Lovely Library

Almost everyone has a bookshelf or two (or an entire library!) in their home. In a lot of cases, they tend to look messy and over cluttered, but most people don't know how to organize them. Sometimes the problem may not be that you have an overabundance of books. Even an average amount can look busy due to all of the different colors, the cover art, and the different texts going on. Take the jackets off. See what's underneath. Some of the most beautiful books I've ever seen were hidden beneath old or outdated book jackets. Remember the old Reader's Digest Condensed books from the 60's? I used to collect them because some of the covers were so interesting. One day I decided to take the covers off and make art with them.

Here's how it came out:

Most people stand their books up, side-by-side like little military figures. It doesn't have to be boring! Making a bookshelf interesting is fairly easy. First, you should know that books can also be stacked up horizontally, or can be leaned diagonally to add interest. When you make a stack of books, you've essentially made another level, which to me is an opportunity to display something cool. Also, since paperback books can be less attractive than hardback books, I will often stash them away in another container on the shelves - like a colorful paper box. Or I will put them in cabinets that have doors, with the other things that can look a little too busy,  like the tons of CDs and DVDs that most of us have.

I'm including a photo of the bookshelves in my living room:

I don't have as many books as some, but as I said, the least attractive ones are behind the cabinet doors. Hope you get some inspiration! As always, please feel free to leave a comment!

Love!
Wendy