Books as a decorating item?

[ficbot]

I came across this book today when I was browsing at the bookstore on my way home. I paged through it right there in the store and loved it. It is all about using book collections as a decorating feature in the home. I loved seeing pictures of all those beautiful library rooms, and while it did not change my views on ebooks per se, it did help me empathize a little with those who are so fixated on the book-as-object. Some of those rooms were beautiful and I have no doubt at all that I would greatly enjoy spending significant amounts of time in some of those rooms if I had the chance. One guy had literally lined every single wall of his whole apartment with wall-to-wall bookshelves and it was like he lived in a library! There were also some nice rooms where the collection was on a smaller scale

Bottom line for me is, I have been too traumatized by my frequent moves to ever consider having a collection like that again. The thought of packing them up and moving them and unpacking them and my family having to deal with them if anything happened to me gives me a cold sweat. I much prefer having them all on the computer where I can have as many of them as I want and not have to worry about it. But with that said, some of the rooms in that book were simply gorgeous and I would love to sleep over at wall to wall book guy's place and look at all of his stuff

I think if I ever do have the money for a real house with tons of space, I would like to create the feeling of those library rooms. The rooms that seemed to draw me in and make me go 'I *want* that!' were not so much about the sheer quantity of books anyway. They were the ones with the large table in the middle for spreading out and doing work, or the ones with with couches and plushy chairs in front of a large, dominating fireplace.

[poshm]

Since getting hooked on ebook reading devices, I have given tons of paper books to charity and reclaimed some much-needed space in our home!

However there are certain physical books that I can't imagine ever giving up and they consist of glossy art and photography books, cooking books, signed hardcover books and a huge library of children's books for my pre-school daughter.

These are books which currently would not translate well into ebook formats. I mean how can you replicate a colourful and tactile, pop-up book into an ebook? I'd love a decent ebook device for my daughter as she loves gadgets but that wold have to be in addition to her paper book collection and not instead of.

And if we ever have enough money to convert our loft, I have already planned out a huge library up there with a big, squishy sofa as well as a cafe style area where we can sip French coffee and read for hours.

I think some books are hard to replace.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by ficbot

I came across this book today when I was browsing at the bookstore on my way home. I paged through it right there in the store and loved it. It is all about using book collections as a decorating feature in the home. I loved seeing pictures of all those beautiful library rooms, and while it did not change my views on ebooks per se, it did help me empathize a little with those who are so fixated on the book-as-object. Some of those rooms were beautiful and I have no doubt at all that I would greatly enjoy spending significant amounts of time in some of those rooms if I had the chance. One guy had literally lined every single wall of his whole apartment with wall-to-wall bookshelves and it was like he lived in a library! There were also some nice rooms where the collection was on a smaller scale

Bottom line for me is, I have been too traumatized by my frequent moves to ever consider having a collection like that again. The thought of packing them up and moving them and unpacking them and my family having to deal with them if anything happened to me gives me a cold sweat. I much prefer having them all on the computer where I can have as many of them as I want and not have to worry about it. But with that said, some of the rooms in that book were simply gorgeous and I would love to sleep over at wall to wall book guy's place and look at all of his stuff

I think if I ever do have the money for a real house with tons of space, I would like to create the feeling of those library rooms. The rooms that seemed to draw me in and make me go 'I *want* that!' were not so much about the sheer quantity of books anyway. They were the ones with the large table in the middle for spreading out and doing work, or the ones with with couches and plushy chairs in front of a large, dominating fireplace.

When we bought our house, a few years ago, after we demolished about everything that had to be demolished, we decided to create a lounge, which will be dedicated to reading. Which means all our books will be there, in floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall bookshelves. With a sit-hammock and a traditional hammock and some poofs.

I can't wait for that space to be done!

[silverraven]

When we bought our house, a few years ago, after we demolished about everything that had to be demolished, we decided to create a lounge, which will be dedicated to reading. Which means all our books will be there, in floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall bookshelves. With a sit-hammock and a traditional hammock and some poofs.

I am soooo jealous!!!!
S

[FireRunner]

Books have always been and always will be, to a degree, decoration. I love old books and the smell of a "library" style room.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by silverraven

I am soooo jealous!!!!
S

Don't be (yet) as this is how it looks like at this moment...

[M0zza]

I've always wanted a traditional english country home library. Lots of leather bound books in floor to ceiling shelves, but I've never had the money or the room to do it.
I found This Place and thought that it may be a possibility some day...

[kissyfish]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Don't be (yet) as this is how it looks like at this moment...

That looks just like how my attic looked 2 years ago, unfortunately (or fortunately depending on my mood )the arrival of our daughter, in addition to our son, the room is finished, denim insulation, and cork flooring, but is now the domain of the two small children, and there managerie of stuffed animals and beds.

All of my books and such are in the finished part of the basement.

[0utis]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Don't be (yet) as this is how it looks like at this moment...

Are those books and apples? Seems like heaven to me.

One friend of my parents bought all the books of a private library as a symbol of status, right after the Audi and the country house. Obviously, ebooks don't fit the bill for him . As for me, I get too attached to my books. Sure, I get rid of the mysteries I don't like, but some books are just too shiny and pretty and others are bad editions but I can't part with them for sentimental reasons.

[Kali Yuga]

FYI, Strand Bookstore has a "Books By the Foot" decorating service....

http://www.strandbooks.com/app/www/p/bbtfoot/

And of course, JP Morgan's Library....

[fugazied]

Originally Posted by poshm

However there are certain physical books that I can't imagine ever giving up and they consist of glossy art and photography books, cooking books, signed hardcover books and a huge library of children's books for my pre-school daughter.

Same here. There are a number of print books that are so well decorated or so well read that I want my kids to experience them in that way, not in a digital way. Nothing like being handed a well read and illustrated copy of Oliver Twist as a kid. I have a pile of print books I will never let go. If you are moving frequently, just get those huge plastic crates with wheels. It's not that much work piling them in then wheeling into the back of a truck.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by 0utis

Are those books and apples? Seems like heaven to me.

One friend of my parents bought all the books of a private library as a symbol of status, right after the Audi and the country house. Obviously, ebooks don't fit the bill for him . As for me, I get too attached to my books. Sure, I get rid of the mysteries I don't like, but some books are just too shiny and pretty and others are bad editions but I can't part with them for sentimental reasons.

We didn't have a lot of apples this year, last year all those crates were filled...

And I can't get rid of my books either. Which is why we decided to convert that former storage space (I'm serious, the former owner of the house only used that space for storage!) to a nice reading area. I'll need a lot of blankets though, in winter, as there's a reason we're storing the apples there

And once we're finished with the room, I'll be buying pbooks (besides my eboks) again. Right now, all those shelves are stuffed, from two sides.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by fugazied

Same here. There are a number of print books that are so well decorated or so well read that I want my kids to experience them in that way, not in a digital way. Nothing like being handed a well read and illustrated copy of Oliver Twist as a kid. I have a pile of print books I will never let go. If you are moving frequently, just get those huge plastic crates with wheels. It's not that much work piling them in then wheeling into the back of a truck.

What I've been gradually doing is replacing my very, very favourite books with nice hardback editions, and replacing all the rest with eBooks. I'd never get rid of, for example, my 36-volume leather-bound "Complete Works of Dickens" which I bought for a pittance at an auction.

[M0zza]

This Jay Walker guy has my ideal library I think...

[MaggieScratch]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

FYI, Strand Bookstore has a "Books By the Foot" decorating service....

http://www.strandbooks.com/app/www/p/bbtfoot/

And of course, JP Morgan's Library....

I was just there last month. Incredible room. A lot of the books in that particular room are in French and German. Also I couldn't figure out how to get to the upper levels. I was in an old library room with multiple levels at Pennsylvania Hospital last year and there was a tiny spiral staircase hidden behind a bookcase panel. I didn't see anything like it in the Morgan, though.