Scavenger Chic

Upcycled Vintage Shutter Magazine Rack

• By Joan
• October 14, 2018
• 2 Comments

I have one more shutter project for you and if you’re keeping track this is shutter project number 26.  Don’t believe me, you can find my gallery of shutter projects here.

This shutter comes to me from my good friend and neighbor Anita who is sadly moving. She had a couple shutters and 2 old cabinet doors displayed on her walls for years but her new house is lacking in wall space.  She thought maybe I could put them to good use.  Gladly.

But now I find out that the shutters were taken off her family home years ago…they have sentimental value and they have a cool aged patina. I can’t keep a family heirloom but I could repurpose it and give it to her oldest son who just happened to be getting married  last weekend.  And just in case they don’t like heirlooms or shabby chic, I’m giving cash too 🙂  

Besides   paint, glue, nails, screws and tools, you’ll need a super cool vintage shutter, a wood backing that’s wider than the shutter, I’m using half of a louvred door, and scrap wood.

Cut off the top half of the louvred door and sand.

Cut the shutter so that both sides of the shutter are equal width.  This shows the cut of about 1/2 inch off of one side.  Cut off the lip on the opposite side and sand.

Mark where you want to cut your magazine/mail slots.  For each of my slots I had four shutter slats and a thick portion (both ends and the middle).

If the thick portion of the shutter pieces are different widths, trim so they are all equal.  And of course sand some more.

With the 1/2″ piece that got trimmed off, cut and nail onto the shutter pieces to finish off the box.

This is not the same scrap wood I showed you originally, but that piece was all the way upstairs and here I was sitting next to this perfect sized 2×3 which will work nicely to elevate my mail slots.

Cut three 2×3 ‘s the same height as the cut shutter pieces.

Mark a diagonal on the 2×3 and cut.

Before attaching, these will also need to be sanded.

If you’d like your slot to stick out further, you may want to consider using a 2×4.

Use glue and finishing nails to attach the shutter to the triangle pieces.

note..these pieces are not yet attached to the white backing

Now for painting…I’m trying to give this modern white door a 100 year old paint patina.  A finish that looks like it’s been left outside, got rained on, repainted a bunch of times then got rained on again.  If you are not trying to preserve a family heirloom, you could paint the shutter and backing all one color.

1.  paint  entire board, cut edges of shutter and 2/3’s  with sage green chalk paint
2.  lightly brush on sand color leaving green showing thru
3. This is not chalk paint, but some leftover wall paint in some kind of khaki/camo color, lightly brushed on.
4. vintage wax painted on and rubbed off
5. bluish green acrylic paint, painted on with  the side of a wood block. Sand lightly when dry.
6.  a little more vintage wax and white wax dabbed on then rubbed off

Well, it doesn’t look new any more.  🙂

Screw on the shutter letter holders from the back.  I did end up painting the back as well so it wasn’t a glossy white.

Where I could, I kept the original hardware.

OK, now I want one for my favorite reading room  (the bathroom).

And the wedding was beautiful.  I hope the happy couple likes their new heirloom.  Congratulations Matt and Hannah.

Have a great week, stay inspired.

Shared at Talk of the Town,

Metamorphosis Monday,  DIY Salvaged Junk Projects,

Related posts:

Recycling an old Rake and Shutter Pallet Wood Louvred Door Bookcase Upcycling more Shutters and a DIY Wreath Flea Market Flip, Upcycled Wire Spool Table