Bold Beadboard Built-Ins

Have you noticed that I have a thing for bold colors! I really want to be this traditionalist, but I just can’t. I love traditional style but, I just have to get my dosage of bold colors. I try really hard to make them work without feeling like we are inside of a candy store! After years of playing it safe in our condo, I’ve finally embraced the fact that I just LOVE color! Now, I’m going for it all over the house like in Jude’s room and Gavin’s room and now with my bold beadboard built-ins. 

After painting the hearth room and kitchen Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore I am ready to start fixing up the built ins. You guys gave me some great suggestions on how to make this space look less awkward.  So, first things first… I want to update the book cases. 

I tried out two different colors. A dark grey called Granite, left over from Gavin’s room and Pantone’s Color of the Year 2013, Emerald. It didn’t take me long to decide I wanted the Emerald in my life with bold beadboard built-ins.

Then I remembered I had left over wallpaper from the boys bathroom.  I know, I know I haven’t updated you on that situation yet. But, the good news is I used the awesome Allen & Roth bead-board wallpaper in two places. That’s a lot of bang for $19.95. Installing the bead-board was soooo easy.

Luckily the width fit perfectly so I didn’t even have to make any cuts except at the end.  After I cut the length, filled up the bathtub with about 2 inches of warm water. Then I dipped the wallpaper in to the water. Lastly I folded the wallpaper together glue side to glue side. All that was left to do was to put it on the back of the bookshelf and smooth out the bubbles with a straight edge. It’s that easy! I love this wallpaper! It’s really thick and of course it’s paint-able! 

The Emerald really brings out the colors in my World Market drapes. They kind of look super busy and crazy below but in person they are really beautiful. The drapes almost look like linen with a colored pattern on top. I am still so in love with them and can’t wait to get them hung. 

Today I am painting all of the shelves a really bright white paint in a semi gloss. I will also have to paint all of that molding. Let me say that again… I have to paint ALL of that molding. Excuse, my absolute lack of enthusiasm. The only thing that is motivating me is looking at these pictures and realizing the end is somewhere in site. 
The hearth room is still an enormous mess, but it’s getting there. What do you think? Would you have painted the shelf backs a bold color? Do you have any questions about installing beadboard wallpaper? Let us know! 

Like DIY? Try Our DIY Fashion Fix For Your Underwire Breakthroughs! Order Here!