{Living Room} The Finished Bookcases

Once the bookcases left HomelyTown behind, it was time to put stuff back in them! I think that's the main reason they had previously gone to hell in a handbasket downhill, because I know what's involved in getting them styled. Over the course of a week, I slowly started putting things on the shelves. It went like this:

Arrange one shelf, walk to the other side of the room and look at it.

Style the adjoining shelf, walk to the other side of the room and look at it.

Remove one item from first shelf, walk to the other side of the room and look at it.

Do steps 1-3 approximately 1,752 times.

Eventually get all shelves styled, walk to the other side of the room to look at it.

Realize it's out of whack, remove half the items and reposition the shelves.

Go back to steps 1-3 another 689 times.

But the path I wore in the rug was worth it, as I'm head over heels with these shelves! Just to remind you of the negative impact the shelves previously had on the room, here's a Before & After, or an After & Before in this case.

And before you decide I've got too much stuff, look at what I started with! Once I took everything out, I realized at least half of it I no longer liked, or it belonged somewhere else in the house. So Goodwill received several large bags, courtesy of this bookcase makeover!

I thought the pink and white combination of the shelves and fabric was a tad sweet. How to solve that? Add black, of course! So I hung the black-framed botanicals to tone it down. (Stole my own trick from giving Babygirl's Room more sophistication!) I love the look of a mirror hanging on the front of shelves, but my house is bordering on vain with the number of mirrors, so I stuck with prints. These are held snugly in place with Command strips, baby!

Let's take a close-up tour, shall we? No judgement from you literary snobs!

Every single item I already had, but I did alter a few things to make them better suited for the room. These bottles got a paint treatment, which I'll show you a tutorial on soon.

I used a mix of natural elements, books and accessories, and tried to balance height and visual weight on each shelf, as well as, all the shelves as a whole. Some books are turned around for interest, but also to hide my shameful vampiric addiction.

I made this glass box, and am crazy about the reflection and bit of glam it brings.

We received a pair of Tiffany glass votives as a wedding gift, but they've always gotten lost in our decor. Now, with a simple (faux) flower bud perched inside, it's one of my favorite things on the shelves!

Remember the cut-out Mr. Sugarplum made for the air-intake vent? I just covered it with the fabric. It may require some special attention over time as the fabric will probably act as an air filter. Ick. I also brought in the hurricanes I typically use for seasonal decor (here and here). They are filled with black sand we brought back from our Santorini trip, and a black candle. The wooden bowl is a travel memento from Belize.

Here's a tip for you, did you know you can run your coral through the dishwasher? Yep! Cleans off all the dust and returns it to it's bright white. The Hawaiian print is a set I inherited from my grandparents, I just altered the frame a bit so the art became the focus. (Guess I have a few tutorial posts to get to!)

Our family room is covered with wall-to-wall photos (literally), so it was overkill to have them here too. Only our very favorites stayed.

I stuck planted a succulent in the other Tiffany votive. How cute is it?! He's so cute he needs a name!

And finally, some people probably don't display their Travel books, but since traveling is such a passion of ours, they get to stay. You can read details of my wedding dress here.

I still can't get over the difference a quart of paint made for these bookcases! And in case you're wondering, the botanical prints don't protrude or cause a hindrance when walking by.

Here's a wide-angle view for better room reference. You get a peek of my Son's Room and Guest Bathroom on the right (Babygirl's Room is also in that 'wing', to the left of the bathroom), and the Master Bedroom is through the door on the left. And on the right, out of the picture, is the Entrance Hall and Dining Room.

You notice there's no lamps behind the couch? I didn't want to distract you, but choosing those is coming up. My latest Lamp-A-Looza may have produced a winner!

So what do you think? Does styling shelves and vignettes bring out your OCD side, too?

THE LIVING ROOM LIST

Paint Armoire

Paint Brick

Paint/Fabric Bookcases

Re-Style Bookcases

Paint Table Tiles

Paint Hall Chest

Paint/Wallpaper Nook Walls

Paint Backdoor?

Add Nailhead to Wingchair

New Covers for Barrel Chair Cushions

Change Out Lamps

Clean Secretary

Gold Leaf Back of Secretary

More Coordinated Sofa Pillows

Determine Fate of Side Table

***And since I've pinned countless bookcases for styling inspiration, including several with art mounted to the front, I'm including this in the Pinterest Challenge! John & Sherry of Young House Love challenged us to stop pinning and start doing! If you aren't on Pinterest yet, hesitate before joining....it's beyond addicting!!

I'm also linking to the parties in my side bar, including Home Stories A to Z.