Stylish Bookcases: Unfinished Furniture To Give Your Home A Shabby Chic

Bookcases — unfinished furniture units especially — are becoming less and less common in our interiors, which is a pity. There are plenty of stylish ways to work with unfinished bookcases, no matter if you are decorating a living room or a bedroom. Here are just some of the most impressive ideas on how you can use simple unfinished wood to give your room some rural shabby chic:

Distress furniture on your own

If you have old bookcases — even if they are finished — it might be just the right time to give these units new life. Distressing furniture on your own is not that difficult — even though it surely requires some time and effort. In a nutshell, you will have to remove the old finish (there are special liquids for that in stores) and then sand the piece a couple of times. After that, you can paint the wood anew and sand it again. This will give any bookcase a shabby, unfinished look.

Invest into ready made rustic solutions

There are plenty of bookcases and other unfinished furniture solutions in rustic style in major furniture stores. Sure, factory made models will never have the same unique look as individually distressed ones. Moreover, they feature a design that is somewhere on the brink of rich elegance rather than offer a simple, down to earth rustic charm like unique distressed furniture.

Work on your room lighting

While working with bookcases — unfinished furniture units especially — it is very important to highlight them. These days, books are basically artsy accessories, so drawing a little bit more attention to your bookcase might be an astonishing idea. At the very least, add a line of recessed lights above the piece.

Mix books with other objects

Bookcases — unfinished furniture or finished one — do not necessarily have to store books only. In a living room, for example, you can use bookcases as display stands. Apart from books, you can accessorise the shelves with figurines and souvenirs, pictures or photos — practically anything you have in mind.

Bare your architectural elements

Unfinished furniture in general looks overwhelming with matching architectural elements — bare ceiling beams are the obvious examples. This amazing combination will make any room interior logical and consistent. Plus, bare beams look equally impressive with individually distressed and ready made rustic furniture.

Add some glass into the picture

Bookcases — finished and unfinished ones — look great with glass doors. Moreover, glass is an amazing example of an interior neutral material that can fit into any decoration setting. Glass bookcase doors are some of the classic approaches. The benefit of going with glass doors is that they usually make an entire piece look lighter, which is essential for a small room.

If you are looking for bookcases — unfinished furniture or something a bit fancier — in the UK, take a look at Furniture in Fashion. This is one of the most respectable platforms in the country, offering a gorgeous selection of quality furniture from the best local and European manufacturers, while striving to keep prices competitive and the selection — diverse.