How to Transform a Bookcase

Give a simple bookcase a facelift.

Don't shelve the idea of a stylish bookcase just because the budget doesn't allow for a brand-new piece. Simply remake and reuse the one you already have. Even that inexpensive bookcase that's been collecting dust in the basement can be transformed into a piece of respectable furniture. A few basic tools and supplies purchased from a home center are all you'll need. In one weekend, your bookcase can go from drab to fab.

Things You'll Need

• Plain bookcase
• Various molding pieces
• Saw
• Wood glue
• Hammer
• 1 1/2-inch finish nails
• Finish nail set
• Wood putty
• Sanding sponge
• Tack cloth
• Latex paint
• Paintbrush or roller

Instructions

1. Choose molding that will dress up the front of your bookcase. Home centers and lumber yards carry a variety of styles, from fluted vertical pieces to decorative rosettes for the corners. MDF is the lightest and easiest to work with. Choose a piece of crown molding for the top of your bookcase, a piece of base molding for the bottom, and two 2- to 4-inch-wide vertical molding pieces for the sides.

2. Cut the molding to fit the front dimensions of your bookcase. If the home center or lumber yard does not provide this service, use a saw to cut the pieces to fit your bookcase.

3. Use wood glue and 1 1/2-inch finishing nails to attach the crown molding to the top front and the base molding to the bottom front of the bookcase. Then apply the side pieces of vertical molding to the front of the bookcase, using the same method.

4. Countersink all nails with a finish-nail set. Fill the holes with wood putty and allow it to harden overnight.

5. After the putty has dried and glue has set, use a sanding sponge to sand down the entire bookcase. Carefully remove the resulting grit and dust with a tack cloth. When the bookcase is smooth and wiped clean, paint the entire bookcase and new moldings with a semigloss latex paint. If desired, a primer may be applied as a first coat.

Tips & Warnings

• To make your newly transformed bookcase appear to be a built-in piece, paint the back panel the same color as your wall. For a designer look, apply wallpaper such as grasscloth to the back panel. Stenciling ivy or other images across the top or side moldings will give the piece a country look. For partial closed storage, hinge shutters or cabinet doors to the bottom half of the bookcase. The closed space can be used for board games and other unsightly items.

References

• Northwest Renovation: Transform a Dated Bookcase With a New Look
• ''Complete Home Decorating''; Lowe's; 2001