Make Bookcases Pop With Contrasting Backings!

With bookcases, shelving, and glass-fronted cabinets, all too often the tendency with painted objects is to paint them in a uniform color. It makes them kind of blah and drab, and more than that, it can mute the items displayed inside. If you have a dark room, it can also be a real problem: dark shelves equals more darkness, while shelves painted an alarming white can stand out like a sore thumb.

That's where painting the back, and sometimes the sides as well, comes in. By picking a nice coordinating contrasting color, you can subtly change the look and feel of a room while setting displayed objects off to their best advantage. Suddenly, a bookcase can turn into a showcase that will feel like a whole new piece of furniture, and the only cash you'll need to lay out is on paint.

Choose a color that coordinates well with the room's aesthetics and the look you want. Maybe that's a bold, aggressive one, or a delicate pastel. If you're trying to lighten up a dark room, you might want to go bright and assertive, but avoid neons and brassy colors, which will stand out too much. You can also play around with color reversals; leave the inside white and paint the outside edge in another color, for example, for a distinctive look.

Interior painting like this can be used to create an entire accent wall, if you want to go that far, or you can go more modest with a standout piece of furniture. For china cabinets and similar display pieces, painting like this is a definite recommendation, because it will showcase your beautiful collection. It can also brighten up a children's room, create a splash in the foyer, and more!