You know how great Craigslist finds make me giddy. I scored these for $20 each! This was the actual picture from Craigslist:
Although the clutter could have scared me off, something about the carved detail on the bottom intrigued me (as well as the price). They were actually worse than I thought once I got them home. There were no less than six different shades and layers of paint on them:
Time to call in my little worker bee friend who brought an electric sander with her:
Once the outsides were painted with some leftover white gloss trim paint, I moved them to their new home under our stairs. I have wanted bookcases in our family room since we moved in. I love the casual, collected feel they give to a room.
I then painted the backs "Stunning" (a dark navy) by Benjamin Moore to tie in this wall across the room:
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These turned out so well, Emily! What a find, and what work! I love the blue on the back of the shelves; it creates such a nice background for your accessories.
ReplyDeleteThese are fabulous! I love the detail on the bookshelves and how you painted the back of the them. Wow - and the way you styled them - perfection! Great job!
ReplyDeleteOh I love it Emily! I see bookcases all the time at the Re-Store. I need to start seriously looking at them now. That navy color is to die for!
ReplyDeleteemily, these look amazing! the navy is perfection.
ReplyDeletep.s. stop by my blog today — i left you a little something!
LOVE those!! You did a great job!
ReplyDeleteWow those look amazing! Your living room is fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI love the navy wall in your living room! I would love to paint a wall in my dining room navy. But, we have two other accent walls in our house and not sure how many accent walls are too many. :-)
ReplyDeleteI also have a slight obsession with bookcases and the detail on the doors is awesome! Great find!
I love them! They fit perfectly on the wall, and the navy color ties the whole room together and makes everything pop. I love how you styled them too!
ReplyDeleteoh wow, IM IMPRESSED (well not really, from you I wouldnt expect less) Looks great!
ReplyDeleteso pretty!! I have got to start checking my Craigslist more often! Hope your having a great day! xoxo
ReplyDeleteThose look great, I love the way you styled them.
ReplyDelete- Danielle
They look great. Where did you get your coffee table?
ReplyDeleteI love that you still went for them even seeing them at their worst. You knew of their potential and wow they look amazing! I'm sure the work was hard but well worth it!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great find! You did an amazing job with these!
ReplyDeleteWOW!!! Amazing find, outstanding color, and great work!! I love the way you accessorized them too. Thanks so much for sharing - I couldn't wait to see how they turned out! :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoy!! Great find!
ReplyDeleteThese turned out so well! Great eye to spot something so fantastic under all those paint layers!
ReplyDeletelove the way they turned out, and i'm in love with your wall color, too.
ReplyDeletei hate when furniture has layers and layers of paint on it--it's the worst!
WOW! No way!! I've seen some good before and after images... this makeover is right up there! I love the navy wall in your living room. Have you seen the blue dining room walls in the new Lonny mag? So fab!
ReplyDelete-ME
Wow you definitely have an "eye" for things like that. I wouldn't have given those bookcases a second glance, and then if I did and I got them home and they had all of that paint on them, I could cry and throw them away. But look what you did with them! They look fabulous!! I need to open my eyes more.
ReplyDeleteThey look fantastic!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great job! Go you! I marvel at people able to come up with these kinds of finds/deals.
ReplyDeletewowzer. the many paint colors on the bottom and the inside... crazy. they look chic and serene now, excellent craigslist score.
ReplyDeletejust became a follower, too.
Beautiful job! They look fresh and crisp now painted navy and white. Your room looks great!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing what you can do with paint.
ReplyDeleteTHese look so great! Seriously, your home looks like it could be in a magazine spread!
ReplyDeleteI love it! Great job. It's amazing what a little paint and sweat can do!!!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you saw past the brown finish and the "lovely" paint job on the interior. They turned out beautifully and they are styled so well. I am completely at a loss when it comes to styling shelves.
ReplyDeleteLooove! This is one of my favorite color combinations, and I actually did a similar piece in my home not to long ago. I love the paneling on your pieces, though, such a great touch!
ReplyDeletehttp://rookiemistakesandbeginnersluck.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/transforming-the-china-cabinet/
Those look awesome!! Really love them. And, love your sweet worker bee friend too =)
ReplyDeleteAmazing transformation, you have a great eye....I can't say I could have seen the potential in the ad.
ReplyDeleteAmazing transformation! I thought at first that the bookcases were stained wood, so it was amazing to see all the layers of crappy paint you had to deal with. The end results is so pretty. Love the styling, too!
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable! What a great find and an amazing transformation!
ReplyDeleteLOVE THEM! And I can't believe they were so cheap. What a find. I absolutely adore painting out the backs of bookshelves or built-ins a great contrasting color (and navy is a favorite of mine!).
ReplyDeleteI never would have guessed those were the same shelves! The before and after is amazing on these. Also, I LOVE the way you styled them- they look great!
ReplyDeleteThey're gorgeous and I love the navy. I know how much work these innocent sand it back and paint it projects can be... and your accessories look wonderful, too!
ReplyDeleteGreat job Emily. You are good at finding things and making something wonderful out of them. I love the white pineapple on the shelves...I have one of those, too!
ReplyDeleteHeather
Gorgeous! I love your dark wall too!
ReplyDeletewhat a perfect fit!
ReplyDeleteBravo..
totty
www.bootsandtotty.com
Amazing transformation!! The white is so fabulous!
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfect addition to the room! I love the blue especially (and how it balances the opposite wall).
ReplyDeleteSo dramatic - I love it! Great job :)
ReplyDeleteI saw this on my phone when you first posted but I wanted to wait until I was at my desktop to comment and tell you how much I love this make-over! Looks perfect in your space. And I think you've accessorized it beautifully. Perfect styling! Marija
ReplyDeleteThe painted backs make them! Perfect in the room...Janell
ReplyDeleteObviously I missed this post! These are FANTABULOUS!!! I mean, Seriously? You did a great job Emily! Oh, and that blue wall is the business too!
ReplyDeleteA M A Z I N G !!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteok seriously emily. i am beyond floored. i love it. amazing all over the place.
ReplyDeleteOMGosh! Now THAT is one, amazing redo! Gaw-JUS!
ReplyDeleteI love what you did with these bookshelves. What great design. Your entire room is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteIt turned out GREAT!! What a difference...I must say the before was just horrible and boring looking.
ReplyDeleteAWESOME!
Jen Ramos
madebygirl.blogspot.com --
gorgeous!!!! looks like a mag pic!! awesome eye and insane deal!!
ReplyDeletexoxo
These turned out so gorgeous, and great styling!
ReplyDeleteThis is so the kind of piece I would bring home and my husband would roll his eyes at (due to condition and datedness), and then find out I actually might have a vision in mind when he sees the end result. Many times he's told me I've overpaid to later eat crow! :) Very nice job! These look really classy!
ReplyDeleteI love this space...beautiful! I actually have a question about your mirror above the fireplace. I was wondering where you purchased it or if you know who makes it? I have the same one that I came across at a garage sale (for a steal!) and it is so pretty and unique I always wondered about where it may have been made. Thanks - wonderful blog.
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