A bottom shelf lets the shuttered
entertainment center double as a
display piece.

Shuttered Entertainment Unit

For most of the recycled furniture in her own home, Molly created an old-world look using black paint and a variety of slightly different techniques. The black paint helps hide flaws in the pieces while emphasizing shapely contours and pleasing details.

Moss green on the fireplace wall and leaf green on the remaining walls provide the ideal backdrop for the richly hued pieces. The entertainment center, for example -- fashioned from exterior shutters, plywood, trim pieces, and table legs -- gets its vintage look from two coats of black satin latex paint.

Once the paint was dry, the edges were sanded for a worn look. The pieces was finished with a coat of oak stain (applied and removed with a soft cloth) over all the surfaces to create instant age.