Weekend Project | A New Look for a Bookcase

Hello, Hello

This weekend I tackled a small project that had been on my to-do list for a while.  I knew I wanted to add paper to an existing bookcase at our beach bunker...  I guess all it took was a little inspiration from the check out line at Home Goods.  Funny how that happens.

My eye was caught by the wrapping paper while I was waiting for my turn...don't you just love that isle while you wait?  It's genius if you ask me...the perfect way to get you to spend just a little bit more money. 

Home Goods had lots of great choices, but my eye was instantly caught by the matte grey trellis pattern.  Game over.

I knew this would be a great neutral and allow the rest of the room to pop too.  

Here's a before of the bookcase I was working with.

Plain and more plain...

The first step was to clear the accessories and shelves. The previous homeowners cut that hole for their speakers.

Our living room has neon green, grey, beige, pops of navy, turquoise and more blue.  This grey pattern fits perfectly as a neutral to enhance and work well with those colors.  For the full Beach Bunker Tour complete with before and afters, click here.  

I needed a little over 42 inches wide which was longer than the width of the paper.  So I unrolled 42 inches and made my cut.  This pattern was perfect because it didn't matter which way I rolled and the pattern could easily be matched for the second sheet of paper behind the television.   I used clear thumb tacks in the corners to hold my paper up.

I recently bought this brass light at a thrift store for $6.  I knew this light would be a perfect inexpensive way to light up this bookshelf .  Once the accessories are brought back in you will not see the cords (or thumb tacks!).

What do you think?  It's the oldest trick in the book and it's a great way to add a little personality to your bookshelf.  You also don't have to make the commitment you would with say painting the back of the cabinet a color.  Plus, you can change the paper as often as you want.

And just for a little shock value to show you just how much life we gave to this little cottage...here's what the bookcase looked like when we purchased the house.

Holy Moly Guacamole!  It's come a long way from this dark and dreary decor.  For my tips and tutorial on how to paint knotty pine, click here.  It's a lot of work, but if done right you can enjoy for a lifetime.

The end result is an easy, stylish and sophisticated look that only took about 10 minutes and $2.99. 

Next weekends project?  Change out those hinges and handles.  Another simple, inexpensive project to transform the look of a bookcase.

Is this a project you would try?  Do you like the final result?  Have you checked out our Beach Bunker tour yet?  What are you waiting for?!

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Linking to: City Farmhouse, Three Mango Seeds, Thrifty Decor Chick, Savvy Southern Style, Just a girl and her blog