We have the same dilemma. I say paint! My husband wants the wood. It is still wood, but someday it will be painted.

Thanks, I am thinking about painting too...maybe dark charcoal or navy lacquer. Something different.

Ooooh navy lacquer sounds good. I saw photo of a room or book self painted that color and I loved it.

I also love the navy lacquer--Gorgeous!

The navy looks great with the brass hardware. Thanks for sharing the photo!

Lacquer is a tricky application and not for amateurs. It takes multiple coats (like 4+) plus sanding between to get the proper coverage. Because this is OAK, it will never look right as the grain will pop through. I would discuss your plans with a very good painter.

I would stain them... but that is because I like the rich look. I would say it depends on the style of your house. If you have a house with a lot of historic detail then painting them will cause them to look very out of place. However if you have a really outdated home that isn't historic (theres a difference i promise) then go ahead and paint them. I say white because if it is a smaller space. The problem with white is it will get dirty. Also if you paint go with a gloss at least one up from eggshell. The shinier the more you can scrub when it gets dirty.

aha! i found one, not agreat example, but still. I fell in love with red bookshelves about 20years ago.

then you have to have at least one of these - they are down filled,yummy!this would stillgo withdark blue if you like. i love dark blue.

Another option is to use poly shades to darken the oak. And for the record, if you can get the book cases "lacquered" the room would be gorgeous. Just get rid of all the clutter please!!

Thanks everyone for your advice! I would definitely have my painter do this. He made my oak kitchen cabinets look like they were factory finished and it was tedious and time consuming. This is a smaller room off a large family room, rest of house trim has been painted white. I'm afraid to paint the library built ins white as it may change the mood in there and envision a dark library with a rainy day cup of hot tea with good book kind of vibe. Probably will go with a laquer navy or darker stain.

Whatever you do, be sure not to use latex paint. Because of latex's blocking, the books and objet d'art will stick to it as they sit on the shelves. Your painter probably told you this, but not everybody knows.

Tatts, thank you! I never would have thought about latex sticking to stuff, but I know you're right now that you've said it.

I don't have any book shelves to paint, but now I will keep that in mind.

I think leave the shelves stained and paint the back only to match or contrast with the walls in the rest of the room.....or do ceiling and the back of shelves the same color and the walls a different color.

Some ideas.

When removing or returning books to the shelves most people slide them in and out. This can cause scuffs or chip away the paint. Something to think about when making your decision.

One last thing. I think you bookcases need some additional trim pieces to make them look custom. Some fluting on the vertical would dress up the bookcases. I can try to find what I am talking about. I had a friend fabric the walls in green velvet to make it that rainy day cozy library and it is gorgeous. But she stained her bookcases cherry.