IMO the first question is what are you using them all for ? Are you having a TV in this space. I think bookshelves are best for books and usually they re cluttered with stuff really not worth displaying so more nfo for sure . IMO do the flooring first then you can decide what to do with the shelves , Is that FP gas or wood burning ? The reason I ask is the hearth if you are dooing the floor that needs to be addressed . Where I love the gas FP does not require a hearth so chack that out and also do you love the FP as it is .? Slapping paint on something without a plan is just bad .

It’s just personal preference, of course, but I think they look nice and would not paint them.

Do a search ’mid century built-in bookcases’ and lots of nice images come up that may inspire you not to paint them.

They're not crying out for paint IMO. Unless you have stuff to fill all those shelves I would remove the sections on the far right and far left when you do the flooring. Because of the way the doors are on the bottom section you would really be removing all of them and replacing them with smaller units. If you will be watching TV in this room one of them should be configured for a TV. Alternatively, remove them completely and just use a console for the TV. If you do replace them you can get them factory finished in whatever color you decide on. If you don't change the fireplace surround you will have to take that into account when choosing a color. If you're not ready to change the flooring yet, take some time to look at pictures on Houzz and create an Ideabook of inspiration pictures for the room.

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I would paint them. Too much wood in such a small space, IMO. Here are some examples of painted built-ins:

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Go bold with the color. And paint the remaining walls a bright white.

Notice that inspiration photos have very different architectural details, elements, and styles. It makes a big difference.

Sabrina, I’ve always loved this house you did:

https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/portola-valley-artist-haven-pj-vj~6329806

The wood is so lovely. Reminds me a bit of the OP’s room and might inspire regarding adding rugs, furniture, and other things.

Do you have enough hard cover books or a special collection of something meaningful (other than photos) to fill all the shelves? If not, and you keep them, you'll be back asking for help styling them nicely. If you can't do the floors now, then only remove the shelves and the paneling above the fireplace. Leave the bases so you don't have a flooring issue under them. TV can be located on either side, depending on outlets and getting connected there. Once you have the budget for your new floors, remove the base cabinets as well, and that's when you redo the fireplace.

Thanks, @Jilly! Yeah, that project was both fun and a challenge. We couldn't paint the redwood walls, so we had to get creative with the built-ins. That teal color we used (Benjamin Moore Dragonfly) really added some pizzazz to the space. Turned out great.

Hence my suggestion to go bold with the colors on the cabinetry. I was showing the above photos more for color inspo rather than specific architectural similarity.

Love the teal!

OP, maybe you could incorporate that somehow (rug? pillows?). Looks so nice with vintage wood. :)

I don’t think I’d paint the wood either - at least not now if you’re planning flooring change. I wondered though if it’s a manageable project to remove the paneling above the fireplace & paint it the same color as walls. Then hang art there. A mockup could help to determine how much of a difference that would make but I think it would be substantial. I see outlets inside shelving on both sides - if TV in that room is a plan then I’d also reconfigure the best side for that by removing shelves & center shelf support to install a TV size to fill the space or at leasr center in the space.

The photos don't give enough indication of the quality of the wood. I can't even tell what's on the fireplace. Any chance of better photos? From what I can see, I'd leave it.

(Peel back a tiny bit of the rug and peek under. I would not be surprised to find a restorable hardwood floor under it, which would be vastly better than laminate.)

I would paint them.

They are either cheap construction or good construction in a style that appears cheap. The boards in back are meant to emulate wall paneling, which is a style that became popular in mobile homes and thus lost some popularity in other places. This is not to say they are cheap paneling, just that the general look is unappealing to many people, because of the prevalence of cheap paneling.

Furthermore, it mixes styles that shouldn't mix. You have a (blotchy) rustic finish, on rustic paneling, over a pretty deep wainscoting. In my opinion, cover the paneling and paint it.

Jenifer, do the cabinet doors open or are they just decorative? I saw a mid century house recently that had similar, but with vintage cabinet pulls in the middle of each door.

Do you know what the wood is?

What is your decor style?

Great comments so far, so thankful for all the different ideas! Perhaps leaving the wood for now, adding some lights and changing out wall colors and adding color with rugs and pillows may be the best option... I believe the wood is maple but I'm not sure we haven't closed on the house yet just trying to gather some ideas on which projects to tackle first. Sadly, there are no hardwoods under the carpet. We were thinking of putting the TV above the fireplace.. Love the idea of adding a wood mantle though!

If we leave the wood alone for now what wall/trim colors would you recommend? I love the look of the "country farm house" style

If you paint the built-ins then we would suggest you also paint the wood around the windows, as it wouldn't be uniform then. Are you planning on changing the paint or carpet too?

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