Media Cabinet Makeover

Thanks to my blog friends, I was able to finally! choose a paint color to paint the back of the media center in our living room.  Most of you who commented here, voted for the blue on the middle shelf.  Well, little did I know that that color was called “Jamestown Blue.”  A color with my son’s name had to be the one:)  Before I painted the media center, which is a built in unit, it looked like this:

 BEFORE
image
1st AFTER
Living Room Redo 006
I left the cabinet like this for about a week, then decided to paint the wall behind the television as well.  I didn’t paint it initially because the t.v. is too hard to move and I knew I’d only be able to do part of the wall.  Then, I realized the t.v. swiveled, making that paint job a bit easier.  So, now all of the walls on the media cabinet are painted and it looks more cohesive.
2nd AFTER

Media Cabinet Redo 001
I think it turned out pretty well.  The blue is really nice in person with just a hint of aqua.  It looks more slate and less sugary at home and is even prettier in the evening.
Step 1:  Remove all items from shelf
Media Cabinet Makeover 013
Step 2:  Remove shelves and apply tape to avoid getting paint where you don’t want it.
Media Cabinet Makeover 015
Step 3: Gather supplies (paint, foam rollers and brushes, bucket, drop cloth).
Media Cabinet Makeover 016
Step 4:  Cover ginormous t.v. with drop cloth.  (must.not.get.paint.on.t.v.must.not.get.paint.on.t.v.)!
Media Cabinet Makeover 017
Step 5:  Begin painting.  First I painted the frame with a foam brush.
Media Cabinet Makeover 020
Step 6: Then I used a foam roller to apply two coats of paint.
Media Cabinet Makeover 021
The cabinet looked like this when I was finished and put the shelves back in.  I do have some a lot of “touch up” work to do where the paint is uneven near where I taped.  I plan to get a small brush to redo those areas.
Media Cabinet Makeover 002
*Update:  When I went back and painted the area behind the t.v., I also did those touch-ups, this time using Blue Frog tape instead of blue tape and taking the tape off as soon as I was done painting, while the paint was wet.  The results were much better.  I made sure that the tape was pressed down very hard before painting.
Cabinet Redo 001 Cabinet Redo 007
Instead of a 4 inch foam roller, I used a 6 inch fabric roller.
Cabinet Redo 004
A small paint brush was used to do the cut ins, instead of the foam brush.
Cabinet Redo 009
When the tape was removed, I had clean, crisp lines.  Yay!!!! So much better.
Cabinet Redo 008
I played around with the accessories, using a mix of silver, white and brown.  To me, silver, white, and black looked too stark and so the browns added some warmth.  I’m still searching for the perfect pictures to put in two of the silver frames.  Also, I’m thinking of adding some large books to the shelves above the t.v.  I tried removing the upper middle shelf, but it looked a bit odd.  I plan to do a post soon on where I found or repurposed all the lovely accessories.
Living Room Redo 025
Cabinet Redo 010 Living Room Redo 027

BEFORE

image

AFTER
Media Cabinet Redo 003
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I’m sharing this post at these fantastic blogs:
Centsational Girl

A Few of My Favorite Things * All Thingz Related * Blue Cricket Design * C.R.A.F.T. * Domestically Speaking * Fingerprints on the Fridge * Infarrantly Creative * Keeping it Simple * Mad in Crafts * Me and My Bucket * Miss Mustard Seed * New Nostalgia * Remodelaholic * Seven Thirty Three * Serenity Now * Super Stinky Boys * Tatertots and Jello * The Inspired Room * The Shabby Chic Cottage * The Shabby Nest * Thrifty Decor Chick * Today’s Creative Blog * Under the Table and Dreaming

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Meet Megan

Hi! I’m Megan, mom to a thoughtful teenager and spunky young girl. We call Houston home and recently moved into our dream home. I traded my lawyer hat to become a full-time blogger in 2010. I love sharing my passion for affordable fashion, home decor, organization, & fitness to help inspire you to take care of you!

48 Comments

  1. It's beautiful! I love how the color turned out and the accessories look amazing. I struggle with accessories on my entertainment center so much that I gave up and just have one picture frame on each shelf. Sad but true.

    -Desiree

  2. Yes, accessorizing isn't so easy (for me). I seriously was arranging and rearranging all weekend! I even lowered one of the shelves on the left. I'm always looking at blogs and magazines for inspiration on how to accessorize bookshelves. Maybe a good future post idea.

  3. Megan,
    It looks fantastic! That is the color blue we used in our daughter's bathroom…I love it with her chocolate brown cabinets. I finally posted pictures of the downstairs, you'll have to check it out. I remember to take a full picture of the entertainment center this time. I am forever playing with the arrangements there and in library!

  4. I just had a thought for those frames…I am always searching for the perfect photos for frames, then while at a girlfriend's house I noticed she had bought some pretty scrapbook paper, and applied their monogram to it and framed it. You could do your last name as well. I know how much you LOVE pretty paper!

  5. Thanks for stopping by my blog! I love the newly painted entertainment center- what a fantastic idea!!! =D It really did turn out beautiful.

  6. Thanks for visiting me..I appreciated the comment:) And this media cabinet looks wonderful! It looks gorgeous and really makes everything in there pop. Love it!

  7. Fabulous makeover. I love the blue background and all the lovely accessories really make it pop now.

    Thanks for popping over today !

    Lisa

  8. Jayma15- Yeah, I considered that, but would have to move the whole tv to get the entire wall behind there and I was alone when I painted. May have to add that in the future- you’re right, it would definitely look better with that wall painted too.

  9. So my husband just told me that the tv swivels (duh that I didn't know that) and that I should be able to paint that whole middle back wall:) I'm going to try to get to that on Friday or over the weekend. I'll post some new pics after it's done.

  10. I might be the only one, but I think you need to paint the blue behind the television too….

    I LOVE the color, and it looks like a refreshing change…but almost like you forgot the tv shelf…

    Sorry if it sounds critical, I'm not trying to be!

    I like following your blog!

  11. I love it. What a gorgeous blue you used. I'm considering doing the same thing to the back of an open cupboard in my newly painted kitchen – can't decide on the colour or if I should use a wallpaper, though.

  12. Lisa- Thanks for the compliment:) Our entertainment unit is built into the house- that way we could customize it to fit our living room. I know Pottery Barn has well-made entertainment centers, but they are pricey.

  13. Hi! LOVE your entertainment cabinet. Such an inspired idea to paint the back!!!
    I also LOVE the entertainment cabinet itself. I have been looking for just the right one for SO long. Yours is what I have been wanting. May I ask where you got it, and about how much you paid?
    Thanks SO much!
    wilson6ohana@yahoo.com

  14. Hi! LOVE your entertainment cabinet. Such an inspired idea to paint the back!!!
    I also LOVE the entertainment cabinet itself. I have been looking for just the right one for SO long. Yours is what I have been wanting. May I ask where you got it, and about how much you paid?
    Thanks SO much!
    wilson6ohana@yahoo.com

  15. You started with an awesome media cabinet, and the blue makes it even prettier. Thanks for sharing.

  16. It looks beautiful! I love the color you chose! Your decorations on the shelves look so vivid and pretty against the blue! 🙂

  17. wow, i feel in love with your entertainment cabinets, its so big and so accomodating that i think it would keep almost all the stuff lying around in my living room, i showed it to my husband and told him to get me one like that, it just too good, loved it

  18. I love paint inside a bookshelf or unit like this it just makes everything pop, the blue was a perfect choice!! Great job!

  19. oh my…i came over from storiesofatoz and tracked this post down when i saw the snippet of blue in your cabinets!! I have a very neutral living room (a lot like your original living room reveal) and I'm thinking about adding some blue to it, too! I'm so glad I found this! I love it!

    (I just realized you can definitely tell when I shifted my baby in my arms so I could type with both hands. lol)

  20. I saw your media cabinet on Pinterest and am in love! I'm thinking of building something similar for our upstairs living area. Your kitchen/family room layout is very similar to mine, so I'm going to do some serious note-taking! Beautiful home!

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