Change is Refreshing - Bookcase Makeover

In the winter I want to feel cozy in my home and in the summer (especially this summer when it's already in the 90's) I need some "psychological" cooling! I always want to get rid of everything when it gets this hot and just have a cool white minimal space. So NOT really going to happen! I love all my stuff too much to do that! But what I can do is go to a lighter palette without painting my walls. So to begin the process, I thought I'd lighten up my bookcases.

If you've been reading my blog for a while you know I like to use wallpaper, wrapping paper and fabric to back my larger pieces of furniture. If I used scrapbook paper it would take alot, alot of pieces of paper! I'm fortunate that I have a wallpaper store in my town and they have a whole wonderous backroom of discontinued rolls for under $5. So I always stop by there and pick up few rolls, especially toile.

I chose this soft romantic toile. You can see part of the pattern in the picture at the top. I almost chose a red and white toile but it didn't make me feel cool! So I'll leave that for fall or Christmas. I just love the muted tones of this toile next to the white of the bookcase!

I told you all that I bought myself a few things at Hobby Lobby that were 80% off. This is one of them. I bought a couple of things that were gold so I, of course, spray painted them white for the summer. I'll probably paint them black or my favorite red for winter! Do try this if you haven't yet. One can of spray paint goes a long way and it's really a good investment because it's such an inexpensive way to change the look of something.

Here's the after. All the pictures will open larger if you click on them.

On the top shelf I used some of my mercury glass, the white finial is from the thriftstore and my white iron flowers from the Ballard Outlet.

The middle shelf I just used some of the white iron birds that I had on the screened porch buffet.

This bottom shelf is big because I usually don't have books on it! I usually use this to do little seasonal displays. I like it because it's like a big shadowbox and frames my displays. But for the summer I decided to put the books that I'm always pulling off the shelves to read or books that I want to read. The decorative doodads were all a different colors and painted by moi.

So when I looked that the pictures I thought I didn't like the bottom shelf. It felt to busy to me. So I took the plant off (it's real btw) and lifted one of the finials with a cakestand and some Ironstone plates I found at the thriftstore this week.

Then I decided I liked it the first way better!! Do you do that? Sometimes I drive myself crazy with fussing with things!

I know it may seem like daunting task to take off all the books but I enjoy it! I see books I've forgotten about and stop and look through them. Sometimes I realize I'm no longer interested in a particular book and I donate it to my library or pass it on to a friend. Plus this is a good time to give them a dusting!

Now I have to do the other bookcase and I want to re-arrange my china cabinet. I LOVE playing with my china! I should be posting those projects next week unless we have a break in this heat wave and I can get to some things I'm doing outside.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!