Go Navy! Don’t take that as choosing sides in the long-standing Army vs. Navy rivalry—I’m neutral. My dad was Army, after all. Anyway, back to the point: this post is about the basement (it’s up early because we’re on a flight), so let’s pick up where we left off with this hot mess of a shelf.
For nearly two years we’d been placing paint cans and paint-related items there with zero organization. Two unopened boxes from our move even sat untouched—classic. I started by clearing everything off the shelves so I could dust and figure out what actually belonged there (paint cans) versus what didn’t (cardboard boxes that needed recycling).
Thirty minutes later it already looked a lot better.
I moved non-paint items—grout, polymeric sand, and the like—to other shelves so this area could be devoted to paint, stain, and primer. The left side of the shelf became a dedicated spot for leftover quarts and tester cans from various projects and photo shoots.
Tip: I created a simple tiered display by slipping a scrap 2×6 under the front row of cans so the colors are easier to see. The same trick worked for our spray paint collection—yes, we have almost every color. A lot of that variety came from book projects.
This setup is simpler than the elaborate paint system we used in our previous basement, where we repackaged and labeled every leftover can. That method worked for a while but became too much to maintain as we bought new paint. Still, seeing that level of organization for a while is oddly satisfying.
Next up: using some of those leftovers. But before painting, I decided to dress up the pegboard a bit with trim. A few scraps of wood and about $10 in supplies made the pegboard feel more finished.
I framed three sides, leaving the bottom edge that sat on the work surface untrimmed. With the wood pieces tacked in place with a few finish nails, the two pegboards looked more intentional—though the small board still only had a lonely pen hanging on it. That will change over time.
We chose a leftover quart of Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy for paint. It’s a deep, muted navy we both love from a previous project. I stripped the tools off the board and laid them out with their hooks so I could decide how the background should look. I wanted flexibility—no outlines around each tool—so I could rearrange as needed.
After one thin coat with a small foam roller (to avoid clogging the peg holes), the board already looked great. I painted the trim the same color so the whole thing reads as one cohesive unit without harsh contrast.
Two coats later, both boards looked evenly covered. Lighting in the room made them read slightly differently in photos, but in person they match and the finish is smooth. Any small blockages in holes from old paint were easily cleared by pressing a peg through.
Once the paint dried, the tools went back in place. All told, if you don’t have leftover materials, you can do this for about $30 total—$15 for trim and $15 for a quart of paint. A simple refresh but it makes the basement feel cared for and more like our space than the previous owner’s.
Now I’m thinking the next step is staining some of the wood in the room to add contrast and depth. A darker stain could help the space feel more finished. I’ll keep you posted as that unfolds. What projects are you tackling in your basement or garage? Any pegboard transformations underway? Do we need an intervention for our stash of paint cans and spray bottles? Maybe—maybe not.
