So excited over here...our bookcase has finally been painted!
Here's the "before" picture below. That's me with kid 2 and my two other furry babies. There's the dark n' dated bookcase behind us...yup, that dark oak wood just had to go! And the color we chose was a fresh white to bring more light into the room.
Here they are After...
Ahhh, simply Amazing what a little paint can do isn't it?
As soon as they were painted, I went straight to work accessorizing these babies...on the cheap! I really didn't want to spend a lot of money, as I'd rather put that money towards bigger items in the room like some nice curtains or even furniture.
The first items I gathered were books...both my favorite ones and some vintage thrift store ones that I snagged for 25 cents each! Then I stacked those books and even collections of magazines in various ways to add interest.
Then I turned my attention to the picture frames. I added a new copper frame that I scored from The Pottery Barn Outlet in Gaffney, SC. However, all the others I already had on hand. Two frames I spray painted with my favorite Rustoleum Spray Paint in oil rubbed bronze.
Next I added a few shells from our family vacations. After all decorating isn't just for show (okay maybe a little)...but I love decorating with items that have personal meaning and memories!
See the small black frame with the shell print? That's just a dollar store frame with free Vintage Printable Art that I printed from my home computer...so simple!
The small black chest I've probably had for 15 years or more. It was brown with painted flowers. I sprayed it black to contrast against the white paint.
And finally the splurge. With most of my decorating projects I always like to add one cool item that I just LOVE & gotta have. Here it's the metal Ampersand that I bought from Restoration Hardware! I love how it adds a bit of whimsy to the whole design.
Okay, so that's how I decorate a bookcase...on the cheap! In a nutshell it's all about surrounding yourself with things you love...including family memories, a few thrifty finds, and some revamped accessories too.
Happy Accessorizing!
21 comments:
Hi Jane! Love your bookshelves! White just makes it look so updated and crisp. Are the backs painted light blue or is it just the way the light is hitting them in the pic?
Love the "backwards books"! I've seen that in deco mags too! Looks great!
Wow, I still can't get over what a transformation that is! Fabulous!
Super job on your bookshelf and thanks for the decor tips...bookshelves can be hard to decorate without become overstuffed. Come by and visit soon.
I love the shelves. They turned out so nice.
Very nice, Jane! I love shopping the house {and sometimes basement & attic} for stuff to use in my decorating. I like how you didn't crowd the shelves, so it stays light and airy looking.
Nice job on the backwards books!! :)
I love love love that treasure chest! and thats such an amazing deal for it! and same with the vase i love the pattern on it
I love the "backwards" books too. I hadn't seen that before. They look great, and the next color is wonderful.
What a nice clean look - that still manages to feel cozy. Great job!
What a nice transformation. The white shelves look great! Love those books stacked on their sides. One of my favorite tips for bookshelves is to take the covers off of hardcover books to make them look more like old books.
Looks just beautiful. It has just the right amount of stuff.
They look great, I love the white! I did the same thing with our built-in bookcases in the living room when we moved in our house, except I painted the back wall of them deep purple. I love the contrast & it's a great backdrop to all the accessories.
Your bookshelves turned out beautiful! Oh, how I wish I had built-ins like that!!!
Great job!
Looks amaaaaaazing!!!! :) They really are lovely. I like the clean, uncluttered look you have going on.
We have way too many books...I need to par down some more, I guess. Our shelves seem to be stuffed with books, but I'd like to use more of the space for display. :)
I love old books.. decorating with books... but never thought to turn them around! Great idea! ;)
Jenn~
Absolutely gorgeous! Looks fantastic :).
I really need help with my bookshelves, this will come in handy, I'm bookmarking your page. I'm so glad I found you! I'm going to go look around some more!
:)Kristin
WOw, that built in looks so great painted! It looks to me like it was always meant to be that way! (And doesn't your living room feel more open and fresh now?) Love it!
Just found your site via Sunny at Life in Rehab. Love the look of the painted bookshelves. I've been thinking about painting our oak bookshelves white but been a little nervous about it. I might just do it now!!
heather@ourlifeinaclick.blogspot.com
can you PLEASE give tips on accessorizing a dark wood shelving unit? It seems harder then white b/c a lot of great acessories out there are already dark and they dont show up well on dark wood.
Love what you did on yours!!
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