BOOKS & THEIR SHELVES

There is nothing new about using books and the specialised furniture designed to display and showcase them in any given room of the home. What is new is how and in what form this is being done. This year's Las Vegas Market showcased some interesting and creative ways to use them even to the point of featuring them as art themselves. These days it appears that one can and should judge a book by it's cover.

The NOIR and GO Home Ltd. showroom at this winter's Las Vegas Market presented many eye catching ways to display books as well as reinventing them to be conversation pieces in themselves (all the photos in this blog are from NOIR and GO HOME showrooms).

Bookcases from NOIR.

"The best decorating item is one that's also useful. Books -- antique or new, hardcover or paperback, big or small -- are the easiest, and most effective, accessory that you can have in your home. Books add individuality and personality. They can become a pedestal for a small item or provide an interactive coffee table decoration. They can even be presented in such a way that they become an artistic statement." - Pam Peterson (Huff Post)

"Adding a bookcase to the living room might sound like a very simple idea on the surface. But considering the wide array of options you have in regards to stunning, sculptural bookcases and exquisite wall units, it can get a bit overwhelming. Irrespective of the choice you make, ensure that the bookcase becomes an organic and integral part of the living room. It need not be filled with a ton of books right away, though. Give yourself the time to build a collection and use other decorative pieces in the meantime to fill up the empty space. Standalone bookshelves can also be used to demarcate space in an open-floor living area without actually using half-walls." - Decoist

"Leave space on bookshelves so there is room to incorporate other mementos besides books. Photos,clocks, and other curiosities make this bookcase feel more personal and show the homeowner’s own personal style. If there aren’t enough books to fill the entire bookcase, disperse them randomly throughout a large bookcase, and add your own personal mementos." - BHG

Larger books can be turned flat on a shelf to extend the ledge for the purose of displaying obejects like these trophies. This adds not only visaul appeal but another level of function to the existing shelving structure.

Book Collections from GO HOME Inc.

Back in 2012 the January/February issue of Elle Decor asked a handful of designers to discuss which trends they would like to see dead and buried. One that was mentioned was regarding the use of books as props. Ronda Carman, of All the Best Blog loves books but believes that "books as props have a short shelf life." And yet, designers and shop owners are still using this technique in showrooms, boutiques and in design magazines.

Go back further to 2008 to a blog by a real estate agent, Barbara Duncan. She was perplexed and questioned, "These decorators recommend turning books in bookcase backward???? For neutral look!!" She continued, "Holy smokes! What will decorators think of next? Obviously the decorator was not one who reads and loves books. It's almost like years ago when people bought the nice sets of classics just for the pretty sets to put in the bookshelves. Do any of you like this look?"

In July, 2014, Kristin Grove on The Interior Collective blogged:

"I appreciate books but sometimes when displaying them, especially in a neutral space, the colors of the spines become overwhelming. I remember seeing the concept of backwards books a few years back and thinking what a brilliant idea it was. Now, there are some drawbacks with backwards books. It’s harder to see which book is which so if you are in a hurry, this may not be the best solution. But my answer for that is to keep your most loved, most read books in a separate location.

The idea of the backwards book is to keep the look of your shelves minimal and neutral. It allows for other design factors to pop. For instance, I don’t think that I would have noticed the shelving hutch (seen above) if it had been full of every color of the rainbow. I definitely see it and appreciate it styled how it is."

“Books on the bookshelves And stacked on the floor Books kept in baskets And propped by the door Books in neat piles And in disarray Books tucked in closets And books on display Books filling crannies And books packed in nooks Books massed in windows And mounded in crooks Libraries beckon And bookstores invite But book-filled rooms welcome Us back home at night!” ― L.R. Knost