Elizabeth from The Lavender Homefront decided to paint all of her home office furniture in the color, “Fireworks”, starting with this bookcase. Keep reading to see the full transformation!

Country Chic Paint’s color, Fireworks has been on my mind for a while. I ordered the paint months ago, and I have been wondering what I should paint in this gorgeous shade of green. Then it hit me! I should paint an entire office set of furniture, and I decided to start with the bookcase. 

I bought this bookcase years ago, and it has been sitting in my children’s playroom, holding books and board games. It was quite beat up, scratched and generally unappealing. However, it worked perfectly for the kids. 

I always thought it deserved more though, having pretty features. It could be so much more than a children’s bookcase and considered how pretty it could be in green. So, I removed it from my children’s room and painted it, just for me, so that I could start the first piece of my home office.

Prepping the Bookcase

Although the bookcase was beat up and scratched, it really didn’t need much except for a good cleaning. I cleaned it thoroughly with mild soap and water. 

Once it had dried completely, I used a 180 grit sanding block to lightly sand the entire piece. I always start this way, just to ensure the paint adheres well to the furniture.

Painting in Fireworks

This bookcase is taller than I am, so it took some work to get everything painted. I painted the first coat with Country Chic Paint’s Oval Brush, and it went on easily. The coverage on this color is great. The black of the cabinet did show through, however.

I decided that I liked having a bit of the black showing through, so on the second coat of paint, I made sure to only use a thin coat (watered down a bit), that still allowed some black through. 

The detailing at the top of the bookcase was lightly painted to show the black coming through in between the nooks and crannies. That bit of black really adds dimension to the bookcase.

Painting in Soiree

I used Country Chic Paint’s color, Soiree to paint the top portion of the bookcase, as well as the backing. This allowed the inside of the bookcase to look a little brighter. I used Country Chic Paint’s Short-Handle Brush to paint the inside. The tapered edge of the brush allowed me to paint without having to use tape. And it’s just easier to paint inside with a short handle! 

I just love this color and thought it would compliment the deep green well. 

Sealing the Bookcase

This bookcase was sealed with two coats of Country Chic Paint’s Clear Coat, for durability. I applied these coats with a foam brush and allowed to dry completely between the coats. I use steel wool and sanded between the coats to remove any possible bubbles that were made when sealing. 

The second coat of clear coat is always fun because it really brings out a nice shine in the finish. The boldness of the green looks even more beautiful with a shiny coat.

Adding Hardware

There is only one knob on this bookcase, and I chose to replace it with a new gold knob. The gold looks great against the green, and once I complete the desk and filing cabinet with the same color scheme, will look great with the other metal accents as well.

I’m very happy with how beautiful this bookcase turned out. Adding it to my home collection will bring color to my home. If you have been considering Country Chic Paint’s color, Fireworks, I encourage you to paint something with it. It’s beautiful!

To see some more examples of painted bookshelves, click here.

Leave a comment below to tell us what you think of the emerald green makeover this bookcase got!

Hi I’m Elizabeth, wife and full time mom of 4 littles. My hobbies include thrifting, upcycling furniture, restoring foreclosed homes, gardening and cooking from scratch! I strive to live sustainably in the heart of the suburbs.

My family and I live in Colorado Springs, CO where the weather is bi-polar and I have tons of indoor time to transform secondhand furniture into beautiful pieces. I absolutely love taking the tired, torn and trashed, and, with the stroke of a brush, giving each piece a second chance!

Make sure to follow Elizabeth on her blog, The Lavender Homefront. You can also find her on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter!