A Brown Thrift Shop Shelf Becomes a Gorgeous Gingham Statement Piece
Striped furniture is certainly a dominant trend in home decor right now, but a gingham pattern is a summery classic, too. And this shelf, once a brown varnished piece, is now total gingham goals — and a slight variation on the stripes you’re seeing everywhere. Jaharn Quinn, who wrote a book on stylish upcycles, is no stranger to furniture flipping, but this was her first time doing a gingham paint project.
“I love gingham and was inspired to transform this wooden bookshelf after seeing a gingham fabric sofa,” she says. “I was determined to see if it was possible to paint a gingham pattern.”
At first, the DIYer considered fabric.
Jaharn first considered wrapping the shelf in a gingham fabric, which would have required more cutting and perhaps equal measuring. She has covered furniture in fabric before to add large-scale pattern, as have other DIYers, which you can see here.
Ultimately, she decided on sample-sized pots of blue and white paints: British Paints’ Water Bead, Blue Cashmere, and Ocean Plunge, and she primed the entire bookshelf first.
Painter’s tape was key to pulling off the gingham look.
To create a gingham pattern, Jaharn first painted vertical stripes in the lightest blue (Water Bead) onto her shelf, then added horizontal stripes in a mid-toned blue (Blue Cashmere), and completed the gingham pattern with the darkest squares in Ocean Plunge. Jaharn recommends using white as your base paint color to make the pattern pop.
Jaharn used approximately 2–inch-wide painters tape for the chunky stripes required for the gingham pattern. “Use the best painters tape possible,” she advises. “Take the time applying the painters tape at every stage, and make sure you push it down firmly to prevent paint from bleeding underneath.”
She also recommends starting small and testing the pattern on a canvas or smaller piece before going big. Her project cost about $50 — including the shelf — and certainly has big style.
Inspired? Submit your own project here.