How I Decorated My Transformed Bookcase

Awhile back I took a thrift store bookcase from ugly to beautiful.  Since then I’ve restyled it five different times; that is the beauty and the fun of a bookcase or a mantle or your coffee table  ~ you can play with it and move things around and change things out, based on the season, your mood or new purchases. So I thought it was time to share how I decorated my transformed bookcase.

How I Decorated My Transformed Bookcase

Version 1 (March, 2015)

After I finished the transformation of my flea market bookcase, Sweet Shark and I attached it to the wall with L-brackets. Then it took me two days to bring down books (what you see is maybe 25% of our books) from upstairs and arrange them and the other decorative details and pictures.  Now we had space on each side of the bookcase to place Sweet Shark’s signed and number Dali prints which had been in the dining room. They look so much better here, bringing in more color and balance to the living room.

Decorating my Transformed Bookcase

Bookcase view 1 - Copy

I’ve had this heirloom silver lamp for years.  My friend Susie and her father had a business making lamps and I love having a beautiful lamp for accent.

Decorating my Transformed Bookcase

I bought this Van Gogh print at a garage sale a few years ago for $5 and I’ve been waiting for the right place to feature it.  I bought the birds at Sample House a few months ago.  They have been patiently waiting for a home.

Decorating my Transformed Bookcase

We had these topiaries at our other house; I sprayed them with water to freshen them up.  The vase I found at a wonderful store, Doozie’s Corner in McKinney, Texas.  I love the color and the French look.

Decorating my Transformed Bookcase

I was through with the bookcase and I loved it.  Since it’s only 12 inches deep, we gained about a foot of space and its height really fills the 20 foot wall.  It makes me smile.

Version 2 (August, 2015)

Last August my older daughter came to visit. We hadn’t been home from the airport for 10 minutes when we started talking about the bookcase and decided to do some rearranging.

First, we removed all the dust covers from the books and arranged them somewhat by color. I used a white crock as a bookend.

How I Decorated My Transformed Bookcase

I moved the silver lamp and replaced it with this lamp that I found at a garage sale. I painted it and made a fabric-covered lamp shade. You can see how I did it here.

How I Decorated My Transformed Bookcase

Then I added this letter that I bought in gold at Hobby Lobby and used Gilding Wax to make it silver.

How I Decorated My Transformed Bookcase

Then we added another painting on the top shelf, a reproduction of a Van Gogh, that had been in the kitchen.  Another print that was upstairs came downstairs. And a basket that I’ve had for years and always loved. We removed the topiaries and changed out some photos. And instead of laying big coffee table books flat, we stood them upright.

How I Decorated My Transformed Bookcase

The little blue-eyed, blonde cutie in the picture is Lilah, our youngest granddaughter.

How I Decorated My Transformed Bookcase

After I made my green moss balls, I put one in a mercury glass holder that was in my bathroom; I thought we needed a little bling.

How I Decorated My Transformed Bookcase

Holiday Versions 3 and 4

Then came Halloween and I found a home for these decorations on one shelf.

How I Decorated My Transformed Bookcase

Well, you know what comes after Halloween and Thanksgiving.

How I Decorated My Transformed Bookcase

And then came 2016.

Version 5 (January 2016)

After taking down all the Christmas decorations, I was ready to switch things up a bit.

Before Christmas, I removed the framed print from the middle shelf  and added a garage sale frame that I painted.  It acts as a frame around the lamp.

How I Decorated My Transformed Bookcase

I found these cute tin cups at a flea market before Christmas and couldn’t wait to use them.

How I Decorated My Transformed Bookcase

Here is the bookcase as it looks today.  I won’t promise that it will stay this way.  The next flea market may deliver a treasure that just begs to be on the bookcase.

How I Decorated My Transformed Bookcase

I hope you enjoyed my little bookcase tour. I love home decor and I’m always adding pictures to my Home Decor Board on Pinterest. Please check it out.

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2 Comments

  1. Carol, your bookshelf looks amazing. I love the way you have it fixed right now. The paint job is gorgeous too. Pinned.

    1. Thank you. I like it too. Always a work in progress.

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