Before and After: I Turned a Boring Bookcase into Fun and Quirky Kitchen Storage
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When my husband and I needed more shelving in our kitchen to store formula for our toddler (as well as plates, bowls, and pantry bits), I found just the right thing in a tall bookcase with glass doors. It fit the corner between our kitchen and dining room perfectly and was the right size for the boxes we needed to store, and I liked that we could arrange the shelves in whatever way we needed. The storage potential for its small size was really great.
When we got it, though, the bookcase was just plain white — it was boring and didn’t match the aesthetic of our home, which is filled with color and pattern. The clear windows on the doors also meant that if the inside was a bit messy, it was very obvious and that made the kitchen look messy generally. I wanted to keep this bookcase, which was very functional, but give it a new look that was a better match for our home.
I wanted to keep the functionality of the bookshelf, but give it a quirky look.
For the design, I was really inspired by the curves that are really trendy in interior design and knew I wanted them incorporated in the piece somehow. I also knew that I wanted to use a wallpaper for the inside of the bookcase that wasn’t boring but wasn’t too busy, either (a lot to ask!). And finally, I knew I had to be able to hide the mess on days when we didn’t have time to organize the inside, which meant I’d need to hack the windows to make them slightly opaque.
Paint was first. Because the bookcase has a slick surface, I started by using a primer to help my paint stick. I love having different shades of pink in my house, so it was a no-brainer to paint this bookcase a pretty coral shade. I painted all around the outside, inside the doors, and on both sides of the shelves. Two coats gave it nice coverage.
Paint and wallpaper added color.
To get my trendy curves, I used scalloped molding which I cut to fit the size of my bookcase’s doors. I painted this with two coats of coral paint, too, but waited to attach it until the end of the redo.
Next was my favorite part: wallpaper! I chose a print with wiggly lines and a mustard-and-coral palette that complemented my paint shade. This step is when the bookcase really started to look like it was coming together. I wallpapered the back and sides of the bookcase’s interior and used a screwdriver to mark where the holes for the shelves and the hinges needed to go so they could be re-attached later, after everything was dry.
A reeded glass film helped create a little clutter camouflage.
I decided on reeded glass film for the doors to give the clear glass a more opaque look. This step is easier with two people. My husband and I had to get the glass really wet to get the film to stick, so if you’re planning to take on this project, make sure that your paint is completely dry before you do this (maybe give it a day to cure). We didn’t, so we had some peeling paint we had to fix later.
After spraying a soap-and-water mixture on the glass, we slowly laid the film on top and got rid of the bubbles with a plastic card. After the film dried, we used a plastic card and a craft knife to carefully cut any extra film off the edges of the glass. If you’re a little messy like me, the reeded glass film makes all the difference in helping to hide that from view when the cabinet doors are shut!
Scalloped trim was the final extra-special touch.
Finally, I used adhesive to attach the scalloped trim to the bookcase doors. I also decided to use sealant on the shelves, as they will have to withstand a lot of use and banging of plates, pots, tins, and such. I’m really glad I did this, as now the paint won’t chip at all. If you feel your furniture is in a high-traffic area, I would suggest doing it to the outside too. I’m going to wait a while to see how we get on, although I might seal the outside later.
The “after” has a unique custom look.
The finished bookcase still has all of the storage we loved, but it actually looks decorative and like a statement piece now. The reeded glass is really practical and the scallops take it from a basic pink cabinet to something that looks unique. I also love when guests open the doors and see the wallpaper — it’s like a little surprise. I wanted a piece that felt fun and quirky whilst also being functional, and I think I created it!