Black. And wood. These have been banner forces in some of our projects for a while now and the reason I wanted to turn up the contrast on my two-toned flips. That dark mysterious black against a warm and welcoming wood. Yes please and I’ll have another.
Then last week, I came across this listing on Craigslist for two original mid century bookcases made by the West Michigan Furniture Co. They were a great price which made for the perfect opportunity to scratch this jet black itch I’ve been having…
If you’ve been following the 2019 Furniture Flip Bucket List then you’ll know where I’m going with this.. item No.4 is in my sights:
Now just let me dangle the carrot here for a minute - look at that contrast!
Instead of keeping the cases stacked as a single unit, I decided to make them two separate units. The top surface on the lower, larger cabinet was damaged so it was already asking for a fresh coat of paint. Painting the casing in a new-found favorite Limousine Leather by Behr allowed the interior to electrify.
Unlike my prior flirts with dark tones, this black is much more severe. It’s still my trademark dark and moody and it’s so very stately - especially contrasted against that wooden interior.
This West Michigan Furniture Co. piece still has its original glass sliding doors to protect your treasures from collecting dust.
Truth time - I hate photographing pieces with glass surfaces. I end up obsessing about the reflections or how I apparently don’t know how to keep glass clean. Does anyone out there have any tips??? Asking for a friend…
It also has the original brass capped peg legs which I cleaned up a little but left a lot of the natural patina. I’m so used to working with tapered or metal legs but these little gams are just so cute, I might have to replicate this look again.
For styling, I leaned into the monochromatic look with terra-cotta, books, touches of brass, and white decorative accents. I felt like the piece called for a more “masculine” look with an emphasis on interesting shapes and varied heights.
You’ll have to tune back in to see what will come of his little leggless brother!
Back to Black Bookcase
Now available for sale
48”W x 12”D x 31”H
$425If you are interested in this piece or a custom order like it, email me at cate@stylemutthome.com
One down, four to go. Catch up on the 2019 Furniture Flip Bucket List.
