Let’s talk about breathing room. One thing we learned from our last house was that we prefer to let rooms breathe a little. That means resisting the urge to fill every corner and wall with furniture, plant stands, coat racks and baskets. After some thought, we decided to clear the shelf-cluttered corner by the fireplace and give it some space. I actually took the shelves down just a few days after moving in and realized I never shared the photos when I wrote my list post—so here they are.
We plan to add storage ottomans and either build or buy a media cabinet with ample storage elsewhere in the room. That way we’ll still have plenty of places to stash things without compromising the room’s balance by keeping those built-in shelves.
Balance is key for us because it keeps spaces feeling inviting and relaxing. A shelf full of baskets and books on one side of the fireplace would make that small niche feel visually heavy, while the long, bare wall on the other side would feel empty and lopsided by comparison. We didn’t want that, especially in such a small nook. It’s like choosing furniture for a room: you wouldn’t cram a large floor-to-ceiling bookcase into the smallest corner; you’d reserve that piece for a larger wall and leave the tiny corner alone. That’s why the shelves had to go.
Of course, different people prefer different looks—some might have loved keeping the shelves. I, on the other hand, couldn’t wait to get the screwdriver-chisel out.
The wood shelves lifted right out, but the shelf supports were stubborn thanks to very long nails. Still, I managed to remove everything myself while John watched Clara—girl power. The supports came out eventually, though the walls looked a little rough in spots where nails had clung on.
The walls were a bit battered from the hardware. Yikes.
It was nothing a little spackle couldn’t fix. The previous owners had left a lightweight spackle behind, so I tried it for the first time. We usually use the heavier DAP product, but this airy version was surprisingly good.
The verdict: I loved it. The lightweight spackle is fluffy and easy to spread, similar to shaving cream, and it produces a smooth skim coat even over large holes. Look how clean the patched area looks after smoothing:
I used a flexible metal putty knife to apply and smooth the spackle. The product suggested it didn’t require sanding, but I gave the patched areas a light pass with high-grit sandpaper after they dried to ensure a perfectly smooth finish. I’m sold on this lighter spackle and already plan to pick up a tub. Next up: paint touch-ups to erase all evidence of the shelves.
If only we could find the original wall paint to match for touch-ups. It might be stashed in the basement somewhere, but if not we’ll bring home white swatches to find the closest match. Better yet, we might finally repaint the whole room in a soft gray we’re still deciding on and refresh the trim with glossy white.
That little corner might not look like much right now, but we’ll share more photos as the room evolves—painting, hanging artwork, and adding furniture. That small pocket of uncluttered space will be a welcome visual break. We also imagine kids hiding there, squeezing their eyes shut and fully convinced they’re invisible—those were the days when a closed pair of eyes made you disappear.
Pssst—We announced our random winner for this week’s giveaway.