Look!: Revitalized Bookends

We like to use bookends for both their original purpose (holding books up) and for adding some visual interest in preventing the "wall-o-books" look that can sometime happen with large bookcases. We recently acquired some dog-shaped vintage bookends that we loved, but were a little too classic for our taste. Our quick fix? A few coats of a bright colored spray paint left us with totally fresh feeling pieces.

We have an arsenal of spray paints on hand, but it's a good idea to make sure the one you're using is suited for the material you're painting, in our case metal. There are also several finishes of spray paint available, so make sure you get one with the finish you're going for.

Comments (11)

Thank you so much! I have some nice plaster cast gargoyles I bought when I was in high school, and I do love them, but they don't fit with my "decor" now that I am in my 30's. I have been arguing with myself for the last six months about whether to give them up, or live with their mismatched look. Apparently there is another choice I hadn't considered.

posted by hmr on March 20th 2008 at 12:24pm
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These blue dogs aside, personally I like the wall-o-books look.

posted by viola on March 20th 2008 at 12:50pm
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Ha! I jumped to the comment section to make the very same point that viola made. There is nothing more beautiful that a completely uncluttered wall-o-books. breaking it up with knick knacks just makes it more cluttered!

posted by sarahlily on March 20th 2008 at 12:57pm
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WANT!

I have a set of horse and cowboy at home that i am going to run out and paint.

But, where oh where did you find your dogs?

posted by DahliaCactus on March 20th 2008 at 1:26pm
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"breaking it up with knick knacks just makes it more cluttered!":

If you place your knick-knacks in front of the books, then yes it will look cluttered.

However if you leave free space on the shelves for your decorative items, then it won't.

posted by bepsf on March 20th 2008 at 2:39pm
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I like to do this with kitschy bird figurines. Makes them not so kitschy, more silhouetted and elegant. I think the key is to paint them in a flat paint. Glossy paint still looks knick-knacky to me. The dogs are lovely and unexpected in blue!

posted by farmhousemoderne on March 20th 2008 at 2:57pm
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Thanks guys. I actually "found" the dogs at my family's vacation house, but am guessing your best bet for finding something similar would be eBay or a flea market.

posted by Elizabeth on March 20th 2008 at 5:04pm
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hahaha, BRILLIANT! I love the idea.

posted by Eve in Hochelaga on March 20th 2008 at 6:23pm
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Great idea! I love the way they look. What's the finish of the paint you used?

posted by greer on March 21st 2008 at 6:50am
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I think they're hideous. Why on earth paint over perfectly decent metal book ends? The glossy finish, the Cinderella blue--eeeww.

posted by Palmetto on March 21st 2008 at 12:10pm
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i just bought a pair of bookends off ebay in the shape of ships (lots of sails, extreme nautical aesthetic) because i loved these dogs so much. thanks for the idea - now to figure out what color they should be!

posted by akostalas on May 9th 2008 at 2:10pm
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