I may have taken a break from blogging, but Micah and I didn’t break from renovating. This Christmas will go down as the holiday we spent working. Literally. Micah worked all of Christmas Eve and half of Christmas day. We’ve vowed to not start a project that close to Christmas again, but we’re done and couldn’t be more in love with the results – even the guy who disliked much of it from the start!
See the process here, here, and here.
To remind you of where we started…
Last we talked we were here: mostly built and ready for paint. We added the rest of the picture frame moulding thanks for the encouragement 🙂 and then it was time for paint prep. Also known as, the worst part of any reno. I spent a full day filling and sanding, and Micah did all the caulking. We spent most of Christmas Eve taping off all of the walls, ceiling, and floor and then Micah spray primed all of the raw wood on Christmas, including the 30 shelves. I actually love renovation but this part is the part I loathe. Paint prep is so crucial but so awful.
The 26th our friend Ron came and sprayed all of the woodwork. Christmas was over, but it felt like Christmas! I told you here I had picked HGTV Home for Lowe’s Radicchio Leaf and we ended up doing it in Sherwin-Williams All Surface Enamel. Oil based paints aren’t the easiest to work with, but when you want a high gloss, very durable finish, spraying on oil is your best bet. After letting the woodwork dry for 24 hours, we carefully removed all the tape and plastic and got to work painting the rest of the surfaces. The ceiling got primed and painted and the walls went this beautiful Mocha Mauve color from the HGTV Home line.
The following day Micah hooked up the sconces and chandelier, and we starting installing the shelves.
We ended up rolling the color on the shelves, just for the simple fact that we didn’t have enough room to spray them. I’m really glad we went adjustable, I know fixed shelves would have brought me some heartache with their lack of diversity.
One thing about colorful rooms especially high gloss – they’re extremely hard to photograph. Getting the light to be even and the color to come across accurate on these bookshelves has given me quite the headache. I’ve actually shot the space several times with not much luck. I wish you all could just stop by and see it in person! Not one of these photos does it justice, but they’ll have to do for now.
This looks AMAZING!!! I love that color! I'm excited to see how you style this.
I've been trolling snapchat waiting for the final result, gorgeous!
Amazing work! Kudos to you and Micah!
Wow! That looks awesome!
Amazing!
Wow. Wow. Wow. I love the color on the shelving. Deeply. I'm not sure I'm seeing the color of the walls correctly. Need to check it out on my computer. Congrats on a great job!
Wow. Wow. Wow. I love the color on the shelving. Deeply. I'm not sure I'm seeing the color of the walls correctly. Need to check it out on my computer. Congrats on a great job!
Wow. Wow. Wow. I love the color on the shelving. Deeply. I'm not sure I'm seeing the color of the walls correctly. Need to check it out on my computer. Congrats on a great job!
What a beautiful room. Jaw droppingly good! In the last photo the doorway looks centered in the wall now, was it not symmetric before? Also do the sconces dim separately from the chandelier? Thanks for sharing and congrats. Sit back and admire your beautiful creation!
It wasn't and its still not perfect but I like that it's closer! 😉
Love the book case color but not feeling the wall color. Light fixtures are beautiful!
Stunning. Beautiful light selection. Well done, fabulous job which I have loved watching start to finish.
Thanks for following along, Lisa!
I could not wait to see the final result. Beauty and style come from within, this makes my heart sing. I hope a lot of people will get inspirered, same as me. Thank you!
You're so sweet, thanks, Aiga!
GWEN! It is so striking. If this is not great pictures, it must almost make you pass out in person 😉 I absolutely loathe the paint prep process. So, so much. But these finished bookshelves are just beyond awesome – so worth every hole and crack filled!
Kind of took my breath away, its so beautiful! You have incredible vision and taste. I am so in love with the sconces on the shelves.
Thank you, Linda!
Just plain striking! I am in love with what you have done and feel badly you spent Christmas working that hard, but gosh! The payoff! Soooooo excited to see the shelves styled. Cannot wait!!!
The work was worth it. 🙂
This is so beautiful! You guys did an amazing job! 🙂
This is insanely bananas awesome! All of it. The color, the gloss, the lighting. So good. Can't wait to see the decor and styling but it's already so gorgeous.
Thanks, Erin!
Your vision is amazing and it came together perfectly! I love your tip about spraying oil for high shine on wood. I love it! And everything on your blog – it makes me want to repaint everything and bring in more color, oh and then go thrifting!! I love this place you've built!
xo,
Cait
Thanks for all of this, Cait, you're sweet and I love sharing it!
Seriously Gwen…this is absolutely amazing. Just breathtaking. Im so excited to see your furniture, art, and decor choices on this space. A huge pat on the back to you and Micah. So very well done.
Thanks sweet friend!
It looks absolutely beautiful! Love the picture frame molding and the fact that the shelves are adjustable. I can't stop staring at it all!
Thanks, Whitney! I'm glad you like the details I spend probably way too much time obsessing over. 🙂
Love it, Gwen! The room is stunning. I've been the most excited about this room since you told us that you'd been hoarding that library ladder. The light fixtures, paint color, woodwork…gorgeous.
Thank you! Yes, the ladder was quite the motivation for me too. 🙂
I can't wait to see it furnished. I want to curl up in a comfy chair there and read all the books.
Come on over! 😉
Gwen! I mean. I would NEVER choose this! Which is perhaps why I LOVE it all so much! Truly. This is all so you. Classic. Classy. Tasteful. Moody. And fresh. All at the same time. Never trendy here! Which is why I love to follow you and your adventures. And now we get to watch you style those shelves and THRIFT your furniture pieces?! Gah!
Ha. I love your honestly and I'm glad you like it friend!
Wow – that looks as bold as I thought it would… but much more restful than I pictured it! It's a perfectly elegant space. I can't wait to see it with books everywhere!
Yes, I'm so happy with how calm and soothing it feels, especially at night!
absolutely lovely …. WOW !!!!
Jayne, thank you!
Looks great!! I can't wait to see how you style the shelves and the room around it. Nice work!
Thanks, Karen!
Your hard work paid off.. the built in bookcase looks GORGEOUS!!! Can't wait to see you you style it!
Thanks so much, Sandra! I'm looking forward to finding all the right things to fill them. 🙂
Wow, get it girl! This space is already a showstopping stunner! I love the boldness and color you went with. The end result is definitely worth the time and amount of work done to this point. Great job Gwen!
Thanks so much, Jen!
Oh my GOD!!! I have waited all Christmas break for this post, and it is AWESOME!! Congrats on a job well done, and I agree that even thought paint prep is so important, it really is a pain! Can't wait to see how all of your books and such look on these babies!
Oh, you're so sweet, Sarah-Marie! I can't wait to see the books come together either. Still trying to buy them. 🙂
So. Friggin. Good. Just stunning!
Thanks, Arielle!
Fabulous! I'd love to see a photo of what the chandelier looks like on
The space is definitely even better at night! Here's a look on instagram…https://www.instagram.com/p/BALoTQHkdjY/?taken-by=themakerista
It is stunning!! I adore the color and the lighting choices…that pendant is sensational. What a cozy and wonderful room! I love a good library!
I am behind on my blog reading so am only just seeing this now. WOW! Your choices here are so so good and look fantastic and different and straight up gorgeous. Those shelves are amazing! I just love seeing your style come out in this house.
Just love it. Thanks for all the details. Just a question. Can you tell me about the Ladder..
It was a craigslist find from a few years ago, thanks so much!
Would you say that the color in the photos is pretty true to how they look in person?
I’m seriously considering purchasing the same sconces for my study/music room. I hesitate only because the pictures of the aged brass candelabra sconces on the Rejuvenation website look so much darker and duller than yours. (We purchased some aged brass sconces from a different store, and they were dull and dark. No bueno.)
The color is pretty true. It changes throughout the day though. The sconces are BEAUTIFUL in person. They’re hand rubbed and I love the look and the finish is just the perfect shade of brass!
You built Love the room. Weare starting to build a library down stairs. Where can we find a video or step by step pictures of hoof how you built the shelves and what did you use to make them ajustable? Thank you for being so creative.
I’m not sure on a step by step tutorial, but we just drilled holes in the sides and purchased pins to hold the shelves in place. Sorry I can’t be more help!
Love the way. you did the room. Where can we find a video or step by step pictures that will show us how our built the shelves and what you used to make the shelves adjustable? Thank you for being so creative.