You Know That Ugly Bookcase You Have? Home Staging and Redesign Minneapolis MN

You know….the one you got in college that you have been moving with you to every new house. Or is it the one you got as a hand me down when you got your first place? Or maybe the one your spouse brought into the marriage that you have always hated?

We all have them. Tucked somewhere in a corner crammed with 'stuff'. Off in a forgotten guest room or office.

Well, I had one. And it wasn't tucked in a forgotten guest room. It was in the room right inside the front door. Big, bold and ugly for everyone to see.

(I was already packing up the 'stuff' from my husband's desk that had been in here thus all the piles. And I moved my husband's office upstairs out of the line of sight of the front door. LOL)

I have been wanting to do something with this ugly bookcase for years and just never found the time.

Well, I still didn't have the time but when we got new carpet throughout our home last month, everything had to be moved out and I decided I was not going to move that ugly bookcase back into the house until I did something with it.

First step….cut a small hole in the back of the bookcase if one is not already there so you can feed a cord through it. A bookcase with a lamp inside is always a cozy touch.

 Second, a coat of Primer which in this case was actually two coats to absorb into the dry wood. (I did not sand down the bookcase).

 Then two coats of my favorite white paint color: "White Dove" by Benjamin Moore.

 Looking better even with just the primer!

 But it is still kind of boring. I wanted to have some fun with it.

 So with a rounded tipped paint brush and an image in front of me of a scroll pattern from the internet, I started to free hand the back of the bookcase. 

 I used my favorite color….any lime green is my favorite color. LOL. In this instance it was "Guacamole" by Pittsburgh paints.

Now that is looking more fun!

For durability I put a coat of urethene over it. Please note that the one I used turned the white paint a soft ivory. I was okay with that. For pure coatings use a water based sealant.

 Here it is….dressed for success in all it's new coats. Ugly no more.

I now love my new sitting area and the bookcase is an eye catcher instead of an eye soar!

So go ahead, take your ugly bookcase and be inspired to make it into something special!

Shar Sitter, owner Rooms With Style Home Staging and Redesign Minneapolis MN.

CHSE and APSD Home Stager Pro Trainer

Originally Posted in: Rooms With Style Home Staging and Redesign Minneapolis MN.