Is your existing Satin Oil paint on the shelves a PRE-tinted Black from the factory... OR, Is it a store-tinted color with a formula-label? Search out a PRE-TINTED Black in Semi-gloss or Gloss. ACE has-'em too. Call around first... In High-Gloss, I've even got ACE Latex half-pints of Black, in addition to Qts. Rule out Eggshell NOW. It's just not a tight enough resin for this use. Cabinet-Coat will only tint to Pastel tones. (I WISH they had a pre-tint Black tho!!!) Cure-time b4 ANYTHING goes back on?!?! A month or more.... Not what you may WANT to hear...but it's what you HAVE to hear...:-( You COULD look into an FPE Black. That stuff is UNreal. Faron

Thanks @Lindsay K and @HU-187528210! The hutch has a brand new factory finish so I won't be painting that. The question is whether to leave it as a break from all the white or to blend the shelves on one or both sides in. Right now I'm tempted to leave it as is, wait for the counters/backplash/fireplace surround to go in as well as all our rugs and furniture, and only change out the paint if it looks like a terrible sore thumb....but open to other views.

Love the size, style and shape of your chandelier! Great choice. Main thing in addition to moving your sofa to 18” from edge of coffee table is to add texture. Pillows and possibly grass cloth in backs of bookshelves. Your coffee table needs styling. A stack of 2-3 coffee table sized books. A large low bowl and a much larger white orchid arrangement plus a sculptural element. Think of the coffee table divided into 4 sections. Set elements accordingly. Bbl

Start by removing everything, including what's behind the doors, giving the cabinet a good cleaning and inspection to see if it needs to be painted or repaired. Consider changing the hardware for a lighter, beachy look. Think about using luan or foam core to cut inserts for the back of the openings, so you can paint or paper them and change the vibe at will. Sort photos, decor and books into labeled boxes or categorized piles/stacks. Then reduce the items in the categories again, separating the sentimental items from the generic ones. Next, go to the sentimental categories and work through them. What is important about this item, was it a gift that means something, what is it that attaches you to the item, does it really need to be displayed or is it just a special keepsake? The items that you must keep, but don't need to look at or display daily, can be kept behind the doors. Work through the generic items in a similar way. For me, I would first decide how hard it is to keep the item clean. In my case, the topiary, the basket and the birdcage would have to go because they're intricate and are hard to clean dust-catchers. This may be a good time to analyze items in the rest of the home. Some may need to be used in this cabinet (or not.) Anyway, spring cleaning is good for the soul. When you put the cabinet back together use 1/3 books, 1/3 large decor and 1/3 open space. Don't line up items like soldiers, but layer them. Photos can be used but should be in different sizes so you can layer them for interest; trios of a large one behind two smaller ones is good. Don't put photo groupings on the same level of shelf, but mix them up, still keeping them low enough to be seen, and limit them to two or three groupings. Books can stand, lean or stack to support other decor items. You can wrap books in other paper to change their look. Decor should be large enough to be identified from the seating without having to approach the cabinet. Small photos will be better if put on tables in the room for closer inspection. Keep the top clear until you've staged the rest. One large item might be sufficient. You can also light the shelves with LEDs it you think that helps draw the eye to the shelves instead of the top.