Bookcase Wallpaper Magic

August 17, 2020

By Brinda

My husband says that I'm obsessed with our guest room. Of course, I disagree. I would like to think I'm creating a welcoming space for some overnight guests in the future.

I really wanted to improve the looks of the built-in bookcase.

Here's my recent project to embellish an old bookcase with peel & stick wallpaper.

My husband says that I'm obsessed with our guest room. Of course, I disagree. I would like to think I'm creating a welcoming space for some overnight guest in the future. I'm not exactly sure who that will be since no one really ever spends the night, but it will be ready.

We started with ripping out the carpet and replacing the flooring. That led to new paint on the walls and baseboards. Also, I refreshed the headboard. Then, I repainted the vanity and the bookcase. It looked fresh, but I still wasn't happy.

Okay, maybe my husband is right this time. I could be obsessed.

Here is the before shot of the bookcase. Blah. I hated it.

There's a mirror on the left panel and the right had no back board. That's the wall that you see.

I needed some pizazz for this bookcase. I replaced the silver knobs with brushed gold handles that I loved. I could feel it. I was getting closer to the look I wanted.

Then, it came to me--peel & stick wallpaper.

I bought the NuWallpaper brand of peel & stick wallpaper in taupe and yellow from Amazon. One roll cost me $34.99. I cut foam board inserts for bookcase panel inserts and covered them with the wallpaper.

Why did I use foam board? If I discovered that it was a mistake, or I wanted to change the decor in the room, my foam board inserts pop right out. I was able to cover that mirror and provide a back for the other side.

Tips:

This is a two person job. The sticky part is well...sticky. You can pull it away to adjust for mistakes when you are adhering it, but it's going to take an extra set of hands.
Pay attention to your pattern. My foam board inserts were wider than the roll and required piecing together a section for width. I cut my pieces without realizing I'd need to match a pattern. I did have enough on the roll and was able to adjust, but I'll know better next time. A smaller pattern is probably easier to match up if you must do this.