Hello beautiful friends! Now that our kitchen makeover is complete (see the big reveal HERE!), I am back to my favorite thing of all: giving new life to forgotten gems!
Today I’m getting together with my Furniture Fixer Upper girls where we all share furniture flips. Be sure to look for links to their makeovers at the bottom!
My project for today is this bookcase I spied at a yard sale a couple of weekends ago:
I was out running errands that Saturday morning and of course I just cannot pass up a yard sale sign. An elderly couple was selling this bookcase for $25. That is a great deal for a solid wood bookcase, but I am cheap and didn’t want to insult them by offering what I really wanted to pay, so I left it behind and decided if it was still there on the way back, then I would make an offer.
Well it was! They had closed up for the day and this was still sitting in front of their garage. I offered $15 and they gladly accepted.
My original plan was to paint it for a young boy’s bedroom, but I had fun staging it for a bathroom:
I had originally planned to add little whales to the back as well, but I liked it when I got to this point. Plus it will be more versatile without the whales. It sure would have been cute though!
I used the old school painting method on this bookcase this time. Chalk paint is my favorite for most furniture pieces but since this will likely be getting heavy use holding books and all, I decided to sand, prime and paint. I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I love.
First I removed the backing. That makes painting shelves SO much easier! Then I had a few boo boos to take care of..
I sanded the whole piece with my rotary sander:
I learned this trick of hooking the sander right up to my shop vac from my fellow furniture fixer upper, Kandice from Just the Woods. Smart, right?? I had to rig mine up with duct tape, but it works!
After giving it a good vacuuming and wipe-down, I primed with leftover Kilz Premium Primer from our kitchen redo.
Then it got two coats of paint in Behr’s Wind Speed in Satin that I had leftover from our boys’ bathroom makeover.
For the back, I used the same blue. Then I used FrogTape for delicate surfaces doubled up to create broad stripes in white. See how I line up my stripes easily HERE. This is leftover paint also…Ultra Pure White from Behr in satin that we used on our kitchen cabinets. I love using up all those old paints!
It took three coats to cover the blue, then I immediately pulled the tape off after the third coat:
FrogTape is a dream to work with, and you know I love some stripes!
There is no need to seal it when you use a satin finish so that was it!
Remember that chair? I originally painted it to go with this desk HERE, but just had to keep it.
And you might remember this basket I painted as part of several “smalls” I shared in this post HERE…
I love painted baskets on shelves!
I borrowed the lantern and the grass from my boys’ bathroom…the lantern is a great place to store washcloths:
And just for fun…styled for a sweet boy:
It was fun working on something other than our kitchen for a change!
Don’t forget my friends are also sharing furniture makeovers today:
I’ll be back on Tuesday sharing what I made with these fabrics:
Have an amazing weekend, friends!
UPDATE: See what I created out of these pretty fabrics I had in my stash HERE now!
XOXO,
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Mary Kaiser says
Awesome, that turned out so cute. I really love the trim on the top of that bookcase. You are so lucky to find a deal like that. I love the wood book shelves, I own a lot of them, but this one would have gone in my car, my husband would be so THRILLED!! LOL. It turned out great, I love how your pieces are so neutral that you can use them in more than one space, so smart!! Are you keeping it or sending it to your #1 fan(me)? Ha Ha! Thanks for the inspiration once again!
Christy says
Thank you, Mary! That trim makes it sweet for sur. And yes bookcases serve so many functions so buy as many as you need ha ha! This will be going to the booth when I get around to taking it! XOXO
Christina in SW FL says
Fun makeover Christy and I bet it did feel great to work on something besides your kitchen. 🙂 The scallop detail really goes well with the stripes.
Christy says
Thank you, Christina! Yes a nice break from the kitchen!! XOXO
kandice kullmann says
This is so cute! I love the stripes! and hooking up the shop vac to the sander is a life safer lol
Christy says
Thank you, Kandice!! And I LOVE that sander/shop-vac tip!! XOXO
Cecilia says
Love a good bargain! The stripes make the piece for sure – love the idea of using it in a bathroom although it sure looks cute for a boy’s room too. I adore your makeovers! Keep ’em coming!
Christy says
This was a great deal at $15 for sure! Thank you, Cecilia!! XOXO
sharon says
LOVE it! So when are you coming to do my kitchen, btw?? lol
Thanks for the chance to win those cute pumpkins 🙂
Christy says
Thanks, Sharon! And ha ha I will add your name to the list…lots of requests lol! My sister wants me to help with hers…I told her I need to forget the pain of this one first! Good luck on the pumpkin drawing!! XOXO
Marcie Lovett says
Nicely done, Christy. Now you can get back to filling up that booth again because this one’s certainly not going to be around long!
Christy says
Thanks, Marcie! Yes…my booth is looking quite sad once again! XOXO
Jackie C says
I have a bookcase almost identical to yours
that I have been sitting on, undecided on what to do with it.
This may well be one of my favorite things you have done!
FANTASTIC!
I can’t wait to start mine.
Thank you!
????
Christy says
I’m so glad you liked this one, Jackie!! Have fun with yours!! XOXO
MaryJean says
What a great idea for the sander and taking the back off the bookcase definitely makes it easier to paint. I don’t know if I would be able to hook up my sander to the shop vac. I’d have to think about that. It’s not an orbital sander like yours. Love the bookcase!
Christy says
That sander trick is genius for sure! And yes agree about taking the back off of the bookcase. Thanks, MaryJean! XOXO
Lizzy Leff says
My neighbor gave me an outdated wooden bookcase with a bowed out top. It’s very 90’s. Unfortunately, the back piece is not wood, so I may have to ditch it. We’ll see. Anyway, your piece is ADORABLE and it sparked inspiration of what I can do with mine. I’m a sucker for blue & white stripes! Thanks!
Christy says
Thanks, Lizzy! You can have Lowes or Home Depot cut wood to the dimensions you need if you are able to replace the back? XO
Lizzy Leff says
GREAT idea. Yes! Thanks!
Gina says
Such a cute piece, I love the colors and stripes but can I tell you my reaction to hooking the sander up to the shop vac!!! Mouth open! You don’t know how many times I could have used this tip to save ALL kinds of clean up. Will be using that tip for sure. BTW love the wicker whale, Homegoods purchase probably? My favorite store but ours is low on coastal due to fall stuff. Anyway, thx for sharing your projects and tips as always.
Christy says
Thank you, Gina!! Yes…how smart is Kandice?? I stole that tip for sure! And you guessed it…the whale is from HomeGoods! 🙂 XOXO
Marie Blackburn says
If only that couple could see their bookcase now! So pretty with your signature stripes in blue & white.
Christy says
I know! I’m sure they would be thrilled to see it getting some love! Thanks, Marie! XOXO
Rose Lefebvre says
I love the new look and not using as a book case. It is a great piece!
Christy says
Thanks, Rose! This little cutie could hold just about anything! 🙂 XO
Debra Wise says
Beautiful makeover Christy!
Christy says
Thanks, Debra! XOXO
Jerri says
I love everything about this bookcase. The colors, the stripes. It probably would be cute with whales but this is a classier look. Beautiful
Christy says
Thank you, Jerri! I agree… the whales would only serve a child’s space, and this could be used anywhere! XOXO
Becky says
So cute! Maybe one of my girls will want stripes on her new shelves if I show them this… : )
Christy says
Maybe! It might be a fun change! 🙂
Jen @ Girl in the Garage says
Christy, OMG. So you won’t remember this by next summer, but I have two projects I’m currently working on for my book – one is a dresser striped very similar to your bookcase (it’s sitting in my kitchen right now, haha) with a little “extra” thrown into the design, and the other is a bookcase that is almost identical to this style, but the makeover is something totally different. 😉 I wish I could show you! Your project turned out super cute! xo
Christy says
Oh too funny!! I can’t wait to see what you’ve done for your book! Thank you! XOXO
Justina says
Your choice of color and the workmanship is truly inspired. Wish I had your vision.
Christy says
Wow thank you so much, Justina! I appreciate that! XOXO
Patricia Wilson says
Don’t you just love it when you can see the beauty and possibilities when you look at things? This is so lovely. I want it. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Christy says
Thank you, Patricia! Yes, it is really fun to see what’s in my head play out! XOXO
Ginny says
Such a pretty makeover! I am actually in the process of refinishing a bookcase. I never thought of taking the back off…I’m heading to the garage right now to see if I can! It would make the job so much easier.
Christy says
Thank you, Ginny! Yep…makes it so much easier! Hope you were able to remove yours! 🙂
barbara ann says
This post is so timely… i forgot I have a piece just like this. Somewhere in my backyard. This is a perfect idea. I think I will for grey & a vintage white. But thanks for sparking my brain!!
Christy says
Oh yay! Yes go get it and get to it ha ha! than k you! XOXO
Julie Briones says
So pretty, Christy… love the colors and the stripes. Today, while driving down the street, I spotted an old, solid wood hutch out on the curb. Sigh… one of the downsides of living small… I couldn’t pick it up, because I have NO place to put it, even just to make it over and sell it! Maybe someday… but I totally thought of you and Nancy when I passed it by. 😉
Christy says
Thanks, Julie! Oh no!!