Behind Your Books Looks

I'm currently working with a client whose built-in, family room bookcases need a makeover. Her exisiting situation is something like the pic you see above. Warm golden wood, closed cabinets on the bottom, open shelves up top. She wishes to play down the large expanse of wood—the floor-to-ceiling bookcases fill more than 20 linear feet of wall space, wrapping from one wall around the corner and onto another. One of the options I suggested is to add color or pattern in the form of paint, fabric or paper to the backs of the cases.

As I began collecting images, I found most examples of this treatment used on white or painted cabinets, far fewer on stained wood cases. Still, there seems to be an endless array of choices, for both contemporary and traditional spaces. From every color of the rainbow in paint...

...including chalkboard paint behind shelves in a kitchen...

...to fabrics and papers ranging from subtle and softspoken...

...to bold and bright.

Some were clad in multiple fabric and paper patterns...


...while others used textural materials like beadboard...


...and brick. I can't say for sure, but what we see here could be that brick-patterned wall paneling that was so popular (but not so attractive) in the 60's and 70's. I think this application is very good-looking, however the designer pulled it off.

Not one of these looks exactly fits the needs of my client, but, as it turns out, we've shifted our thoughts anyway—from simply adding a decorative backing to completely painting the bookcases a color that coordinates with the room's new wall color. A "camouflage" effect if you will.

Have you tried—or would you try—a behind-the-books treatment like this?

Which of these looks is your favorite?

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For a super-sensible tutorial on adding painted panels to the backs of your boodcases, click here. The same technique easily translates to fabric- or paper-wrapped panels too.