The V Spot

Rants, observations, and home decorating... from a woman with no time for a blog.


  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Home
    • Privacy Policy
  • All Blog Posts
  • Crafts
    • All projects
    • By Project
      • Accessories
      • Artwork
      • Before & After
      • Cheap & Easy
      • decor
      • Floral Design & Centerpieces
      • Furniture
      • garden & outdoors
      • Glass
      • no-sew
      • Upcycle – Recycle
      • Wreaths
    • By Season
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
    • By Materials
      • corks
      • epsom salt
      • fabric
      • Mod Podge
      • Paper
      • Spray Paint
      • Sticks
    • Round-Ups
  • Holidays
    • Halloween
      • Pumpkins
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Cinco de Mayo
    • Mother’s Day
    • 4th of July
  • Food & Drink
    • All recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Appetizers
    • Side Dish
    • Main Dish
    • Desserts
    • Drinks & Wines
    • Tables & Decor
  • Real Life
    • Family
      • Grant
      • parenting
    • Tales To Tell
    • friends
    • Keepin’ It real
    • Tips & Tricks
      • cleaning
      • Health & Beauty
      • Let me help you
      • organization
    • Just Funny
      • No Mom wants to hear…
      • Exchange of the Day
      • Snarky
      • wacky strangers
      • Big Time Fail

A beachy bookcase makeover.

May 1, 2013 10 Comments

I have been wanting to replace the little secretary desk by our front door for a long time.  I knew I probably wanted a book case and had my eye out for one that was just the right size.  Ding-ding-ding! We have a winner!  I love how this beachy bookcase makeover turned out!
bookcase, coastal, tidal, blue, burlap, texture, mercury glass, diy, before and after.
 

Last month I went to Habitat ReStore with Barbara from Chase the Star and along with the lamps that we bought to re-do, I scored this solid guy for a mere $49.  

Pretty ugly, right?  He was pretty solid though, and that’s the important part.  I had to spackle holes and caulk big gaps, then sand the whole thing pretty well to smooth it all out.
I decided to spray paint the whole thing because I’m pretty lazy, and the thought of getting in all of those corners with a paintbrush got me all twisty.  I used a paint and primer combo and eliminated an extra step.
The paint I used is Valspar’s Color Radiance in Mellow Spring.  It took 4 cans to completely cover the bookcase.  Because I was painting for such a long time, I went ahead and got a mask on.  (I rarely use them.  Do as I say, not as I do.  OK, kids?)
 
I let the bookcase sit and really “cure” for a day or two before I put the burlap backing behind the shelves.  

I rolled the burlap out on the floor to ensure that I cut it to the proper width and then proceeded to measure the space between the shelves and cut the individual pieces.  Adhering the burlap is easiest if you lay the bookcase down on its back.

I covered the back of the case with a nice, fairly thick coating of Matte Mod Podge and then gently pressed the burlap into it.  A thicker layer of the Mod Podge allowed me to sort of “float the fabric into the exact position I wanted.  Using matte (as opposed to gloss) ensured that the burlap retained its texture and color.  Once dry, I trimmed any excess fabric with a utility knife.

I had plans to antique this, or add nailhead trim or some other embellishment… then I ran out of steam.  The more I looked at this, the more I decided I liked the simplicity of the beachy vibe the color and fabric created.  All done, then.

bookcase, coastal, tidal, blue, burlap, texture, mercury glass, diy, before and after.

I am sure at some point, I will get a wild hair and decide to mess with it a little more, but for now I am satisfied to just keep shifting items around on the shelves and play with it that way.

By the way, I mentioned the other week that I took a fab shopping trip to Roger’s Gardens in Newport Beach…

I am still loving my knock off version of their blue pottery, but I am also happy I picked up this little crown shaped flower pot.  I don’t know why I like it so much, but I do!  Now I have a place to put them both!

So for $49, four cans of spray paint and a little burlap, I think I did alright.  Do you have any furniture projects in the works?


about Vivienne Wagner

Filed Under: Before and After, Crafts, decor, fabric, Furniture, Mod Podge, spray paint, summer Tagged With: Burlap

Comments

  1. Sherry Calamia says

    May 1, 2013 at 7:41 AM

    I love the way your bookcase turned out with the burlap backing! Great idea!

    Reply
  2. Angie Holden says

    May 1, 2013 at 8:53 AM

    Burlap??? Awesomeness!!!

    Reply
  3. Shannon Fox says

    May 1, 2013 at 10:43 AM

    I bet that piece was from The Great Indoors! I have fours pieces from there and it looks just like them. I liked the crappy-shabby construction. LOL. It sure looks wonderful now and I love the burlap backing 😉 It's gorge!

    Reply
  4. Laura / The Shed by Pet Scribbles says

    May 2, 2013 at 7:25 AM

    Lovely! The burlap backing is a great idea! (I also am in love with that little crown you picked up when shopping!)

    Reply
  5. Theresa says

    May 2, 2013 at 9:45 AM

    What a beautiful transformation. Love it! Visiting from DearCreatives.com Theresa

    Reply
  6. Megan Hackney says

    May 3, 2013 at 10:45 AM

    I love the burlap backing – what a great idea! I really need to go to to a Habitat ReStore soon!

    Reply
  7. Good Time Charlie says

    May 6, 2013 at 8:41 PM

    I am loving this project, and the burlap back! What a great idea! Pinning this. By the way, I have a friend that lives down south, on a visit a couple of years ago, she took me to Rogers Garden. We were there forever. I am looking at a little bowl I bought there that resides in my favorite book case. Good thing I can't just hop in my car and go there. I could just grab my pillow, a blanket , and find a corner of that store to live in.

    Reply
  8. Kim Wilson says

    May 16, 2013 at 4:55 AM

    I love that you lined the back with burlap! So smart and inexpensive. The bookcase turned out beautiful! (pinned & shared)

    Reply
  9. lynn cockrell says

    May 16, 2013 at 6:16 AM

    Your bookcase redo looks great and I especially like the burlap backing. The items you chose to display are great as well/1

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Sunday Rewind: A Beachy Bookcase makeover » The V Spot says:
    May 4, 2014 at 5:18 PM

    […] loved that this was a super solid piece, and all it took was a little spray paint and burlap.  You can check out the full tutorial and instructions here.  Do you have a favorite DIY furniture piece?  What is […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

you might also like:

My Top 10 DIY Projects for 2013
Black chair, Halloween porch decor, diy Halloween project ideas
Spooky porch decor and a Halloween Chair.

How to use an indoor chandelier outside.
cream, elegant, pumpkin, green, bling, ribbon, thanksgiving, paint
Turning plain pumpkins into elegant pumpkins for Thanksgiving.

Aged silver finish - transform an ugly piece of furniture into a beauty!
Update an ugly 70s table with metallic paint and glaze. A guest post from the Sisters Of The Wild West.
Easy fake coral made from salt dough. DIY
Red Faux (“Daux”) Coral – Easy coastal decor made from salt dough.

How to temporarily recover furniture cushions
If you can wrap a gift, you can recover a chair cushion….
Taming counter-top clutter with canisters.

How do you like your eggs? (A faux Robin’s egg tutorial.)
Upcycle project: plain flower pot into decorative ceramic planter.

Recent Posts

  • Spooky porch decor and a Halloween Chair.
  • DIY Plaid Wine Glasses
  • Easy Sand-N-Sea Flower Pots
  • How to use an indoor chandelier outside.
  • Quesadillas made with slow cooker Carnitas. (Pork in a crock pot… nothing is easier.)
  • No Sew Project: How to recover your outdoor cushions using fabric and a glue gun.
  • Upcycle project: plain flower pot into decorative ceramic planter.
  • An easy Valentine’s Day globe.
  • Simple, winter themed decor. (Using what you already have, of course.)
  • Easy Goat Cheese Appetizer Recipe

Amazon Associates Disclosure

Vivienne Wagner is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Popular Posts

  • Cleaning Stove Burners & Grates using Ammonia (The best...
    Comments (629) | Jul 07, 2011
  • Easy Dessert Recipe: Oreo Cheesecake Bites
    Comments (64) | Mar 04, 2014
  • How to store fresh produce – From A to Zucchini.
    Comments (113) | Jan 25, 2012
  • No Sew Project: How to recover your outdoor cushions using f...
    Comments (108) | Mar 03, 2018
  • DIY wine bottle crafts.
    Comments (10) | Aug 22, 2013
Privacy

Copyright © 2023 The V Spot · Website by Houndstooth Media Group