How to Make a Faux Planked Eclectic Bookcase

I've come to the conclusion that from now on when I find myself struggling to define my style in my home, I'm just going to slap the term "eclectic" on it and call it a day.

Every Friday, I post my Friday Faves because it helps me sort through my Pinterest boards always overflowing with inspirations from a thousand different directions- rugged rustic, glamorous French, modern industrial.  And a lot of times I realize I have no clue what I'm doing 99% of the time.  

So as I was styling my bookcase from my latest furniture makeover, I decided.  My home is in the eclectic category from now on.  Because guess what!  That term is defined as "deriving ideas or styles from a broad and diverse range or sources."  Done.  Eclectic it is. 

I guess you can look at it as a way to say, "This chick just can't make up her mind."  Or you can see eclectic as "A style that is never boring because it involves lots of story-telling collections from all sorts of times, places, and cultures."  It sounds so much better that way, right?

My little bit of soul-searching all started with this bookcase I found on Craigslist that I knew was destined for our back wall in our living room.

I loved the little bit of detailing at the top and the price wasn't too shabby either.  Once I painted it with a few coats of Annie Sloan Pure White, it was like an entirely new piece.

But the back was too plain for me, and I even polled my Facebook followers (thanks y'all) to weigh a few options: painting the back a dark gray or creating a white planking effect.  Since I knew most of the items on the shelves were going to be dark, I didn't want them to blend in with a dark background. 

The only thing was (and if you haven't figured this out yet, hang around a little longer here and you will) I didn't want to spend any extra money on this thing.  Lugging a tempermental toddler to Lowe's to buy wood for planks, attaching them, and painting all over again was not my idea of fun.  

So here is what I used to create a faux plank effect:

• Level
• Paint pen in gray
• Tape measure
• Pencil

And it didn't cost me a cent or my sanity.

First, I measured each section of the bookcase and marked the widths of each "plank" with a pencil. 

 I used a level to draw on the lines with the pencil too in case I made any mistakes.

Then, I went back over the penciled lines with the paint pen.  I still used the level as a guide to keep the lines straight.

It was so simple and easy.  Best of all, it didn't require a single power tool (awesome for napping toddlers who are light sleepers).  

I still have some tweaking to do on the shelf styling, but I'm happy considering I mostly used items I've collected over time.  And best of all, they have meaning.

That birdcage was a centerpiece from our wedding three years ago.  The little bird figurines were hand carved by my father-in-law.  That old sewing machine was even passed down to me from my mother's side of the family.  And, of course, I always have a slight book obsession.

Now all of my little treasures have a home and don't have to be banished to the depths of a closet.  So many of them have a story to tell.  

What do you think?  Is the eclectic thing working?  Let me know in the comments or on Facebook. :)

Blessings,

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