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Bookcase Makeover – Traditional Cherry To Farmhouse Fab!

Crafts· Decor & DIY· Decorating Ideas· DIY Projects & Tutorials· Room Makeovers

UPDATE: Click HERE to see the finished room reveal with before and afters!


From Traditional Cherry To Farmhouse Fab Bookcase Makeover || Worthing Court

I usually don’t put an exclamation mark in my blog post title, but y’all – I am so stinkin’ thrilled with the bookcase makeover for our home office!  A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I was working on the bookcases and was concerned with how they were going to turn out.  Thankfully, I’m in love with the end result and find myself stopping often just to stare at them!

Did you notice that the dining room is striped bare of all its fall finery?  That’s because Christmas is in the house!  LOL  I’ll be sharing my Christmas dining room soon!

Farmhouse style office makeover

To fully appreciate the change in the bookcases, take a look at the before.  These are cheap-o bookcases that had a waxy, fake looking cherry stain on them.  Their most redeeming quality is that the shelves are solid wood, so they don’t sag under the weight of a lot of books.

From Traditional Cherry To Farmhouse Fab Bookcase Makeover || Worthing Court

Here they are today, after giving them a couple of coats of primer paint (to completely cover the red’ish stain) and brushing on gray stain.  I used one of those cheap chip brushes to apply the stain and allowed it to dry without wiping any of the stain off.  Primer paint used: Kilz 2 Latex Primer in Gray.  Stain used: Rustoleum Ultimate Wood Stain in Weathered Gray.

Farmhouse style bookcases with a sliding diy barn door

This closeup shows the weathered looking finish that was created by brushing the stain on top of the wood and allowing it to dry without wiping it off.

Weathered wood look finish using gray stain on top of gray painted wood || Worthing Court

I know that the gray of the door and gray of the bookcases doesn’t match, but I think that it makes the door look more authentic.

You might wonder why I chose to cover half of the bookcases with a sliding barn door.  Well, it’s because I needed more storage space, not more space to display tchotchkes.  The shelves behind the sliding door are filled with boxes that hold all sorts of home office paraphernalia.  This side of the bookcases is only open when we need access to something in one of those boxes. 

Hidden storage behind a diy sliding barn door on bookcases

I was a little scared of the door, because I was convinced that installing the sliding door hardware was going to be complicated. Nothing could have been further from the truth!  After much research and shopping around, we ordered the hardware from Home Depot.  CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE SAME HARDWARE (affiliate link – see my full disclosure HERE).  The smallest size available was a few inches longer than what we needed, so Pookie simply used our Dremel to cut the slider bar down to the correct length.  I touched the end up with a black magic marker and now you’d never know that it had been cut.

Sliding diy barn door hardware for a bookcase || Worthing Court

Pookie built the barn door out of pre-painted rustic lumber sold at Home Depot.  Click HERE to see the exact lumber that we used.  Each piece of lumber was 8′ long and had a rabbited edge on each side.  One rabbited edge faces the front and other faces in the back.

rabbited edge of lumber for a diy barn door

Having those rabbited edges made building the door a dream!  First, we determined how wide we wanted our door to be.  Then Pookie laid the lumber out on the floor of our garage, using wood glue along each rabbited edge, and allowed it to thoroughly dry.  No nails were used in this part of building the door.  After the glue had dried, the door was cut to the length that we wanted and other boards were cut down to be used to frame out the top, sides and for a middle brace.  Those boards were attached with wood glue and wood screws.

Laying out the wood for a diy barn door

Thankfully, Home Depot had a label on the backside of each of the pieces of lumber with the paint formula that was used to paint the wood.  I had a small container of that mixed at the store and used it to touch up the few places that needed it after the construction was completed.  A wrought iron gate handle, also from Home Depot, finished the door off.

Wrought iron gate handle used on diy sliding barn door

Unless I come up with something else, this office makeover only has one project left to do and that’s getting some artwork up on that wall behind the desk chair!  You can catch up on all of the projects that have gone into this makeover, from start to finish, HERE.  UPDATE! CHECK OUT THE FULL BEFORE AND AFTER OFFICE REVEAL HERE!

From Traditional Cherry To Farmhouse Fab Bookcase Makeover || Worthing Court

NEED BOOKCASE MAKEOVER INSPIRATION?  SAVE IT FOR LATER.

Traditional cherry bookcase makeover with a diy sliding barn door || Worthing Court

Sharing at THESE great parties.

 

Until next time - Suzy


Comments

    • Katherine says

      Wow, what a great idea!! I have 2 bookcases that I was going to get rid of .
      Thanks for the great details and inspiration!

      Reply

  4. Lisa Kissner Cooper says

    Wow! Love the barn door! What I wouldn’t do for a handyman that could build something like this for me!

    Reply

  5. Susan says

    I really like this! I’m redoing my house – on a much smaller scale – but I always get a lot of good ideas. Thank you so much for all the inspiration!

    Reply

  7. Doreen says

    OMG genius! This would be perfect for our office, sewing, art room! Thank you for a great idea and complete detailed instructions. Your office looks amazing. Love the gray stain.

    Reply

  9. Shelley Valentine says

    You are so clever ! This completely changed the look of the bookcases to a fresh design. What a perfect accent to your office

    Reply

  12. Jeannie says

    Oh my gosh, Suzy. I love, love, LOVE it. I would never have guessed that fabulous bookcase started out looking the way it did. It’s perfect !

    Reply

  15. Patty says

    LOVE LOVE LOVE this! Your office has to be a favorite spot in your home. The colors you have chosen for everything are at the top of my list. Just wondering…..do you think finishing the wood with the stain the way you did will help the finish be more durable and resist chipping, even though there is a paint primer under it? I might want to try this technique and wondered if this would be a fun perk.

    Reply

    • Suzy says

      Hi Patty. To be honest, I’m not sure. It feels durable to the touch and hasn’t chipped or scratched, so far. I’m not sure how it would hold up under heavy use. To be sure, I guess you could apply a coat of polyurethane if you wanted to protect it.

      Reply

  17. Dawn says

    I LOVE the barn door on the bookshelves! I’ve been hunting for a place to add a sliding barn door in my home, but all my doorways are arched and I haven’t wanted to loose the arch. I think this could be my opportunity to finally be able to add one. Thank you so much for all your clever ideas.

    Reply

  18. liz says

    This room is wonderful and has such a perfect flow with the rest of your home – something I am trying to achieve in my own home. I absolutely love the bookcases – fantastic idea!!!

    Reply

  20. Kym says

    These bookcases are beautiful! Now I know what to do with the two crummy, cheap bookcases we have to hang on to for storage. The barn door is
    stunning-cheers to your Pookie! Home Depot here I (we) come!

    Reply

  22. Phyl says

    Beautiful! What a project to take on and with great results. Barn doors are so popular and it is a challenge to know where to use them. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

  27. Tami Sexton says

    Absolutely love this!!! I have an entertainment center bookcase that was my mom’s and this would be awesome to do!!!
    May have my hubby make a barn door for my pantry as well!!!

    Reply

  28. Jen D. says

    WOW – great job, Suzy!! I love it and you’d never know that is the same bookcase! The room looks so good…I’m looking forward to the final touches.

    Reply

  38. Freda Barbree says

    Brilliant idea for redoing ordinary bookcases and making them unique, beautiful and add storage at the same time. Thanks for all the wonderful ideas you pass on to us.

    Reply

  39. Nancy Carroll says

    Oh girl, this turned out fabulous!!! ??? Reminds me of the expensive one we drooled over at Arhaus. I was excited when I saw this wood at Home Depot when we were researching building the barn door headboard for the Destin condo. It is fantastic and the perfect weathered look! Thank goodness we finally found someone on Etsy to build ours because as you know I don’t have a talented Pookie LOL. Great job, both of you! You’re so clever! Oh, curious….did you attach the headboards with a strip of wood at the top, then attach the hardware to it??? Also sent you a text yesterday regarding a local upholsterer.

    Reply

    • Suzy says

      Hey GF. Yes, we added a strip of wood to the top of the bookcases to attach the rail to. It spans the length of both bookcases, ties them together and gives them more stability. So glad you like them! I didn’t get a text from you????

      Reply

  40. Kathy Robers says

    Truly amazing. You are so creative! I knew you redid the dining table, but somehow I missed the desk redo. The whole room is truly transformed. I liked the before, but the after is so much warmer and more welcoming. Really great job, Suzy.

    Reply

  41. Laurie Carpenter says

    Just fabulous Suzy! What a transformation! May I ask how the track maintains it’s stability? Is it screwed down into the top of the bookcase?

    Reply

    • Suzy says

      Hi Laurie. We added a strip of wood to the top of the bookcases (with screws) and painted/stained it to match. The wood is long enough to span the length of both bookcases, which ties them together and adds stability. The track is attached to the wood that we added.

      Reply

  42. Kat says

    Oh my goodness it looks absolutely GORGEOUS! Love the color and the door – I can’t believe it’s the same set of shelves!K

    Reply

  44. carol johnson says

    Love the new look of the bookcases and the door. I think you should keep Pookie,
    he does a great job as well.

    Reply

  51. Patricia says

    The entire office makeover is a stunner! Love the changes to the bookcase. I have a similar set and you have motivated me to be brave and try the same! Thanks!

    Reply

  54. Andrea Webb says

    Absolutely love this. I have 3 bookshelves I purchased some years ago from Target for $99 each that my daughter keeps telling me to get rid of because they are outdated. Now I know how to update them! Perfect. Also, what is the type of wood and finish on your floors? It is such a perfect color I love it.

    Reply

  62. Penny says

    That bookcase project is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!! I’m saving this for a project this
    coming year as I have a built-in bookcase where this would be a great improvement.
    Thanks.

    Reply

  65. Jessica says

    This is just brilliant! I have so many dark, ugly bookshelves. I love the idea of having some private storage! I am so stealing this idea!

    Reply

  66. Terry says

    The book case is gorgeous, what a great idea to add a barn door. I wondered how you added the slide bar to the top because it was narrow but I see that is answered in another’s comment. Thanks for sharing this tutorial, you did a fabulous job with the stain and the barn door, it is truly an inspiration!

    Reply

  67. Beth Stansell says

    You have inspired me!! I have some tired looking cherry bookcases that desperately need some updating!! I am so trying the prime/stain technique on them. Thank you for sharing all of your ideas with us–your blog is one of my very favorites!

    Reply

  68. Linda Manuel says

    This bookcase makeover just keeps drawing me back, again and again. I will steal this idea for sure! LOVE it!

    Reply

  76. Tracy says

    That is a wonderful change. I love when you can do something so cool and it does not cost that much money but has such a big impact.

    Reply

  77. Becky Jancosko says

    Just wondering, since these are bookcases, does the rail for the barn door attach to the top of the book cases? I love the idea! You did a great job. Thanks for the information.

    Reply

    • Suzy says

      Hi Becky. I would have liked to attach the rail to the bookcases, but there is a small crown moulding at the top of them that was in the way. So, my husband added a piece of wood to the top and to the sides and that is what the rail is attached to. I then painted/stained the pieces of wood so that they would match the bookcases.

      Reply

  78. loyda says

    We downsized and now I have no office.. What I do have in the family room is an 8 foot inset on one wall. This will be my new mini office. I need 2 bookcases and a desk. Have been searching and searching for a desk that I can close.. I really like what you did with the book cases.. My wheels are churning now. May see about doing this but having my DH build them but make them deeper so I can incorporate a desk in the center with the bookcases flanking the desk. Hmmmm Thx!

    Reply

  81. Larkin says

    I absolutely LOVE the barn door bookcase! Can you share what grey exactly is on the actual door? I would love to try to make something similar!

    Reply

  82. Linda Manuel says

    Absolutely one of the very best ideas on the internet! LOVE THAT Barn Door look on the shelving!! Stunning.

    Reply

  83. Sally says

    This is the most incredible makeover I believe I have ever seen! The before and after would be unrecognizable is I had not seen the photos. You have inspired me and many others. Beautiful!

    Reply

  85. Shelley says

    Love the bookcase makeover! I actually have a cherry bookcase in my den that looks very similar to yours. It matches my desk so I’d have to do that over too.

    Reply

  87. Joanne says

    Hi Suzy – I’m loving your office chair!! It looks like you have somehow upholstered a modern chair and made it look old. May I ask how you did that?

    Reply

    • Suzy says

      Hi Joanne. Actually, I haven’t done anything to the chair. It’s a very inexpensive chair that I ordered a couple of years ago – from Amazon, I think. It’s covered with an off white faux leather. Maybe it’s the nailheads that make it look old???

      Reply

      • Joanne says

        Thank you so much for getting back to me. Ahh very nice. It actually inspired me to do a search and I found some great ideas on how to upcycle office chairs to make them look old. Thanks again for your help. Jo

        Reply

  88. Cabby says

    Hi Suzy,

    I just found your blog and have to say what a beautiful room. Everything turned out amazing. I especially love you remodeled bookcase. What a great idea. It’s my favorite.
    I signed up to receive future newsletters and look forward to your decorative ideas and special touches.
    I’ve recently started transforming my house to French County. But being retired it’s a slow process. Being on a set income. Thanks so much for sharing.

    Reply

  91. Susan says

    I just spotted this on Pinterest-looks amazing! I have a couple of questions: does the weight of the barn door require you to secure the unit to the wall in fear of it tipping forward? Also, do you put the bottom of the door on a track or is that free-floating? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Suzy says

      Hi Susan. Yes, we added small angle irons that are attached to the top of the bookcases and to the wall to keep them secure. And no – with this type of door hardware, the door is just free floating. Hope this helps and I’m sorry for the delay in responding!

      Reply

  92. Stephanie says

    This is so beautiful!!! Thank you for sharing how you did it. I’m not sure I’m brave enough to try it but I’ll give it some serious though bc I’m in love!!! Great job!!

    Reply

  93. Susan Lindsey says

    I love your office and your desk! Just purchased a desk that is almost identical. Can you share the paint type and colors that you used?

    Reply

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