Projects: Quick Tips: Restyle Your Bookshelves

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Freshen up an old bookcase in an afternoon with decorative paper and a little restyling

From Blah to Beautiful

1. Find a decorative paper to cover the interior for added depth and contrast. We mounted a few sheets with Mod Podge, but spray mount works well, too.

2. Create focal points: The built-in sits at the far end of the room, so large-scale photographs and art, along with sizeable design books, make a big—and needed—impact.

3. Tidy towers of magazines and blocks of novels create pedestals for other items and streamline the overall look.

4. Re-introduce only a spare amount of keepsakes.

Makeover Tips

* Color: Sort books by color to unify your stacks.

* Size: Replace small, hard-to-see pieces with larger, well-positioned focal points.

* Quantity: Cull items down to two or three collections for an uncluttered look.