Painted Bookshelves

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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!