9 Beautiful Bookcase Makeovers

Transform the boring bookcase or armoire that has been hiding in your basement for years into a fresh find perfect for any room of your house.

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Contemporary Concealment

Fabric Makeover

Drinks Cabinet

Country Cupboard

Laundry Station

Cottage Cover-Up

Retro Fab

Easy Makeover

Swedish Style

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Enitial Lab Union 2-in-1 Bookcase/ Writing Desk $156.99 Overstock.com

Crate & Barrel Shift Black 74" Bookcase $199.00 Crate & Barrel

Enitial Lab Twain Black Room Divider/ Bookcase $152.99 Overstock.com

Way Basics Way Basics Modular 6 Cube Bookcase - Green $120.00 Walmart

Enitial Lab Wood Bookcase/ Display Cabinet $229.99 Overstock.com

Enitial Lab Pixie Leaning Tower Bookcase/ Display Shelf $130.99 Overstock.com

Pottery Barn Hendrix Bookcase $799.00 Pottery Barn

Enitial Lab Addison Cappuccino Bookcase Display Stand $211.99 Overstock.com

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Contemporary Concealment

BEFORE: Even though this bookcase is unfinished and bare, it features a strong profile and architectural details like crown molding and fluted trim, making it a perfect candidate for a makeover.

Contemporary Concealment

AFTER: Pull the shade on unsightly essentials while showing off your organized storage bins. Start by giving the bookcase a rich color with a deep ebony gel stain finish. To create the handy shade, purchase a linen roller shade to fit in the width of the bookcase then install the hardware on the inside edges of the frame. Finish off the shade pull with a decorative finial or tassel.

Find a furniture repair or refinishing pro in your area.

Fabric Makeover

BEFORE: This partially stripped chest had seen its last days until its grand makeover.

Fabric Makeover

AFTER: With a coat of black paint, fabric-covered panels on all sides, and new hardware, this beautiful bureau will make a statement in any room.

Drinks Cabinet

BEFORE: This old armoire, which was found at a garage sale, just needed a fresh coat of paint (and a new purpose) to give it a new life.

Find a furniture repair or refinishing pro in your area.

Drinks Cabinet

AFTER: New lacquer-like paint, inside and out, was the first step to transform this armoire into a one-of-a-kind drink center. To make the most of the space, two wine racks snuggle below a piece of 1/4-inch-thick glass for a double layered look.

Country Cupboard

BEFORE: This bare bookcase was in desperate need of a makeover.

Country Cupboard

AFTER: To transform this bookcase into a cupboard, add a pair of pretty shutters with a touch of country character. We ordered these cut-to-fit shutters from www.diyshutters.com. Or you can search your local home center. After sanding, priming, and painting the pieces, hang the shutters on the bookcase with cabinetry hinges. Top it off with a forge-iron shutter bolt to secure the doors closed.

Laundry Station

BEFORE: After years of being the focus of the family room, this rundown entertainment center was converted into a handy laundry station.

Find a furniture repair or refinishing pro in your area.

Laundry Station

AFTER: A bright new finish teamed with well-placed hooks and shelves gives new life to a has-been entertainment center. To make the laundry station even more efficient, a folded ironing board, mounted at just the right height, tucks away when not in use. Hang all the freshly ironed clothes on a clothing bar installed in the tallest section of the unit to keep shirts wrinkle-free. The bar doubles as a spot to drip-dry delicates.

Cottage Cover-Up

BEFORE: Discount stores, flea markets, and garage sales are perfect places to find an unfinished bookcase that's ready to be transformed.

Cottage Cover-Up

AFTER: With a pretty damask print in the background and a sassy skirt, this bookcase is given a cottage chic makeover with a feminine flair. To get this look, start by painting the case and shelves cream. Cover the back with a piece of wallpaper in a floral, toile, or damask pattern. Just remember to keep the pattern simple so it doesn't take away from the items you are showcasing in the bookcase.

Retro Fab

BEFORE: Blonde-finish cabinets like this one were common in the 1950s.

Retro Fab

AFTER: Silver and gold leaf was used to make over and modernize the door fronts. If your cabinet doesn't have well-defined grooves in the surface, create the look with leafing squares, applying one at a time and leaving a tiny space between them.

Easy Makeover

BEFORE: This dated knotty-pine armoire had good bones but it needed a serious makeover.

Easy Makeover

AFTER: Covered in chocolate with soft-white glossy enamel doors, it's now the focal point of the room. Large brown knobs, which replaced the barely noticeable hardware, complete the transformation.

Swedish Style

BEFORE: This ordinary bookshelf was turned into the perfect spot for display china.

Swedish Style

AFTER: A weathered sage-green finish, coordinating fabric panels over the lower shelves, and doilies lining the shelf fronts make this repurposed bookshelf an appealing focal point in any dining room. To get the weathered finish, start by priming the wood. Then apply a base coat of cream acrylic paint. After the paint dries, rub a wax candle on the edges and sides of the bookcase frame. Paint the bookshelves with a sage-green semigloss acrylic using a dry brush to create an imperfect finish.

Get more furniture makeover ideas.

9 Beautiful Bookcase Makeovers

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