skip to main content

Home Decorating

Should this bookcase be painted or not?

ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9

15 years ago

When we moved into this house I had wanted to paint this bookcase the same color as the walls but somehow this never got done because of the many other projects we were tackling in our 1980's ranch-style house. Later we thought it was okay as it was but I'm having doubts now. I'd love to have some sincere opinions on this to help me make up my mind.

Thank you so much for your input; it's much appreciated.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (18)

Oakley
15 years ago
I wouldn't. I like the color of the wood, it's something different but it still looks good with the rest of the house. I think it's perfect as is!
teacats
15 years ago
A vote for painting the bookcase! :)

LOVE your paintings BTW!

Jan
Related Discussions
Should I buy this bookcase? Help me decide!
Q
Comments (40)
Karinl, thank you! Sometimes you see a piece and you just KNOW it's the one. That's what happened here. With the cabinet, and with DH! Lindac, how old do you think it is? It would be fun to know. I'm feeling really good about this purchase. I'm anxious to git 'er done! The floor. I come up with crazy ideas and DH always says "we can do that". I was apprehensive about putting a rug in the room because the doors are our only access to the back yard. Four grandsons and muddy feet...you get the picture. I have always loved inlaid floors, so we thought a wood rug was the way to go. The design came out of the scary place I call my brain. Drew it up in Auto Cad with a detailed measured plan. The natural oak is the flooring we installed in the rest of the downstairs rooms. Off we went to Lumber Liquidators with a piece of it. We first had to find something that the tongues and grooves fit together correctly. We settled on the teak because it fit, we liked the color, and there were only 3 boxes left so we got it for a song! It was important to me that the contrasting wood be real as opposed to stained in the event we ever have to refinish the floor. Don't want to lose the contrast! DH cut every little piece to fit. He then routed grooves into the cut ends and inserted splines where tongues were needed. It all went together like a giant puzzle. Not bad for prefinished hardwood flooring! Sorry for the novel. Aren't you glad you asked?
...See More
should i use a hidden door bookcase? need opinions
Q
Comments (9)
If you use the space often, I think it would be annoying to have the bookcase as the door. I am guessing it would get left open if that was the case (This comment is not from experience, though.) I agree that it looks best as one element in a wall of bookcases. It doesn't mean it looks bad, otherwise....I'd love one in my home. I just don't have any place appropriate. :) I always envision these used to cover something you actually want to be private.... personal documents, a safe, etc. Something a thief wouldn't know is there...... I suppose in a master bedroom this would be a good hiding spot if an intruder was in your house and you had time.... (unlikely, yes, but it happens.....)
...See More
Should the buffet match the bookcases or the dining room table?
Q
Comments (11)
Hi Patricia, thank you for taking the time to comment! If you saw the space, it would be easier for you to understand why we need the unit to be white and go all the way from the living room to the dining room. I'll post a picture, but right now our huge book collection is in boxes in the space where the bookcases will be, and we aren't bringing in the new table (and installing our chandelier-west elm zigzag capiz)until the bookcases are installed. So the picture won't be 100% representative, but you'll see that the floors are a very dark wood, our table is dark wood, and our couch is dark brown leather...I really don't want the huge bookcase unit to be dark as well. Although the unit will be white, we have many large books that are shades of brown, navy and maroon, so the bright white will be warmed by the books inside the bookcase. In terms of the tablecloth, my home is blessed with many children who do homework, eat snacks, and color at the dining room table. Leaving it uncovered, would mean certain death to the table. The major question is about the buffet,server piece. The person making our bookcases said he could make a buffet to match the bookcases, but I'm not sure whether it will look good to have a white buffet with a dark wood table even though the bookcases will be a part of ther dining room? The buffet would go under the mirror in the dining area.
...See More
How tall should the bookcases be?
Q
Comments (5)
How much linear space do you need for shelving? Maybe think about that first. You don’t have to have all shelves. You can have enclosed storage on the bottom with doors, (maybe double doors) on each side that go up 3-4 feet. You can use the enclosed storage for things like games, chess, backgammon, audio- visual equipment, and logs and matches for the fireplace if it is wood-burning. Also a good idea to keep there are things for entertaining in that room such as coasters, cocktail napkins, candles, a tray. You might want to think about whether you want simple shelves behind those doors or deep drawers which obviate the need for kneeling down and sticking your head in the back to look for something. Another option is a shelf that rolls out on a glider mechanism. And you can add a “lip” of a few inches at the front so small things don’t fly off. You can also have one drawer at the top for the smaller things like the coasters, candles, matches, candle snuffer, etc. Once you have that you do that on each side you can do shelving the rest of the way to the ceiling. I would request shelving that is adjustable, and that is very thick, so it doesn’t bow with the weight of books. Do remember to add attractive molding on the sides, top and bottom of the shelves as that is what distinguishes custom, finish carpenter work from simple IKEA shelving. Of course you will know how to arrange things on your shelves so they look attractive. You can have books, live plants and interesting objects that you collect or fancy that are large enough to be clearly seen from the seating area. Works of art can be displayed by hanging them from the edge of the shelf. There might be a place in the room or a nearby room for you to store a step- stool to get things down from the uppermost shelves, but if the things at the top are not what you would really need, you will be fine.
...See More
newbuyer2007
15 years ago
I think it will fit in a little better if you paint it.
lynninnewmexico
15 years ago
Gosh, it fits perfectly there! And, it's such a great, practical place for a bookcase, too. I think it can work either way, Ingrid, but my choice would be to paint it the wall color. Why? Because at the moment, it's a focal point in your room and the dark color and it's many, random books in it make it look very busy . . . which is typical of almost all bookcases; they're practical places to store our books! I think that painting it to blend into the wall a bit more will give it a nice, built-in look. You might even consider adding a bit of wood trim, before painting it, for some architectual detail. BTW, you do have it anchored to the wall for safety reasons, don't you? You could add molding to the back edge to really give it a totally built-in look.
Lynn
cooperbailey
15 years ago
I think paint will really do that corner justice. It will look built in to boot!
parma42
15 years ago
Paint it, from one who would usually say no. :)
blueheron
15 years ago
Paint it, it will look built-in.
artlover13060
15 years ago
Paint it, from one who would usually say yes. :)

You wanted balanced opinions, right? Just kidding, but yes, I would paint it the wall color. It fits so perfectly there that I think painting it would make it look even more like a built in.

I love the arched doorways and your wall colors, BTW.
HomeMaker
15 years ago
I would paint it the trim colour, and add a small crown molding to the top.

You have a lovely home.
lindac
15 years ago
if you paint it.....then the books will stand out more....as it is, the books in the bookcase are part of the whole.
I say don't paint it....and this from someone who painted built in bookcases....and wishes she didn't.
Linda C
ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you all so much for your input. My husband had talked about sheetrocking it in but I like your ideas of how to trim it out so much better, I think that would look really wonderful. Lynn, thank you for asking, yes it is attached to the wall. We're not in prime earthquake country in San Diego County but do have the occasional tremor, and it's just best to be safe all the way around. Weird things can and do happen.

I'm getting very excited about this, although we do have some other projects to do first. I'll certainly post "after" pictures for anyone who is interested. Thanks again, you wonderful people.
juddgirl2
15 years ago
I vote for painting it, since I think it would blend in better with your pretty cottage country decor, but I think it would look better painted the color of your trim. Maybe you could add molding to the top to make it look even more like a built-in?
TxMarti
15 years ago
I vote no paint. My mom had one like that & painted it, and it just doesn't look right to me now.
anotherlinda
15 years ago
Would it be possible to restain the bookcase in a deeper tone similar to that lovely little table in the bottom left corner of your pic? You could also add a stained crown moulding.

I love the way your end table compliments the wall colors and other decor.

Linda
susan209
15 years ago
My opinion, I love the look of such a nice wood in the corner, the books look so great there. I always enjoy the pics of your home, it's has such a cozy feeling to it. I also agree with putting a piece of trim wood along the top, will give it a built-in look. As always, thanks for sharing.
sable_ca
15 years ago
I would paint it to match the wall color. Not sure about adding trim to the top, but I would consider adding it on the bottom to flow with the baseboards.

We had a large deep bookcase in DH's small, rather dark study. When our painter was doing the walls, he suggested that we let him paint the bookcase to match and we would see the room lighten up. He was right! The room is larger and brighter and everything in it looks much better.
cat_tail
15 years ago
I would also paint it to match the trim (or perhaps walls), and I think the molding on the bottom would look great.
goldengirl327
15 years ago
I vote to paint it the same as the trim and add the moulding at the top to give it that custom built-in look. What a great use of space!

Related Stories

COLOR Paint Your Bookcases to Transform Your Room

By Laura Gaskill

Give your shelves some color for a whole new look. Here are 10 examples, from subtle to bold, and some styling tips to try

Get More Bang From Your Bookcase

By Kristy Woodson Harvey and Beth Woodson

Revive your room by reimagining a bookcase with paint, art, light and unexpected objects

ORGANIZING Handmade Home: How to Style Your Bookcase

A few simple tips can help you transform a bookcase into an artful display

DECORATING STYLES 11 Beautiful Ways to Style a Bookcase

By Michelle Gage | Interior Designer

Discover tips, tricks and techniques for showcasing your favorite reads and treasures

ORGANIZING Guest Picks: Storage and Styling for a Child's Bookcase

By Vanessa Francis

A kid's bookshelf can do more than hold books. Use those shelves to keep clutter under control

GREAT HOME PROJECTS How to Create a Secret Doorway Behind a Bookcase

By Mitchell Parker

Hide your valuables (or unsightly necessities) in a room or nook that no one will guess is there

STORAGE Watch an Innovative Bookcase Convert Before Your Eyes

By Mitchell Parker

Judge the problem-solving ability of these rotating shelves for yourself, but we think it’s an open-and-shut case

Love to Read? Built-in Bookcases Are for You

ROOM OF THE DAY Room of the Day: Color-Coded Bookcase Spiffs Up a Nashville Library

By Mitchell Parker

Starting from nothing, designer Hannah Crowell crafted an eclectic decor scheme that turns traditional style on its head

STORAGE Bookcases and Floating Shelves That Break the Mold

By Laura Gaskill

Linear horizontal shelves have their place, but you can also get creative. Here are some ideas to spark inspiration

Sponsored

More Discussions

Help us pick a kitchen stool.

8

design help on Spanish style home

19

Need help with sitting room/lounge room furniture

10

Undercabinet Lighting in Kitchen

2

the right color area rug to go with a warm grey couch

0