About a year ago I finally decided to invest in a few of the brightly colored lacquer boxes and trays that I was seeing on all of the interior design blogs and magazines. But after looking around I realized that I could make them myself — in the colors and shapes I wanted and at a much better price! I had two small unfinished wooden boxes that I had saved from some of those lotion and body wash gift baskets that used to be popular, and I found another larger box at Michael’s. A few coats of spray paint and a couple more of clear coat transformed them into exactly what I was looking for.

The hardest part was choosing the colors! I decided on a deep blue for my living room where I wanted a pop of color but something that could shift with my mood and the seasons.

I chose black for the two small boxes. I knew I wanted one in my black and turquoise bathroom, and while I didn’t have an immediate plan for the other one, it’s found the perfect home sitting on my lime green vintage stove.

Even though I wanted the boxes as a decorative touch, they help me stay organized and corral bottles that would otherwise end up all over my kitchen and bathroom counters. They would make great housewarming gifts filled with new dish towels and fancy dish soap to make washing dishes a little more luxurious, or even a bottle of wine and cheese. The possibilities are endless!