We’re back with the after photos of our freshly painted built-ins. As mentioned in the previous post, we chose an inky blue with hints of green called Dragonfly from Benjamin Moore’s Affinity line; we had it color-matched to Lowe’s No-VOC Olympic paint for the small amount we needed. Because we already used objects we owned to style the shelves, this entire built-in refresh cost just $10.97 for the paint—a very small investment for a big visual change.
We only needed a quart, so this was a fast, low-cost update that made a dramatic difference. The shelves were carefully planned ahead of time to hold the pieces we wanted to display, and the makeover was mostly a matter of painting, waiting for it to dry, and putting everything back. We snapped a poorly lit progress photo last night for fun; yes, John’s shirt does say “Talk Nerdy To Me” on the back, which always makes me laugh.
Now for the good part: the bookcases, all painted and looking fantastic. We stood there watching the paint dry, impatient to reattach the shelves and get everything back in place. Because our room faces north, the light changed as the day progressed, which made the color appear slightly different depending on when we photographed it. Even with that variation, we absolutely love the result. The color is bold and high-contrast—something we wouldn’t have dared try in our previous home.
Dragonfly is particularly appealing because it reads differently by time and angle: sometimes it looks greener, sometimes bluer, sometimes darker or lighter. That shifting quality gives the built-ins a moody, dynamic feel that changes through the day and with different lighting conditions. It’s subtle but intriguing, and it ties the whole room together with a richer, more intentional palette.
One of my favorite aspects of the new color is how it makes white objects pop. All of my white ceramic animals and other delicate pieces really stand out against the saturated background. The contrast also makes the cabinet exteriors look crisper and whiter by comparison, which helps brighten the overall space despite the deep hue.
We included a couple of photos that show the color most true to life, though color display can vary by monitor and lighting. Still, those images capture the depth and nuance of Dragonfly better than the earlier progress shots, and they helped confirm that a quart of paint was all we needed for this project.
We love this color so much that we’re thinking about using it elsewhere in the house to create a cohesive but lively color story—something that feels deliberate without being boring. It could be a great choice for the base of a future kitchen island or even a bathroom vanity. Those are longer-term projects, but it’s fun to imagine how this moody, adaptable shade could work in other spaces.
Psst—if you want to recreate some of the shelf styling, learn how we made the fabric-covered boxes on the right side of the shelf in an earlier post about DIY storage boxes.