apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I think an oyster white milk paint could be really great on these, as you'd still see some of the grain coming through but would achieve a more neutral, modern finish.

Don't paint the shelves at all unless you can stand to deal with the actual oil-based Kilz primer (stinky stuff) and an oil-based paint.

But for bookshelves, the rubbery-ness of latex can tend to make books stick to it, even if you THOUGHT you had let them dry.

With the oil-based paints, you need to give them kind of a lot of time to dry, and no matter what the paint can says, I think you need to kind of let them "cure" for MORE than a week before you put any books on them.

If you can't stand that little process, don't do it.

I'm with Maxwell. I think if you do clear up that clutter a bit and organize it and then paint the bookcase white, it'll just sort of stick out less and come across more crisp and clean.

I painted my bookshelves with a latex glossy paint, let them sit, empty and undisturbed, for ten days, and they were still a little sticky once I started puttings back on them...

I've had these classic Ikea bookshelves for almost 20 years - initally I stained them gray but they have been gloss white for the past 5 or 6 years. Painting was a hastle but it's so nice to be able to wipe them down to remove dust etc.

a vote for white!

I disagree about the need for oil based paints.

My last apartment had built in bookshelves that were painted with latex paint. I never had books stick to the paint.

Do let the paint cure for several days though, and do use a good primer. And do sand them before applying the primer.

Book spines are ugly. Unenclosed, they're just an intellectual status-symbol, and you're self-confident enough not to need that. Go for closed-in shelves. Use open shelving for the "non-book clutter" that you love.

Book spines are beautiful. Unenclosed, they remind you of what is and has been important to you in your life, both intellectually and emotionally. You're self-confident enough not to care what others think about your library and to discard any advice that begins "book spines are ugly."

You may want to vary it up. Create some panels for various shelves with hinges that swing open. Not only is it more visually attractive, but the slight "mystery" of what's behind a panel/door is intriguing. You may (depending on skill level) even try creating a frosted door or two.

For the bookshelves that remain visible, try placing similar-height books together, and moving all the spines of the books so they're flush together. This creates a much more clean look, and less library hap-hazard-ish style. Plus, this creates a line where the bookshelf stops and the books begin, which means you can use latex paint on these shelves and have the paint stop where the books begin. Less smelly paint, and there will not be paint underneath your books (thus: no sticking).

Also: Maybe have a shelf or two (or part of a shelf) with no books... perhaps substitute a plant or box of some sort.

Best of luck!

Hey, are those the Ivar shelves from Ikea? I've got a set of these. If they are the Ivar, then you've probably got those gross holes on the vertical supports that are going to be pretty glaring if you paint them a lighter color. I covered mine in these curtains; the soft wood means it's very easy to nail or tack fabric to the top shelves. I'm hiding some pretty gross tupperware storage containers; you probably don't want to hide all of those nice books. Perhaps leave the nicer ones on display on the center unit and use two lengths of nice fabric to disguise the less attractive books/more cluttered shelves?

my take is that this is a clutter issue not a color issue. I straighten out what's on the shelves and leave the shelves alone.

That said, I've never noticed that properly dried paint stick to books....

Kris -- well said.

I would suggest not going through the hassle of repainting or staining. Sell or donate your shelves instead, and if you have any proceeds, then apply them toward the purchase of new shelves that you really like. I'd just hate for you to go through the process of painting only to find that you still don't like the way they look.

I love books so wouldn't hide them. There's something suspicious about an apartment with no visible books, isn't there?

I can't imagine hiding my books. I wouldn't say that it's suspicious not having visible books, but rather that the resident of the bookless place and I are not likely to become friends. That said, for the first time in years I'll be living in a place where most of my books, as opposed to the four or five I'm in various stages of reading, will be out in the living/entertaining/working part of my space -- and I am going to be thinking about whether I organize them in part for harmony. I've always organized for use -- separated by subject, with fiction alphabetized; history and lit/art criticism chronological; and so on.

As usual, I agree with JonathanB. I think if you purged enough books and stuff that you didn't have anything on the top (open) shelves, and maybe put the board games into a big bin or basket of some kind, the wall would look a lot better.

"silverfish dont mine gold bindings".

Hurray for Kris! Books are beautiful things. I would also go with white for the shelves. And a frame for whatever's taped to the wall with that red stuff! Incidentally, ion/?/, do you have any advice on the whole book bindings/silverfish problem? Aside from gold. Cos my house must be like an all-u-can-eat riot for those greedy little sods!

Go for white, divide the books by color in stead of by topic/writer. Looks great. Also Ikea sells white crates for the Ivar now, in the exact size needed. Also they sell new doors (iron look) and stuff, take a look

One of the beauties of IKEA IVAR is you can expand it or switch it out. I've had mine for almost twenty years and I've added, subtracted, stained and reconfigured as needed. It's all part of the float extended family furniture collective. We have quite a bit in circulation within our collective households.

For your configuration, I'd recommend getting taller uprights (you have ceiling height and the seven foot uprights are impressive) and some additional shelves. Then, don't be afraid to break your shelf grid! Fit the shelve heights to the books, and you'll have better use of your vertical space. Heck, go wild and add a random narrow shelf section in the middle. You won't regret it.

Go to Home Depot, and get some veneered plywood ripped and cut to fit in the end pieces. Screw that on, and you'll have a cleaner look on the ends. (I don't like the metal inserts that IKEA is currently selling, although they are on track)

Just my opinion, but as your walls are light colored, I would go for color on the bookshelves. As you mentioned that you use black and primary colors in the rest of the place, why not paint the shelves either black or one of the primary colors to pull it all together? I think it would provide a nice contrast to the light walls.

I've had these Ivar units for years. My living room is mostly neutral so I painted them barn red. I used ordinary Benjamin Moore semi-gloss latex which dried in hours. I never had a problem with anything sticking to them.

If you want a change, why not paint/cover the uprights? I think if it were me I would paint a stripe down the center of each vertical support, and leave the shelves alone. I'd even try to incorporate the Ivar holes as a design motif by bringing the stripe _right_ to the edges of the holes so it looks like you have a stripe nestled up to black dots. I think I'd make the stripe one of your primaries or just black.

I also think you can make it look a lot sleeker instantly by condensing your books enough so the TOP row (the one that's really on top of the bookshelf) is gone. Put some cool, dramatic sculptures/vases up there.

my 2 cents.