Beach House Decorated Bookcase x 2 (House on the Way)

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~Creating a Wall of Bookcases~

For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been at the beach house enjoying the sun and sand. It’s one of my favorite places in the world. I try to relax, but to be honest…when I’m there…I want to work. I want to DIY…paint…sew…and decorate. I struggle with the wish to enjoy the time there and the desire to create the perfect beach home.

If I spend too much time on the house, I feel guilty for not “stopping to smell the roses”…or the saltwater, as the case may be.

If I don’t carry out things on my to-do list, I feel like I wasted the opportunity to get things done.

…So I try to balance.

This trip, I decided to finally add a second bookcase to the living room. For the last two years, I’ve went back and forth with the wall across from the sectional. It’s a very long wall and has been somewhat the “bane of my existence” for a while now.

I’ve tried many combinations of tables, chairs, wall decor, etc. to try to create the look I wanted….to only be disappointed.

Recently, I spotted a page in the Ballard Designs catalog that featured two of their Sonoma Bookcases sitting together in a living room. Since I had one of the IKEA Vittsjo bookcases that I had painted gold, I decided that a second one could give me the look I wanted.

The size of the double bookcases fill the space and give the illusion of a wall of bookcases.

I made the trip to IKEA, bought another Vittsjo and then headed to Home Depot because I needed some Rustoleum Universal Metallic Paint in Pure Gold

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The metal of the bookcase accepts the paint wonderfully, but because it is a dark metal, it did need 4 cans to get good coverage. That’s a lot of paint, but worth it because it’s a gorgeous shade of gold.

After the paint was dry, the fun began…filling the shelves with found objects, both old and new.

One thing I love about coastal decor is the accessories…

You can fill the bookcases with baskets of different sizes and shapes, lanterns, shells, greenery and family photos. One of my favorite pieces is the wicker bird-cage on the top shelf.

I find most of my beautiful decorative objects at HomeGoods or the local flea market. I love to rummage through boxes for a little trinket. I follow the old adage of…”one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” Or in my case…woman.

You can never go wrong with burlap, twine and shells when it comes to coastal decor. This was a candle holder that I covered with twine and filled with my collection of shells.

While at IKEA getting my 2nd Vittsjo, I also picked up a few of their faux plants and simple white planters. They are actually very pretty for artificial plants.

I think I’ve finally found the perfect furniture combination for my “bane of an existence wall” in the living room. The Vittsjo bookcase is one of my favorite pieces from IKEA. They take paint well and have an elegant look with their glass shelves. If you’ve never checked them out, I urge you to…you never know when they may be the answer to your decorating dilemma.

*This post contains an affiliate link. All opinions are 100% mine.