Upcycled Beethoven Bookcase

March 11th, 2011

 In our world of furniture repurposing, 1970-something was a very, very good year for classical composer Beethoven, as well as funky bookcases. 

In the early 70’s this one-time entertainment center side wing probably held an 8-track player, possibly a reel-to-reel system, and later, moving into the 1980’s even a betamax video tape player.

But today, with all shreds of green shag carpet erased from its memory, this repurposed bookcase is upcycled fantastic.

Starting with a rectangular shell of a cabinet, devoid of a back, lacking any charm or shelves, but at least possessing solid bones and two decent cabinet doors, this once-entertainment center component was a perfect piece of donor furniture for repurposing.

First, a back of recycled bead board was added to the cabinet.  Next, shelves were fashioned from leftover pieces of other cabinets that had previously been torn apart and repurposed into new things.  The shelves were edged with delicate and intricate moldings salvaged from broken picture frames.  A new scrolled base, assembled from scrap boards, gave the cabinet a firm and proud footing upon which to stand.  And atop the cabinet’s crown, a scrolled frieze was added, prominently allowing a once gilded and chipped plaster bust of Beethoven that was found in a broken frame matted with green velour, gaze down at the beautiful piece of furniture beneath him. 

A matching framed plaster Mozart wall hanging was found at the same time, but still awaits a new repurposed life in a bin in our shop.

Rounding out the quality repurposed construction of this bookcase is a meticulously applied antiqued and distressed paint job, with black over a warm tan undercoat.  The finish on this piece is neutral enough to complement any interior, but distinctive enough to anchor an entire room.  It’s truly a one of a kind classical masterpiece.

This repurposed Beethoven bookcase is available for sale at Finders Keepers in Pocatello, Idaho.  If you’d like to purchase it, you may want to call ahead, to ensure this fabulous piece of repurposed furniture is still available.  The store’s number is (208) 233-5553.  But if it’s gone, don’t distress.  You can either choose from one of the other repurposed bookcases we have in the store, or call Scott  at (208) 713-6487 and have him build a custom repurposed bookcase for you.

Fast and free delivery is available for custom order pieces in the Boise area, and scheduled delivery every month is available to serve areas between Boise and Pocatello.