Book storage
Fri, 13 Jul 2012I love books and magazines. I have a pretty healthy collection, especially of decor magazines (although on black box recycle days I am slowly getting rid of old ones as I don't think I'll be referring to decor mags from 2004 anytime). Right now I have a couple of Ikea Expedit shelving units in my bedroom but I have come to the conclusion that I don't want all that visual clutter and stimulation in a space I am supposed to use to relax in. My favourite book storage area is the dining room - I love how it can look like a library one minute and a dining space the next. Where do you guys store your books?
Book storage always catches my eye when I'm doing blog research and because I haven't done a themed post in a while I thought I'd find some book storage/shelving photos. (I did a post on this topic a while ago here).
And my all-time favourite, a photo I've featured several times already since I first came across it...I love every inch of this space.
Reader Comments (14)
Great collection! I adore libraries. Books are one of those few items that I don't mind looking "messy". Throw some books on a shelf and it is hard to go wrong.
These photos are great inspiration! I've been all over the Net looking for photos like this. We're turning an unused space in our house into a library. I love looking at what other people have done
Even I love reading books and magazines and the best one for me would preferably be Nuevo Estilo, I just loved it. Infact the whole collection is really aweome. Loved it all.
These pics show something that I have come to realize -- built in shelving is far better than bookshelves. Once you own your home or plan to stay in your rental for a while, it is really worth it to build in a wall of shelves, floor to ceiling, matching the architectural style of the space. It just makes all those books and collectibles work. Of course, once you overflow your shelves you have to edit.
I love to live surrounded by books, although my collection isn't enormous...yet. I intermingle stacks of notebooks and journals with my shoes and handbags in my bedroom shelving.
Ahh! What lovely pictures. I dont really have a storage place for my books. I used to collect them but have had to part with most as I "move around" the US. Someday I will have another collection and I hope for a library like the photos= beautiful and inspiring!
The last one is my favorite!!! It works!!!
Ahhh! I really want a library, ever since I saw the one in Beauty and the Beast. I'm running out of storage spaces for my books and I don't think the wall is big enough for another bookshelf. Hmm, actually... maybe if I squeeze everything really tightly...
Yes - dining room!
These pics are wonderful!
I hesitate to say it - I think I have too many books. There are books in tubs at the moment - I either find more places for shelves or .... thin out my collection. Can it be done?
So where did you say you live and what day of the week is Black Box in your neighbourhood?
Just kidding, but please consider donating your older mags to a thrift store. Sure it's a pain, but that way they go through at least one more set of hands before they get pulped!
I forgot to answer the question! We have a big old bookcase in the living room and built-ins in the study and the basement rec room.
What I'd like a hip-height shelving unit all along the long wall of our living/dining room, although that first image of a whole white wall is pretty stunning. And I love the shelves in this house tour over at Apartment Therapy, too:
Like-Eich
There is hardly a room in our house that doesn't have book shelves. i agree with Christa that the best look is always built in book shelves, but it's not always an option. I dream of having a reading room one day with comfy places to curl up, some big windows for natural light and built in shelving all around the room. Loved looking at these. Loved the selby image in particular, not that I think you'd easily be able to find what you were looking for...
We've gone for the "String system" shelves to store our books/comics/magazines in the office, some built-in shelves in the kitchen.
I really like your inspirationnal pics, especially the "messier" ones, as to me a library should be (and look) used and not only a piece of decor (rainbow organized bookshelves... eeeek ^^)
They all seem very similar actually but a dedicated library is my ideal! Btw Karl Lagerfeld's library/book museum trumps all I think!