Wallpapering Bookcases – a Renter’s Solution

Have you ever had a project you want to do but you keep putting it off because it’s really not a priority? 

The bookcases in my sitting room have been driving me nuts since we moved in. Oh, I love the space but they make the room so dark. The sliding glass door faces north so there is only reflective light enters the room.

For an artist and blogger who takes oodles of photos, having no light is tantamount to torture.

However, I’m so far behind in my work from being sick (and a few trips to the ER), I couldn’t rationalize spending the time on the shelves. At least, that’s what I told myself.

To make things even worse, I brought all of my Fall and Halloween boxes and totes down from the garage and put them . . . guess where . . . in the sitting room. I mean, it was already bugging me so why not really make it intolerable.

Of course, the thought of maybe getting rid of some stuff never entered my mind because, well . . . it was the lack of lighting that really bothered me.

So I made a couple of trips to the dollar store and piled those things on top of the other totes and boxes.

And then Friday afternoon I looked at my To Do list, I looked at the computer, I looked at the unpainted canvases . . . and I looked at the bookcases.

Guess who won?

Now . . . there has been one day that this room was light and bright. Last December we had an unexpected snowfall followed by a sunny day. I couldn’t believe how the snow’s reflection lit up the entire room.

Maybe there’s hope, I thought.

If I didn’t rent this house, those bookcases would be painted white so quickly, it’d make your head spin. But since I do rent, I had to come up with some other way to lighten the back of the built ins. At first I thought I’d find some cute wrapping paper, maybe with a little pattern. But I was afraid the pattern would be too busy with all the knick knacks on the shelves.

Then I found a pretty paper that was all white and had shiny white dots. But the sheen of the paper was a bit obnoxious against the wood of the bookcase and the brick of the fireplace.

Then I found this plain paintable wallpaper at Walmart. Much cheaper than wrapping paper too. I looked all over for removable adhesives that wouldn’t mar the wood and found a couple options.

With my I-finally-made-a-commitment adrenalin pumping, I set up another table – oh, yes, I did – and emptied one column of shelves. I was a little uneasy about the adhesive so I wanted to try just one section before I made an even bigger mess and couldn’t walk thru the room at all.

I measured the length of the niche then placed the squares along the top and the putty down the back.

The wallpaper was easy to cut with a utility knife.

I should say that I’ve never really hung wallpaper. Well, except for one time when I helped a friend of mine who chose a paper with one inch squares for a kitchen and nook with bay windows.

That did it for my wallpaper ‘career’.

First strip was up! Not perfect, but close enough.

I went upstairs for a half an hour, kind of expecting to come back down to a crumpled mess, but no. The adhesive held just fine.

With only one column papered it was amazing how much brighter the room was!

OMG, a DIY house project that was going easily, without any major issues!

So, of course that meant time for a break. A long, long break. I couldn’t see my grandson on his birthday last Monday so Saturday I got to spend some time with him. Dark bookcases might outrank my To Do list but there’s no way they’ll top seeing Grandson.

I was tired after our visit but seeing the brightness in the room, I was ready to hang some more paper.

I quickly threw some stuff up on the finished shelves so I’d have room on the table to set the rest of my junk, then I moved to the center area.

And that’s when my DIY-without-any-major-issues luck ran out.

Alright, it wasn’t a catastrophe or anything but the paper buckled where the two lengths overlap. Now why would that happen? I’m looking at the area I just did the day before and it was fine. What was the problem?

Oh who cares. It was easier to grab some glue than figure out that I probably didn’t cut the paper perfectly square.

After that I’d had just about enough fun for one day.

(Now do you see why I’m an artist who paints and not a woodworker who builds? All those precise measurements? Ick.) lol.

On Sunday I got a late start – my mother is still having rough nights and we’re both sleeping in the living room – but I was bound and determined to get these bookcases done so I could start the week fresh in a light and bright room.

Even with the gluing, the whole process probably didn’t take me 2 hours total. Including removing the tchotchkes.

Putting them back, however, is a different story.

Still, I had to put something up there. I mean, the entire room is full of Fall and Halloween.

This isn’t everything, just the game table.

Yep. I’m a firm believer that the more space you have, the more you have to junk up . . . and then clean.

Trust me, I’m not complaining. I wouldn’t give up my workspace for all the tea in China.

Even though it got completely out of hand lately, sometimes I need that. I need to feel that complete and utter overwhelm so I get my butt in gear.

Plus, it felt really good to take some time out just for me. You know?

How are you doing in that area? Maybe some time just for you would be a good thing, huh?