This is the bookcase next to the sofa in our family room. It’s where I keep some of my design books and magazines. But it didn’t start its life looking like that. In fact this little bookcase was a hair’s breadth away from a trip to the garbage bin.
I thought I’d give it one last chance and see if it could be redeemed. I am happy to announce that we made up and I couldn’t be happier with my little friend here.
The poor thing has been moving with me from home to home for a long while. I am sure it wasn’t meant to go through the hardships of moving, after all this is one of those super-cheap flat-packed wood shavings and paper pieces of furniture that start coming apart as soon as you finish assembling them.
This is what I did:
1. The first thing I did was completely disassemble the bookcase, which was easy because each side was held by 4 screws. I then glued every piece as I put them back together. I pre-drilled holes to add new screws, and reattached the backboard, this time adding a lot more nails. So long wobbliness!
2. Then I made a base to raise the bookcase off the floor (for easy cleaning and moving) using a piece of plywood and 5″-pieces of 2″ x 2″.
3. Then I applied a good deal of glue to the top of the base and mounted the bookcase on it. I pre-drilled some holes, and screwed in some countersunk screws to permanently attach the two parts. I then filled in the holes and gaps with putty and gave it a good sanding (even the paper that covers the bookcase).
4. Then it was a few coats of latex paint. I skipped the primer because I expected latex to grab onto the sanded surface, and mostly because I am lazy and also had little hope that I’d like the results anyway.
After the three coats of paint made the little bookcase look pretty decent, I decided to take it up a notch. I used spray glue to attach some nice fabric I had to the top shelf, and then gave it a coat of Hardcoat Mod Podge
I also attached nail-in glides to the legs to protect the hardwood floor.
Doesn’t that look a lot better? I love the geometrical patterns and the colors. Want to see about the magazine boxes? I’ll tell you later about that (UPDATE: Check it here).
My husband didn’t believe that this cheap piece of crap could be saved from the garbage. I guess I proved him wrong. 
Aunt Clara
Aunt Clara's Kitchen is a collection of traditional Dominican and Dominican-inspired recipes, home ideas, crafts, and the chronicles of Aunt Clara and Aunt Ilana's adventures.
![Blender [US]](http://www.dominicancooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2013-04-23_2223-140x159.png)
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh wow..you did save it! Nice work. Love your colours.Sinead
Absolutely! What a great transformation.
I´m very curious about the mags boxes because I have many to organize!And the bookcase it´s perfect!! I love the colours you use!
You did a wonderful job! Love the different blues and greens against white (I have the same colors at my home).Can't wait to hear about the magazine boxes.
Thanks! This was something that up to the very last moment I didn't believe would work, but I hate throwing away things if I can squeeze one last drop of usefulness out of them. It turned out surprisingly well.
Brilliant transformation! You clever thing!Rachel x
Cool a women after my own heart – not scared of the power tools and Mod Podge!
This is such a cool redo. I wouldn't have thought to add the legs- that alone makes it look soooo much better, not to mention the cute paint and mod-podge! Great job.
FABULOUS!!!! You have great style and this is such an awesome job!
Great job. Was the wood actually "wood"? Looks like it's a laminate. I have a diaper changing table that I want to redo somehow but it's laminate. Any suggestions?
Wow that turned out so great. It's amazing what you can do with a cabinet like that.
Just popped over from Better After. Love your makeover. We just redid a tabletop with fabric too. I didn't know about the ModPodge. We put a piece of plexiglass over it to protect it. I'll have to check out the Mod Podge. I'm sure it's much cheaper.
Gee, thanks everybody. I appreciate the nice comments.Denise, this is laminate, but not "high quality" (read with sarcastic tone) Ikea type laminate. This is like contact paper, it is really, really cheap. To put it in perspective, the paint is worth as much as this cost me when I bought it. It is also a failure of engineering. It was only held by 8 screws, and it was already pretty wobbly. It is now very sturdy.
I love this! It turned out great -
Oh you are SO inspiring! I currently have a similar bookcase that is well on it's way to the curb….but maybe I should save myself a few bucks and give it an overhaul??? Thanks for sharing! Great job!
I just "saved" a bookcase myself. I used wallpaper sample pages to cover the shelves and top of a small bookcase to go in a dorm room.
I'm so bloglifting this. I have a few of those little junky bookcases holding some Montessori materials. I think this looks wonderful and definitly gives it a better look. I wanted to share that if you buy some 1/4 wood and use that instead of the original 'cardboard' it'll help LOTS with the wobbly. Out of all the years I have had those things they've never wobbled…they're ugly and beg to be put out of their misery…but they don't wobble. Here soon they'll have a makeover and will stop trying to put a shelf in the light socket. They'll have something to live for!
Honey