By Danielle Peterson

Jane Pakis and her husband, Val, were ecstatic when they moved into an old schoolhouse that had been converted into condos. The best part about their new home: it still has the original hardwood floors.

To create space for Jane’s office in the new house, they divided their “great room” into two areas, using a bookcase to separate the spaces. When the bookcase was in place, though, the couple thought the room needed a softer look since everything was wood. Their innovative solution was to cover the backside of the bookcases with funky carpet squares.   “The ceilings are 15 feet high, and I felt the softness of the carpet on the bookcase would be a nice touch,” Jane says.  Since they didn’t actually want carpeted floors, but already had carpet squares they loved, Jane thought this was the perfect compromise.

To start a similar project, lay the carpet out to determine if any of the squares must be trimmed to fit the bookcase. Once that is done, place the carpet on the floor in the exact pattern you want. Next, clean the back of the bookcase. Apply cove adhesive with a trowel and before it dries, place carpet squares on the adhesive. Repeat until the bookcase is completely covered with your carpet squares. 

Advice from the creator: “Don’t be afraid!” Jane says, “It is such an easy project with instant rewards! I can see this working everywhere from nurseries to dining rooms.” 

For other pictures of Jane’s project, click here.

Click here for another creative way to use a bookcase!

Want more ways to change the look of your everyday furniture? Click here.