Wow that's a lot of wood! I think paint is the answer too, but would need to know what is going on in the other rooms first. What color is wood in rest of house? A shade of white is the traditional choice and you can't really go wrong with it. But if your taste is very sophisticated I would suggest painting it to match the wall color which should be something muted in the taupe/grey family. Then that same palate should be used throughout the rest of the house .

Instead of painting them, you could fit covered panels in the back of each of the openings. That would really open the area up and it is reversible. Here is a painted cabinet with another color for the back: and this one: You can see how much lighter it looks. So I am suggesting to leave the fronts as is and install painted panels. Could be painted foamcore.

The wood gives it such a warm sophisticated look, do you like that? You could always update by papering the back of the shelves.

Paint bookshelves and maybe add in a big, comfy, window seat. I think that would be nice! Remove the blinds and add in curtains instead. If you want the bookshelves white, a good compliment would be white ceiling with rich, dark wooden beams going across it.

Wow. I like this a lot!!! I don't know what the other parts of the house look like, but Id keep this and through in a desk and make it an office with a couch on one side.

I do love the room as is but here are two nice color options:




Could you upload a couple more views of the room?

Lyvonne

I hate to see good wood painted. I'd rather you got some canvas stretchers that fit the panels above the shelfs and covered the wood (command strip attachment?) with either fabric stretched across the canvas stretchers or wall paper art canvases that fit. You could then remove some of the shelfs and put art in the open areas of the book shelves. A lovely bench seat under the shutters, with matching fabric in that arch -- fill the shelves with things you love and the wood will recede into the background

Fill it with books, etc. and it will break up the wood. Replace the wood window treatment with soft fabric. Desk should be any thing except wood... Metal and glass? Maybe a cowhide rug for texture. Styling is everything, have fun!

This is gorgeous, you may be overwhelmed with all of the wood… the suggestions to break of the “look of the wood” by inserting painted pieces in the backs is a very good one. Personally I would invest the time in that first, fill the shelves with books and keepsakes sparingly and review it again. Last year when I was in the market searching for a new home I walked away from several lovely homes because they painted over too much of the natural wood work because it’s the “in” thing to do “today”…… tomorrow it won’t be and it may cost you later.

I agree with others who suggest disguising some of the wood in the back of the bookcases and I would suggest grasscloth for this. Not only will it help break up some of the wood but it will provide a different texture, which will make the room more interesting. Brightening up the ceilings will go a long way to making the room feel brighter - consider using metallic (soft gold not brassy) paint within the "coffers". I would also change the ceiling fan for a wonderful chandelier. The carpeting should be changed as well. I'd go with something that has a modern pattern - perhaps a two-tone graphic or even a cool animal print. The carpeting will provide another place for the eye to capture and lessen the visual impact of all the wood.

I did have one perplexing question; you stated the wood is “beautiful but it looks dated and old.” Do you think strippping and restaining the wood to a shade deeper; is something you would like? Staining would definitely subdue the “yellow femine tones” of the oak which is dating this room and create more of a “cave atmosphere.” I will state that is one of the reasons I purchased my new home, for my “cave” which is in the darker natural wood tones and I spend the majority of my time in it. Is this strictly your office and are you looking for a more masculine sophicated space; perhaps that is the question we should ask you? What are your favorite colors, do you prefer darker or lighter woods? In accent pieces; furniture and such do you prefer splashes or muted colors?

It needs to be stained a darker color.. Do not paint over this much good wood! Add nice hardware to the cabinets and fill the shelves with lots of books, pictures, and other decorative items. Just filling the shelves can tone down the overwhelming wood a bit. But a darker stain would create a much more sophisticated and finished look.

And if you decide to paint it.. leave the ceiling untouched!

I would leave the cabinets and ceiling as is. Change the flooring and lighting in the room. Do as ppl say and put inserts of material or painted /textured boards in the back of the cabinets as to avoid messing up the wood. Add lighting under some of the shelving for accents, maybe even mirrored panels at some. Get rid of the outdated fan light with flowery light covers. Add texture and definition with some drapery over the left and right ends of the shelving. Darken the flooring to match the curtains. Maybe a dark gray wood flooring with heavy graining and light yellow or cream curtains. Might not be the right color scheme for the honey wood, but something like this. The furniture in the room can alter the shelves as well. So can some accent moulding.

Putting a colored wood blind on the window and having the arch above it accented with some gold and burgundy metal strips would accent that area and give that whole thing focus. The use some Gold, black and burgundy accents elsewhere on the wood facing.

What a gorgeous room, including that incredible coffered ceiling. Leave the wood itself alone. Stripping to darken or paint could be a very major - $$$$$ - project. Remove the wall to wall carpeting and replace the flooring with a darker wood or perhaps a stone tile.

Kinds of furniture and your decision on furniture placement can then be anchored with appropriately sized area rug(s).

Remove the shutters on the window and replace with drapes. Have a comfy cushion made and covered in similar fabric for that window seat.

It looks like those shelves are adjustable? If so, take them out while you create simple, removable panels - painted, fabric or wallpaper covered - to go behind those shelves. Houssaon's idea of using foam core to create the panels is excellent! Then you can put the shelves back in varying heights to accommodate art pieces; a small, interesting lamp or two as well as lots and lots of books - but do leave some empty space. Too-full shelves can be overwhelming.

Do you need the ceiling fan in the room? Can you replace that light source with an interesting chandelier instead?

Beautiful room, I envy you all those lovely bookshelves.

And more pictures of the rest of the room would help with ideas.

A little background . . . I love the look of crisp, white trim. In our last house we painted dark wood bookshelves white. This library isn't my personal style. With all of that said, I would think long and hard before painting the wood. Try to work with it first. Some ideas: A more modern ceiling fan. Rope lighting laying across top of cabinets. Puck lighting inside cabinets. Replace wood blinds with different treatment. Painted drywall panels setting in the back of the cabinets. Area rug. Also, the room will look much different with furniture.

For myself I would paint in a dark, rich color to cozy up the space, but I'd want painting to be the very last option after trying other things first. Lighting, interior wallpaper on the back of the shelves and styling with 1/3 books, 1/3 decor and 1/3 open space would be a starting spot. If you still aren't happy then paint.

The feedback has been excellent and I appreciate it:

At this point, this is where I am :
* Stain entire wood surfaces and cabinets a dark walnut
* Paint plantation shutters an off white to match other shutters and lighten / make contrast.
* Replace white berber with a patterned light taupe carpet
* Replace ceiling fan with more updated and less feminine
* Remove crescent sun shade completely to allow more natural light
* Add some restoration hardware type of pulls on some cabinet doors
* allow for 34" flat screen TV to set into shelves - breaking up sea of wood look.
* Add lots of law type and hardcover books and tactful crystal sales awards

Please let me know your thoughts? They are very much welcomed.

To help update the bookcases, consider making the shelves thicker by applying a wide strip of wood to the front of each shelf (as wide as the width of the counter surface above the bottom doors). Then you can place light strips behind them in a variety of locations to illuminate artwork (both wall hung and shelf mounted), accent pieces, etc.

You may also want to consider glazing the wood to tone down the golden hue.

I love the brain trust within this site. The ideas are great and each one considered.

in addition you could swap the cabinet doors for something in the same wood/finish but with a more updated profile. That should not be a very expensive or difficult upgrade.

remove the lacquer finish, re-stain, and top coat with a satin/matte finish .
here is an example
a mid tone stain with a satin finish

Lucky you! Gorgeous room. A wonderful, wood-lined library when filled with books, maps. globes and warmth.

Your ideas for your space sound fine.

I just have a few suggestions -

*Paint the plantation shutters the same tone as the off-white in the current carpet.

*Leave the white carpet in place if not replacing with wood or tile. IMO, a patterned carpet combined with whatever you put on the shelves will create a lot of patterns and make the room feel "busy".

*Love the idea of removing the crescent shade to allow more natural light.

*Nice hardware on the cabinet will certainly help - just make sure they're not too "grabby" - imagine walking a bit too close to those cabinets and what will the bruise be like when you bump into the hardware?

*When you install the TV in the bookcase, be sure to use some sort of mounting hardware that allows you to pull it out and swivel a bit. It looks like the power and cable outlets are kind of close to the corner.

*Books and crystal sound perfect. You might want to look at lighted display bases to highlight some of those awards and provide a bit of illumination to those shelves. http://www.finehomedisplays.com/proddetail.asp?prod=2692RPL_P&gclid=CI_l9Nbo0rgCFcgWMgodvHMA7w

First off, great room! I'd paint them a lacquer black with a fun color or wallpaper behind it. Then add some lighting. It would be beautiful!

Like this?

Where the walls are light but the shelves stand out.. :)

Just an opinion... but I agree with the "save the wood" crowd.

There's a LOT of value there, that would be a shame to waste by hacking away at it or painting it. (IMHO)
I think the thing that's working against you is the COLOR... which (being on oak) has a very "dated" effect.

I'd look into finding someone who could darken (thereby RICHEN) the overall result.
Attached is a pic of a WALNUT project we had the pleasure of contributing to.
Please understand, that the shot was taken DURING construction...with no lighting.
But the final result was quite impressive.
Also, our pic was shot to focus on the ceilings, which we produced (as well as the flooring below it)... not the entire room, but you may get the idea.
Final note... (I know I'll get an "eye roll" on this one...), but the carpet in your pic is contributing to the overall negative vibe... needs a nice parquet pattern to liven it up after it gets the color "bumped up"...

Lovely room. Of course, filling the library with books will break up the sea of wood too ;-)

K. Rippy - the more I look at your photos, the more I think this may be an excellent option. Can you give me particulars on the stain and process?

I would just paint the ceiling white (airy) or black (for drama and feeling cosy) , and the backs of some (not all) of the open spaces. Use those spaces to feature special artworks. when the room is dressed with books and other items, I think that will tone it down heaps. I would also traet the window treatment the same-make the window a feature. And the more I think about it, I think black could look stunning!

Im glad you love those photos!

It will involve a lot of sanding and getting rid of the existing finish (or section it off and doing a finishing strip) but it will be well worth it. You could do an ebony stain and finish it off in a lacquer finish if you like the high gloss look. You'd still get some grain doing it this way but still be beautiful. It makes it very durable as well with the lacquer.


If you don't want the wood grain to show, I'd follow the steps of refinishing cabinetry. Involves caulking, spackling(I'm not sure thats a word) etc to get rid of the wood grain.


I'm not a professional so there may be another way that would work best but I know that these methods have worked for me and held up really well. On smaller pieces of furniture but still wood :)

Thanks a mil!

You're welcome, I know it may be awhile but please keep us all updated on the end product. That's a fantastic room!

@mikeburch...
Keep in mind that I'm a simple hardwood floor hack, but when we've gotten involved with similar scenarios on staircases and other vertical work... the procedure is to use a brush-on stripper (relatively easy to follow instructions), then sanding with graduated grit papers.
Sometimes, (depending on the existing finish amount and type), it's worth it to go an extra round of stripper in the hard to reach spots i.e. corners and joints (saves some sanding effort in the long run).
Another minor hardship is working the ceilings... great workout for the deltoids... lol

There's obviously a lot of work involved, regardless of which approach you (or whoever tackles it) take.
Even painting is a crapshoot on that much area... because paint doesn't always adhere that readily to lacquer finished surfaces without proper prep...
Sure... it will brush on, but will it STAY on ?
Another thing to consider is how the wood was formerly maintained...
I know that for YEARS folks thought the old Liquid Gold and Pledge were the ideal & easy way to make wood look great... but the buildups after repeating long-term use can be a pain in the backside to deal with later on.

You, or whoever is doing this should obviously...TEST PATCH first... it would be a lot easier to deal with fixing a shelf than an entire wall if things go off the rails.

Of course, before you get in it up to your eyeballs... you'd be wise to have already concluded your color system in order to avoid product "conflicts" down the line. There are a variety of brands and color/finish options on the market... and sometimes the term "ebony" is misleading because it implies a dark almost black brown finish... when in reality some come out far short of that, and you find yourself chasing a sickly green/brown color that's nowhere near as dark as hoped for. But dark brown to BLACK colors on oak can be attained using the correct procedures & products.
Like to see what the final decision & results are. Good luck.

Wow, it's gorgeous. Totally beautiful. Be careful before painting/changing. There's a lot to paint/stain - especially if you don't like the effect. Get some sample pots and some A3 sheets. Play first and check you are 100% persuaded.

My personal short cuts would be (1) bring in the fabric!!! Cushions beneath the window. Oversized rug on the floor - love your idea for colour - a couple of inviting chairs/sofa. This could be a total "cocoon" room!! (2) If you were thinking of painting just one or 2 elements, agree that the blinds are No.1 - this section is distinct from the rest. Combined with soft furnishings, it may give you the rest/relief you're looking for. (If it doesn't go to (3) and maybe combine with painting the inner panels on the ceiling....)
(3) If you are more of a TV/ "display" person than a book worm, change the backs. Wallpaper or inserts might be easier to do/reverse than a full sand/paint.
(4). load the shelves. If you look at all the images posted, the "feel" is at least partially created by the colour/content of the shelves. Quite a would look a bit much if stripped bare.

A very neat shortcut is to get dramatic vases/ urns/, bottles, or art/photos/images that you like, ( mounted or framed identically), and place at regular patterns - possibly starting from the panels above the shelves; in the shelves etc. It breaks down the wood; and you start thinking about the detail. Books are gorgeous, of course!!!

5. The light.... if there is one thing that makes a room look iffy, it's a central and bit dated light fitting. If you're not up to a dramatic attention grabbing replacement (there's some awesome oversized "globes" at present), or a rewire to a more "ceiling based" system, consider strip lighting on some shelves or even lamps at strategic intervals. Introducing light pools helps.

Your shelves have true warmth and dignity. Think cheekbones on a gorgeous model - the clothes/make up change, but the basic structure makes it work.

You are really, really lucky to have such beautiful bones to play with. Enjoy!!

kt20...
Agree with your #5.
That light is working against the room.

Wow, Don't 'paint it, any of it. This room is beautiful and cost a lot of money to build. I recommend taking the plunge and stripping it, staining it a darker color, and refinishing it. Attached is a room I did for a client. It is cherry with medium stain. Now that it is furnished, it is warm and very inviting especially in the evening with the lights on. The entire rest of the house has white woodwork. (Sorry for the out of focus pictures).

All those who suggested "lighting" are right. For a quick and easy change, simply take the cover off that half-round window; open the shutters, hang white sheers on a simple tension rod in the window; replace the bulbs in the fan with white/daylight bulbs.

Temporarily place a comfy chair or two in there with a side lamp table. The kind of lampshade you choose will make a huge difference in the "color" of the wood. A plain fabric shade in white or ivory will help light the whole room - the more "ivory" the shade, the yellower the light will be. Again, be careful of the color of the bulb you use. Just to compare - try it with a "daylight/white" bulb then with a "warm" color bulb and notice the change of color in the room - and of the wood - in both daylight and at night.

A black lampshade with a white, ivory, silver or gold lining usually creates a much more dramatic light since it will only illuminate the area close to it - and again - the color of the light bulb will make a difference.

Such a lovely room.........................

So much gorgeous hardwood! I'm sure whatever you decide to do with this room will be beautiful.

I am currius to see results. What have you done with the space?

I would take off the top shelves leaving the down ones free for storage. I'll rotate them and build a huge office with vertical drawers. Like that I would win the walls and a clear sensation of free space. But that I would do serving my needs: design studio!
Don't paint the wood.. Give it a different treatment! I might regret it latter..

I think its great as is. As you fill the shelves, you'll see less wood. Add area rugs

What did you end up doing with the shelves? Any updates to share?

You could also consider only painting parts that are easier to strip later if you decide you want all wood again. While stripping everything would be a disaster, maybe painting the flat front parts could give some depth - or painting the walls above. There is also temporary removable wallpaper you could try in the back of the bookcases.

IMO...painting that wood would be a sin. Sell it. You've likely got over $10k sitting there.

Then just replace it with painted Ikea junk.

What did you end up doing?

I remember this dilemma...
I too am curious...