Step-by-step Bookcase Repainting:

This bookcase was orange with layers of black, green and yellow paint underneath.  I bought it for $12 at a church rummage sale and it sat outside for a year before I decided to work on it.  I used a palm sander and sand paper, but I did not remove all of the old paint, and it still had a lot of rough texture. 

I primed it with two coats of white gesso.  Then I painted a layer of tan wall paint on the top and sides and periwinkle on the inside.  I painted scenes of the iris flowers I have grown in my garden on the top and sides.  Then I decided that I hated the tan, so I painted the background green.

My intent is to use up some wall paint that is just going to be recycled.

The result is a little bookcase that is cute, but still retains a lot of its rustic wear and tear.