How not to paint . . .

Today, I'm going to focus on one particular area of our new home that I mentioned (here) is an all-consuming eye sore.  Remember this?

It looks nice from a distance right?  Here's an even better picture of the previous owner's setup:

All those neat little cubbies for all your electronic toys . . . Nice you say?  I took the shelves out to thoroughly clean it and this is what I was left with:

There are multiple things that went wrong with this wall hogger.  They painted the entertainment center with the REMOVABLE shelves intact, which made them quite difficult to remove since paint was stuck to them.  Can you see the brushstrokes?  

This is what happens when you attempt to use white latex paint on laminate.  If you are going to paint (even if it is with the wrong type of paint), don't be lazy.  Go ahead, paint the whole thing.  Take all of your little electronic toys out and outlets then PAINT!  Don't leave this behind:

Above all else, do not allow your little four legged hairball coughing felines to walk on wet paint all the while embedding their forever shedding hair to dry in the paint for some poor unsuspecting future homeowner to find while scrubbing out the dirt and dust you left behind. 

Did you really think this post would not include me ranting about cats and cat hair?  When I'm done cleaning, scrubbing, and sanding cat hair, I won't blog about it anymore.  Until then, just remember the source:

Courtesy of the previous owners- I give credit where credit is due

He is one of many . . . don't be fooled.