Then there is the issue of moisture and slop ruining the wood by using it in the bathroom as a functional piece.

You don't really have a place for it that you are excited about so I would not try to force it to work in a bathroom or powder room.

You could use it in the mudroom for keys and notes with some of the cubbies containing decorative trinkets.

Knowing myself, I would use it in the powder room to hold a small collection(affix w/double-face-tape), and hang small pictures/mirrors on the back. I would probably paint it(black??), add gold stenciling/gold edges(sand over lightly), and change the knob to something 'fancy'. ;o)

I thought spice rack but I don't have the space in my kitchen (all cabinets and doors).

I wasn't going to put toothpaste in it LOL! Was thinking pretty things, not that I wear nail polish (or perfume - though I do have a bottle of Chanel #5), but right on the tub deck probably would be too wet for it. If I painted it white and put it over the toilet in the kids' bathroom I'd just put decorative stuff (shells, etc.) in it.

I offered it to DH for his baseballs, Pinewood Derby cars, and other things but he didn't want it - would have been perfect with his heavy pine furniture. Maybe I'll put it in DD's room for her collection of Disney princess figurines.

I'll have to keep thinking - the shelves are 5.5" high with the top one being only 5" from the trim. The back is 3/4" thick beadboard so would be hard to screw cup hooks into, but maybe it would work in the mudroom. I'd love to have something there for mail and keys. Mail wouldn't work, but at least I could use the drawer for keys (or stamps, if I can add cup hooks on the bottom or something).

I don't have any little knickknacks that I could put in it - would be perfect in my breakfast nook but I've got a thermostat right in that spot.

maybe little clay pots with silk flowers or herbs, paint it, do a mural on it, ivy other flowers, a garden scene? a little picket fence piece across the front? I'd just make it cutesy and put it up somewhere that way.

I have to talk DS into it - the Pinewood Derby cars are 2" wide so they'd fir perfectly!

A friend of mine has something similar. She uses it for her Hummel figurines. I used to have a smaller one with miniature vases. I ended up getting rid of it though in favor of fewer larger items to display. If you do use it, I'd see about having a glass cover made for it as, whatever you choose to do with it, it will become a dust collector.

You could put some block lettering to spell D-e-r-b-y for the car collection. Spaced unevenly apart.

Ajsmama, I will preface this by saying I honestly, truly am not trying to be unpleasant or snarky.

But if you really don't have a place for something is it worth buying? Even at a low, low price why bring objects into your home that you have to try so hard to find some use for?

Ann

I know you're right - I picked it up, put it back, but then went back for it b/c the old thick beadboard just really appealed to me - thought I could use it in the PR or the mudroom (on the one wall by the door that's so tight) or even paint it and use it in kids' bath. But now that I've measured and thought about it, can't seem to find just the right place for it. It's wonderful on its own, but I really have no "use" for it since I don't collect little knickknacks. And I guess it would look strange to just hang it and leave it empty. So it was a mistake - but I still like it better than many of the things my mom has given me!

having had 3 cubscouts and a hub that worked with the boys making unique pinewood derby cars, i think using it as a car display rack is a great idea! in the bedroom...in the basement...even in the garage, depending on what your garage looks like! or, in the garage as a cute display rack for small pots, garden tools, etc if your have alot of that stuff hanging around!

paint it, put it on CL advertised as a derby car display case,and sell it for $20 and use the $$$ for another treasure hunt.

>So it was a mistake - but I still like it better than many of the things my mom has given me!

That made me laugh!! Can't argue with the sentiment either...

Hey, maybe you can sell it for more than you paid. Then tell your husband you're making money hand over fist with your shopping :).

Ann

I thought I'd throw that in since I had that thread running about what to do with stuff that I don't like or doesn't fit my decor. And I *did* find a place (though not a purpose) for the pottery LOL.

Seriously, I really like this cabinet/shelf and if it wouldn't look strange to have nothing in it, I'd just hang it wherever it fit just b/c I like the beadboard! I'm thinking now of 1) mudroom - to throw keys and cell phones on or 2) waiting til we finish the master bath and put it over the toilet or next to, maybe with slats across to hold reading material (and feminine items in the drawer, since I forgot to put any kind of built-in cabinet for such things in that compartment of the bathroom).

Too bad it's wider than the toilet in the PR - I really wanted to put it there. But I think it looks strange to have it overlapping the tank by an inch on either side.

Too bad cassette tapes aren't nicer looking - I could get them all out of the box on my bookshelf and put them in this b/c it's the perfect size!

It would be pretty painted black or cream - depending on your decor. Do you have a wall in kids room for it. You could do a collage of small school pics in cute frames, maybe a few of their "collectibles" mixed in every other shelf. Just an idea. It is not difficult to do something cutesy in a kids room.

Tuesday

So it was a mistake - but I still like it better than many of the things my mom has given me!

BWAHAHAHAHA! I can sooooooo relate!

There was a thread here not too long ago with an inspiration pic (from Ballard, probably) with a similar "shelf" over the sofa, don't suppose it would work there (can't remember yours, sowwy!). If it were me, I'd "fit" it in if at all possible.

Otherwise, yep, sell it for more than you paid - it's worth it!

BTW, I saw your request (and thanks!) on the other thread and will comply soon, promise :-)

Was this the one you were thinking of? With pictures on it? Not over a sofa though...

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s195/mellia_photo/IMG_0363.jpg

Drat, it would be perfect in my spare room to house the "extra's" of my creamer collection! Too bad you are so far away...I'd pay you more than you spent for it! :^)

DS's teacher gives him little rubber duckies with "costumes" on for good grades - he was reading on the couch next to me after dinner and playing with the latest one (a mummy duckie), I offered the shelf to him for his "duckie collection" and he threw the duck at me! Too bad - would have been so cute, all the little ducks (and owls - he has some from my grandmother's collection) lined up on a shelf in his baseball-themed room LOL! But he *does* love those little ducks!

Won't fit in my mudroom - well, it will fit above or to the side of the light switch by the garage door, but even as shallow as it is, when I held it up there I realized that someone was going to bang into it coming in the door since everyone tries to squeeze through w/o opening the door all the way (often b/c DS is standing on the hinge side taking off his shoes of hanging up his backpack). So either I put it up in the FR with little pictures (I've got those) on it, or save it for the master bath near the toilet, since I have *no* storage there at all.