Any ideas for revamping a veneer bookcase?

NualaBuala

Hi all,

I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right place for this.

I have a cheap bookcase I got from Argos. I can't post a link to it cos I'm new but it's a light-coloured veneer and it's a small one, a bit over a metre high.

It's fine but not very interesting and I was wondering if any creative souls out there have any ideas I could borrow for prettying it up.

Thanks!

Nuala

zippychick

Hi, if you don't like the veneer finish you could sand that off im sure. I wouldnt really know what I was doing, but would take sandpaper to it anyway and see what happened. Or you could probably gloss over it as is. Im sure there's people gasping at my uninformed advice :rotfl:But i would just wing it - what's the worst that can happen?

You could stain it or gloss it , and draw a design on it with stencils/by hand/ depending on how artistic you are. Ivy climbing up the side might be cute or flowers or something something - depends on your style! or you could paint stripes etc on it. You could decorate with small jewels, old buttons - the possibilities are endless ! Look around the house and im sure you will find something to add to it.

not sure if that helps but that's what I would do

Austin_Allegro

You can tart up old melamine furniture by adding beading/cornicing and painting with imitation woodgrain.

You can get special melamine primer for this although ordinary paint seems to work ok.

Magpye

Line the interior back and shelves with pretty wrapping paper or wall paper and glue down. Instant 'lift' and easy to update when you fancy a change.

NualaBuala

Ooh, thank you all for those ideas. I think I might try a combination of those. First I'll figure out a colour and I might see if I can scrounge some paper samples from shops. I like the idea of painting the outside too and would never have thought of sticking stuff on. I'll start trying to put stuff aside that might look nice. It will have to wait a month or so but if I ever get it finished I'll try to post pics.

Thanks folks,

Nuala

homeaway

If you want to paint it again you might have to prime it with a special primer first if sanding does not work? (try a hidden bit first).You could always try sanding it and then dilute some paint with water and give it a washed look??

NualaBuala

I love that washed look. I'm going to check out that primer first and see what I can put on top of that. Then I'll decorate it with whatever I can find! Well at least it won't be boring

greenbee

You need to paint it with a specialist primer like melamine primer, which is easy enough to get hold of. I don't think there is any point in trying to sand it down, as the veneer is likely to be thin and may not be wood. I painted an old Idea wardrobe very successfully by priming and then painting over it.

Decoupage looks great on bookshelves. Prime and paint with a base colour, then decorate with cut-out pictures (e.g. from wrapping paper - photocopy to get the correct number of images/size), and finally varnish to protect the pictures. I have a lovely green bookcase with pink tulips up the sides and along the top which was done like this.

NualaBuala

greenbee, that sounds fantastic. :T I wasn't sure exactly what decoupage was but I had heard of it. I love the idea of photocopying it. I had been thinking of stencilling/painting a design but my artistic skills are not terrific so I think decoupage will be a lot easier. I'll start looking for nice paper and then I can paint the shelves a base colour that will go well with it. What kind of varnish should I use as the final coat?

You're right I think about the sanding - they were cheap shelves so I doubt the veneer is up to much and it's MDF underneath I'd say.

Thanks again all of you - if this goes well I might end up doing all sorts of bits around the house!

Essex-girl_2

Thanks to the OP for this as I have a veneer writing bureau that I wanted to do something with. Now I know I can paint it which is great but the on the top of the bureau part of the veneer is broken away - any ideas on how to repair.

(The bureau was my Nans who passed away last year no one else wanted it but I did as I always used to play on it as a child)

Many Thanks

ceridwen

Thank goodness for that! - ie that you have decided NOT to sand it down. I was wincing visibly at the thought of trying to sand veneered furniture - thinking of some I had from MFI - just wood-coloured paper on top of chipboard it turned out to be....as I found when it started peeling off...