• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Partner
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Southern Hospitality

Adventures in Decorating, Thrifting, Cooking, Fashion & Gardening

  • My Home
  • Categories
    • A+ Blogs
    • My Blog Story
    • Decorating
    • DIY/How-To
    • Family
    • Gardening
    • In the Kitchen
    • My Home Tours
    • Thrifting
    • Travel
  • DIY Gallery
  • Fashion
  • Feature Friday
  • Shop My Home
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

New & Improved Bookcase

October 9, 2008 By Rhoda 95 Comments

116 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

BEFORE:

And AFTER: (shelves not back in yet)
You all remember the bookcase found at the yardsale for $50. I’ll show you step by step on how it is now transformed into a whole NEW look.
Went to Home Depot and spent $18 on a sheet of pine beadboard. I wanted the real wood look and they even cut it for free. I took off the old backing, measured it carefully, and asked the guy to cut a new piece that would fit exactly on the back. I even have some left over pieces for another project.
I went ahead and primed the whole piece, including the shelves, as well as the beadboard.
Love this tiny foam roller for jobs like this, it makes quick work of painting the flat parts. A brush comes in handy for the molding.

Here it is with the first coat of black.

And you can barely tell this is blue on the beadboard, but it is! I ended up putting 3 coats of black on most everything to get the depth I wanted.
Turned the bookcase face down inside on the carpet, so it wouldn’t mess up my new paint.
And with a hammer and small nails, I went around all the beadboard edging, nailing it to the back of the bookcase. Worked like a charm!
And here you have it…the new and improved bookcase! Don’t you think it looks a LOT better now? For a total of $68, it can’t be beat. And the beadboard really kicks it up a notch.
The beadboard color is lighter than this & you’ll see it changing in all these shots as the light is different.

It’s hard to get a decent pic of black furniture, but here are the details. I took some sandpaper & distressed it slightly and then rubbed some stain over those spots to deepen the wood. There were already some little holes in the pine that gave it a more rustic look, so they show up with the black paint too.
Not too much distressing, just a bit.
I love it!
Fairly accurate color of the beadboard. The color is Sherwin Williams Rain.
Another fun project! I’m really getting geared up to finish this room now. I may muddle through those slipcovers and see how I do with it. I’ve got the paint purchased and am ready to start painting any day now, so you will see a new room in a few weeks!

I have to put in a plug for this new movie, Fireproof. If you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor and GO! This is from the producers of Facing the Giants and I love that Hollywood is finally taking note of Christian-based movies and that people are responding to them. Kirk Cameron (of Growing Pains fame) stars in this movie and it’s a wonderful story of love and forgiveness and how God can put a marriage back together again. I hear it’s doing well at the box office and I hope all of you go see it too. Let’s support this movie!

Hope to see a few of you Birmingham girls at my yardsale on Saturday (8 a.m.) If you want to drop by & haven’t emailed me for directions yet, please do! I’ll be sure and post some pics of the sale later on. I’ve been busy this week with some projects and getting all that yardsale stuff together. It will be great to clear out the stash closet!

Related


Don't Miss a Post, join my list!

Filed Under: Paint Project, Projects and How-To 95 Comments

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. The Decorated House says

    October 9, 2008 at 12:32 pm

    That type of bookcase is usually made so well. Now it looks fabulous with your hard work transforming it.
    Donna

    Reply
  2. DeeAnne says

    October 9, 2008 at 12:59 pm

    You did such a great job on this bookcase. You are being such an inspiration to me to get up and start freshening up my home decor! I even stopped at a yard sale Saturday (thanks to you) and bought a great glass peice that I am going to use on my front porch. Good luck with your yard sale. I wish I could come shopping.

    DeeAnne

    Reply
  3. KJ says

    October 9, 2008 at 1:04 pm

    My hubby and I loved this movie. We both shed a few tears. It really boils like down to what’s important!

    Your bookcase is wonderful. God sure blesses your creativity! Really, it is amazing!

    Also, I just saw that you won a Matthew Mead book @ Restyled Home! You go girl!

    Oh happy day!
    KJ

    Reply
  4. linda says

    October 9, 2008 at 1:07 pm

    The bookcase looks terrific…you did an amazing job!

    If I’ve learned anything at all from blogging, I’ve learned that black paint can make anything look gorgeous!

    Reply
  5. Kat says

    October 9, 2008 at 2:46 pm

    That bookcase is gorgeous! I had no doubt that with the Rhoda makeover treatment it would be beautiful.

    Reply
  6. Holly says

    October 9, 2008 at 3:26 pm

    Just beautiful…love the beadboard. We really enjoyed Fireproof too!

    Reply
  7. Rosemary says

    October 9, 2008 at 3:41 pm

    Love it Rhoda!! A lovely transformation!! I am really liking the black color.
    I haven’t visited you in awhile.
    I miss catching up with you. Just super busy, but you know how that is.
    Rosemary

    Reply
  8. Bo says

    October 9, 2008 at 3:49 pm

    Hello Ms. Rhoda…well, you’ve done it again…turned a sow’s ear (it wasn’t that bad before) into a silk purse…and for so little $$.
    Your hubby must be really proud of you now…Your guestroom makeover is nearing the finish line!
    😉 Bo

    Reply
  9. Melissa Wertz says

    October 9, 2008 at 3:59 pm

    Oh I like that!!! Email coming your way.

    Reply
  10. Karen @ Arise and Shine says

    October 9, 2008 at 4:12 pm

    You did a wonderful job on the bookshelf, thanks for giving us detail pictures. Hope you find some great items at Saturday yardsales.
    Blessings-

    Reply
  11. Frantic Home Cook says

    October 9, 2008 at 4:22 pm

    I swear you have a magic wand that transforms items into new object d’art. Lovely as usual. I’m stealing this idea.

    Reply
  12. Tracy says

    October 9, 2008 at 4:31 pm

    Rhoda, the shelf turned out beautiful. Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a sweet comment.

    Reply
  13. Southerner says

    October 9, 2008 at 4:49 pm

    Oh, Rhoda, it looks so good. I am painting an executive desk that I picked up at a garage sale. I did a dark tan/brown color then put on elmers glue then painted a topcoat of a tobacco road color and it crackles. I did the top first and you can only brush one direction and it gets really tacky and looks horrible. So I decided to do the rest with a roller and was going to sand and redo the top. As soon as I finished rolling the front and one side the top looked fabulous and I hate where I rolled it. So I finished the other front and other side with a brush to crackle and guess I will sand and just repaint the other two the dark color and start over. Learn as you go, huh?

    I wish I could come to your garage sale, too. I am really trying hard to put off some jobs and just finish what I have waiting for me. We have used a lot of our emergency fund and I am putting everything into rebuilding it.

    I see you won!!!! Congrats!

    Reply
  14. Pattie T. says

    October 9, 2008 at 4:54 pm

    You did a fantastic job! I’ve been furniture shopping lately and you have saved yourself a bundle of money. Thanks for posting your step-by-step procedure.

    Reply
  15. Daisy Cottage says

    October 9, 2008 at 4:55 pm

    AWESOME… AWESOME… AWESOME!

    YOU are sooooo good!!

    Love you,
    Kim

    Reply
  16. MizSmoochieLips says

    October 9, 2008 at 5:07 pm

    That’s so nice!!

    Reply
  17. Jerri Lynn @ Southern Sassyness says

    October 9, 2008 at 5:08 pm

    Great job on the bookcase – it looks awesome! You are so fast – what a great project!

    Reply
  18. sarah @ a beach cottage says

    October 9, 2008 at 5:23 pm

    oooh I love it in black, good tutorial, great idea with the beading, I might try that on something I’m working on

    love the Power of Paint as Mr BC would say!

    good luck with the yardsale, i’m sure we are gonna get a virtual tour of it?? hope so *smile

    Sarah

    Reply
  19. nikkicrumpet says

    October 9, 2008 at 5:38 pm

    That bookcase is awesome! I would kill for one that pretty…actually three that pretty! I have a whole library wall to fill! Thanks for the step by step!

    Reply
  20. Sandy says

    October 9, 2008 at 5:49 pm

    Love the bookcase makeover!
    I have an armoire and you’ve given me some ideas on how I can give it a much needed makeover.
    Have a wonderful weekend.
    Blessings,
    Sandy
    PS I’m having a giveway over at my blog so if you have a chance come on over!

    Reply
« Older Comments
Newer Comments »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Thanks for stopping by! I’m Rhoda, from Atlanta, GA and I love decorating and DIY projects. Decorating a home doesn’t have to cost a fortune and I’ve spent years thrifting at antiques markets and yard sales, finding those treasures that make a home unique. I’m here to inspire and encourage other women to find their own inner creativity. Won’t you join me?

Click Here

Click Here

Email Series
How to Decorate in
Classic Timeless Style
.....without breaking the bank!

House Renovation Journey!

Our Paint Colors

Archives

Categories

Footer Widget Header2

Featured here:

Better Homes and Gardens
Atlanta Magazine
Better Homes and Gardens

Footer

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Partner

Copyright © 2023 · Southern Hospitality · Blog Design by Little Blue Deer
Privacy Policy

Get my FREE Email Series How to Decorate in Classic Timeless Style....without breaking the bank!
After years of decorating my own homes, I've learned a few tricks on how to create a classic home on a budget. Hope you'll join me!
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.