Painted Bookshelves

There are few things I love more than a great set of bookshelves... unless the interior of said bookshelves has been painted in some gorgeous color. Here's what I mean: 

I love how the blue of these shelves' interior (via domino, pinned here) is a few shades darker than the wall color (also seriously loving that hide rug). 

This red! I like how the rest of the room is pretty low key so the red insides can really make a statement (via Architectural Digest by Steven Volpe, pinned here), but other red accents throughout the room (pillows, dress in photograph) tie it all together. 

Here's a simple favorite (by Steven Gambrel and pinned here from this blog). Such a beautiful shade of blue for the shelves' backs, and the leather chest is a beautiful complement. And those antique horses! Amazing.

This post from Crane Concept (pinned here) walks through how to DIY these built-ins. The black paint here makes the shelves look like they go on to infinity (and beyond)--a great optical illusion. (The rug is killer, too... see this post for where to find an affordable option for yourself!)

This idea is also really effective and gorgeous in stand-alone shelves. Antony Todd, a wonderful space on 11th and University, has these amazing shelves that I drool over every time: 

This beautiful display cabinet was for sale on Viyet-- it has since sold, sadly, but inspirational all the same! DIY, anyone??

And then, of course, there's the wallpaper-backed route. I'm particularly obsessed with the island vibe in this image (via PS I Made This with a video outlining the process here):

This wallpaper is always a favorite, especially when it's tucked in somewhere unexpectedly, like here (via Apartment Therapy and pinned here):

Here's that tropical vibe again... loving it (via Cup of Jo and pinned here):

This can be a great DIY, too! In high school, my dear mother and I actually "wallpapered" the back of my built-in bookshelves with wrapping paper... but that's another story for another day :)

Have you ever  painted the backs of your shelves? Have you seen any especially beautiful examples of someone who has? Let me know in the comments below!

DIY: Tiny Shelf Makeover

One of my favorite things to do when redecorating a room is to see what existing furniture I have that can be reworked for a fresh look (like I did with my atlas-covered desk). During my last year of college I needed a small bedside table to hold a few necessities--namely, my ever-growing pile of books and a lamp with which to read them. I already had this little dresser with drawers that my grandfather had made years and years ago, which had been painted and repainted umpteen times. I had changed out his original knobs for these funky ones another time, but the drawers just weren't going to work for my books.

I liked the navy, so didn't bother painting it yet again. Instead, I took the drawers out and, taking care to keep the face of the piece navy (but apparently not careful enough--don't look too closely! A little painter's tape might have been helpful here...), spray painted the inside silver. I wanted something a little glitzy inside, but not too overboard. For the record, I don't always love to paint old furniture, especially pieces with sentimental value, but because this already had about five layers of paint on it, I didn't feel too badly.

With a little (okay, a lot; okay, he did it all) help from my dad, boards were cut to easily slide into the dresser as shelves instead of the drawers. I covered them in some wrapping paper I had laying around and reinforced the edges with clear packing tape--a great little trick to keep the edges from getting banged up, which you can't see unless getting very up close and personal! You can see where I was running out of paper and turned the stripes the opposite direction on the last shelf. Gives a little personality :)

Then I filled it with books! And a clementine crate, which fit perfectly, to hold odds and ends.

And that was that! I loved this makeover because I only used things I already had (read: free!), and it was so quick to do--and so functional! Here it is in situ in my old Charlottesville room:

What about you? Do you have any successful furniture makeovers? Contact me here or let me know in the comments below--I'd love to share them on the blog!

Personal Shopper: 15 Area Rugs for $300 or Less

After the post on my studio's rugs, I received several very sweet notes wondering where to find rugs on a budget. This is a tough one because, on one hand, carpets can easily get destroyed, which makes investing in them a hard bite to swallow. On the other hand, a beautiful, well-made rug is a purchase that can travel from apartment to apartment for years--that's how I look at mine, anyway. Regardless, here's a round up of some of my favorites that don't break the bank! Color blocked rug (4'6 x 6'6 is about $268) by Ferm Living featured in this great post by Remodelista. Also comes in a smaller size.

Black and white, comes in two sizes (2'6 x 4'6 is about $126). Check out more, similar options from Ferm Living here.

Great graphics (and dark background hides dirt!)... also comes in inverse colors and other sizes. Urban Outfitters; 8' x 10' is $199.

Urban is #winning. Also comes in other color ways and sizes; 4' x 6' for $59.

More color blocking from Urban Outfitters; 5' x 7' is $99.

This colorful tribal flat weave from Urban is $189 for the 3' x 5', and a bigger size is also available.

A classic from IKEA; 5'7 x 8'10 for $199. (When shopping for IKEA rugs, I've found the better quality ones are their flat weaves, not low pile.)

From Hawkins New York; 4' x 6' is $300 and is available in more, equally fantastic colors and sizes:

Love this black and white from Bed, Bath, & Beyond. A 5' x 7' is $160; it also comes in other sizes.

Colors from Land of Nod (yes, that's a children's store!); 4' x 6' is $129.

Another Land of Nod find; 4' x 6' for $99 and other sizes are available.

On sale now at West Elm! 5' x 8' is $150; other sizes available.

More B&W from CB2, 5' x 8' for $249.

Vibin', also from CB2 (also comes in black). 6' x 9' for $249; a runner is also available.

Target for the win with this 5' x 7' for $120.

Have you found any great rug options? Tell me here or in the comments below!

Artist Spotlight: Myla Seabrook

Regardless of the city or circle or stage of life, I've met so many fantastic artists, and I'm taking this chance to show them off through my Artist Spotlight series. Meet Myla Seabrook!

Myla and I worked together last summer, and I was immediately enthralled with her fearless use of color in the terrific landscapes she creates. She was recently featured by Cultation, and her work is really fantastic. She's better at telling her story for herself, so I'll let her!

The Spoonful: Describe your style in five words. Myla: Colorful, loose, whimsical, nostalgic sometimes, happy

The Spoonful: What is your art background? Myla: I attended the High School of Art and Design and majored in Fashion Illustration there (random, I know, but I loved it), then went to Hofstra University and majored in Fine Art with a concentration in painting. Over the course of my studies I have created drawings, collages, paintings, sculptures, and various clothing designs. I also interned with the West Harlem Art Fund and completed a residency at Brooklyn Art Space.

The Spoonful: Whose work do you most admire? Myla: Albert Bierstadt. He has a huge painting in the Brooklyn Museum (my favorite) that inspired me even when I was too small to be able to create something so large. He was a landscape painter that managed to capture the drama of skies and sweeping vistas perfectly with every painting, and he also worked in the super large sizes that I someday hope to have the space to produce.

The Spoonful: Where do you find your inspiration? Myla: In nature. I spend a ridiculous amount of time staring at the sky or at trees, shadows on grass, the land around me when I'm up on a mountain or a bridge or in a plane, the colors of flowers. I love being awed by natural beauty, as I feel reminded of the majesty of the earth in moments like those. I am also inspired by books. I read a lot of science fiction and supernatural stuff, and I don't think anyone can create a fantasy world quite like science fiction writers can.

The Spoonful: Your ideal workspace consists of... Myla: A large table so I can space things out (I'm a messy person but I get kind of surgical about the layout of my workspace; brushes over here, paper towels over there, paints in the bin along the back...), an easel or two depending on whether or not I'm working on two paintings at a time, and a large wall to tack up some canvas and make a huge piece. Since we're talking ideal here, a ladder would be great too, because I have alllll that wonderful dream space. I also like a good wifi connection and a comfy chair. Sometimes I can spend twenty minutes scrolling through googled reference photos before I feel ready to put paint on the canvas.

The Spoonful: Greatest piece of advice on being an artist (creating, surviving, anything) that you've received? That you can give? Myla: The road to success is winding. And you get there when the time is right. My mom is always coaching me on patience and trusting myself, and I think that, when you're self-employed, those things are incredibly important. Sometimes my path leads me places I didn't plan on being; lately, life has been about adapting to new situations and making the best out of them, assuming that staying focused on my goals/ willing to work and learn will get me to the things I want. So far, so good!

The Spoonful: Five things you can't live without? Myla: My cellphone (I hate admitting that but there it is), mostly for the Kindle reading, the texting, and the web browsing. I have all the social media accounts in the world but I'm too lazy to be super active on them. A sketchbook or journal Nail polish (if I can't paint a canvas, may as well paint my nails, am I right?) Books. Actual physical books. Sunlight. Not just for the vitamin D... I really, really love natural light.

The Spoonful: Where can we find your work? Myla: No shows at the moment, but I'm always open to setting up a studio visit at Brooklyn Art Space for people who'd like to see what I'm currently working on. (Editor's note: Myla's art can be seen on her website and Facebook, too.)

The Spoonful: What's coming up next for you? Myla: Currently, I'm working on achieving my goal of making larger paintings, mainly through mural commissions. I've also been working on some concept design for books and book covers, so that's hopefully something the public will see from me soon!

Thanks for sharing your story, Myla! Can't wait to see what's next :)

Do you know of an artist to be featured on The Spoonful's Artist Spotlight series? Let me hear it! Email me at lucyclarespooner@gmail.com.