Here's the "before" picture above. That's me with my sweet girl, and my two other furry ones. Ugh, remind me never to cut bangs again :0 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's the After...
Amazing what a little paint can do isn't it? As soon as they were painted, I went straight to work accessorizing these babies! I really didn't want to spend a lot of money, as we had just finished installing hardwood floors and that was pricey.
The first items I gathered were books...both my favorite ones and some vintage thrift store ones that I snagged for just 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...for less! It's all about surrounding yourself with the things you love... family memories, a few thrifty finds, and some revamped accessories too.
Happy Accessorizing!

I love the look of your bookcase now. Just painting it made a dramatic difference, but the accessories are fantastic, too.
ReplyDeleteLove the difference a little white makes! Wow! I just cleaned out my IKEA shelving unit and removed enough to fill 4 bags... I enjoyed seeing a simple, and tasteful display to give me inspiration!!!
ReplyDeleteLove how bright and fresh it looks with the white paint.
ReplyDeleteThanks guys...we love our built in's too! And they are one of my favorite things to decorate.
ReplyDeleteJane
FF
Hi Jane, I like your idea of putting a ampersand in the bookcase. Maybe you can put books before that and after that so if looks meaningful!
ReplyDelete- Herman Swan