Upholstered Shelf Part II: Peekabo, I see shoes!

Remember this newly upholstered shelf? 

Well, turns out there's more than meets the eye...it hides a secret compartment!

I briefly considered keeping my super mysterious stash of top secret items here but...well, I don't actually have anything in that category, so the next best option was...SHOES!  My closet measures precisely 36 inches, so I had to get creative with alternate storage solutions.  I love that this shelving allows for easy, hidden access.  

I wanted to amp up the "pretty factor," and make it a little more polished.  Even though it's something  only I will be seeing every day, I'm a big believer making even the hidden areas of a home lovely.   I opted to use a white glossy white trim paint that I already had on hand.  Since the cabinet doesn't have lighting, the white paint adds more visibility and makes it look fresh and clean.  Kind of like an art gallery.  For shoes.  (Wait, did I just come up with a genius idea just now?)

Although the painted surface area was small,  the nooks and crannies required a little more time and lots of awkward painting poses.  The photos above and below were after one coat of paint.  A small wishful thinking part of me hoped that one coat would suffice, but alas, streaky and dull.  On to round 2.

Tah Dah!  Coat #2 yielded a much nicer result.  And sleeping in the paint fumes only made me a little crazier than usual. 

In the meantime, my shoes were dumped unceremoniously in the floor.  Hot mess.

I loved the white, but didn't want it to start looking dull and dirty over time, so I lined the shelves with some pretty floral wrapping paper.  Since I didn't necessarily want the paper to be a permanent fixture, I just taped down the corners with clear Scotch tape to hold in it place.  

Peekaboo, I see shoes!

All settled in!  I always store my shoes toe to heel; it allows for the most efficient use of space and allows me to see each pair from both angles.  I was able to pack two rows of three pairs on each shelf.  

The finished product!  With a little paint and paper, it now feels like I'm shopping in my very own tiny shoe boutique each morning!  

Now you see them, now you don't...

Do you have any other great shoe storage ideas?