I've been doing a lot of reading lately and now have books scattered everywhere. There are books on my floor, books on my desk, books on our coffee table in the living room. There are books in the kitchen, books in my closet, books in the hallway. (OK, no, there aren't really books in my hallway ... yet) Today, I was looking around at the literary chaos and thought to myself, "Self .. you REALLY need a bookcase."
I've been keeping an eye on Craigslist and have strolled through Winners and the thrift shops in my neighborhood, but I haven't found anything that really catches my eye. Sure, I've found bookcases but they're either not the right color or they're too big and bulky or they're just downright ugly. I want something that looks great in our apartment and matches the rest of the decor. I want something practical, but not boring ... something stylish, but affordable. Something perfect. Turns out perfect is a hard thing to come by, so the search continues.
I'm starting to doubt that I'll ever find the ideal bookcase (at least, not one that falls within my budget) so I decided to google "book storage" for inspiration. And wowza - inspiration overload!
That's pretty much my dream living room right there .. pink sofa, lots of pillows, simple bookshelves on the wall. Love it.
I love the artsy look of books piled on the floor, but when it comes to my own personal space I think I'd prefer to have my books lined up on a proper shelf where I can see the titles clearly and not have to search through things to find the book I'm looking for. Plus, I'm so clumsy I'd probably trip over the books on a daily basis. I do, however, love the idea of having huge art prints in my reading/library area. Note to self: I must get on Etsy later tonight to find some good ones!
Love the idea of having just a few books piled neatly on a little cake stand like this, with a candle or small statue on top. I think this would look super stylish on a bedroom dresser or a coffee table. I might do this with a 2 or 3 of my books. Unfortunately, though, I still need to find storage for about 65 other books! :(
How do you store your books? Do you have them all on a bookcase, or have you found a creative way that works for you? Please share - I'm desperate!!
xo
Photo Credits ~ first photo unknown (sorry!), second and third photos from Apartment Therapy, last photo from The Chic Line (amazing blog, one of my faves!)
We have books in practically every room of the house. Cookbooks are on a baker's rack shelf unit in the breakfast nook. Paperbacks are on a shelf unit that my dear hubby made just for them in the guest room. Three large bookshelf units hold the bulk of our collection in the front room. Books-to-be-read-soon are on our respective nightstands. My collection of children's and young adult books are on another bookshelf unit in the guest room. Scrapbooking and craft books are on the top shelf in my office/craft room. Bibles and study materials are on another shelf in the office/craft room. Well. . . you get the idea. Good luck in your search for the perfect spot (or spots!) to showcase your books.
ReplyDeleteI too have books pretty much all over my house. Most are on bookshelfs tucked in all my corners. I also have a stack beside my bed, some on my desk and dresser. I have mine organized by type. I have a shelf set aside for Bibles and references, a shelf for my favorite fiction, non-fiction, youth and Christian eduction, children's books (to be used later). My craft room has a section of crafty books organized by color and size. I have a scrapbook shelf in the living room (but these are magazines). I also have a small shelf for books to read in the future. I pretty much have my books in alphabetical order. And yes it drives me insane for them to be out of order.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to seeing what kind of shelving you come up with.
LOL....I totally just posted the word bookshelfs. Haha. I meant bookshelves of course.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by The Creative Cupcake....LOVE your blog....
ReplyDeleteI love the haphazard pile of books too, but those Hermes orange boxes just might win me out ;) My books are overflowing too- do share your finds!!
ReplyDeleteoh man, i'm totally looking for a home for my books too. right now i have like 5 different little book shelves. i'd love like one central area you know? i did a post a while ago for my problem. you might like some of the ideas! http://captivecreativity.blogspot.com/2010/04/dream-house-book-shelves.html
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