I think my ideal living space is part greenhouse and part library. To get the look of the latter you don't have to have a wheeled ladder — just orderly bookshelves.
A well organized collection of books (and even some no-maintenance trompe l'oeil wallpaper, Image 8) can look good in any room. Done right, even your stairways can be book repositories (Image 9), and your bookshelves can double as room dividers (Image 7). Try going tall to add drama and maximize space, and for an extra punch consider dressing up the shelves with paint or paper.
TOP ROW:
1. Celeste Sunderland for Apartment Therapy
2. Bethany Nauert for Apartment Therapy
3. Little Green Notebook
4. Domino via My Grandpa's Closet
5. Design*Sponge
BOTTOM ROW:
6. Elizabeth Sullivan Designs via Made by Girl
7. Peter Bennetts via Desire to Inspire
8. Marcia Prentice for Apartment Therapy
9. Kristin Hohenadel for Apartment Therapy
10. Making it Lovely
MORE BOOK STORAGE ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• Design Inspiration: Bookcase Stairs
• Bookcase Doors from Apartment Therapy and Beyond
• Restful Repositories: 10 Charming Home Libraries
(Images: as linked above)
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Uhm... I do believe that in pic no. 8 those aren't books. It's wallpaper with a book print on it.
^ it says that in the second paragraph.
Any resources for building bookshelves in a rental? I love the built in look of photo 4... Do I need to be an expert carpenter to create something like that?
#2 is my favorite hands down. There is something about a library with a wheeled ladder.....
The wallpaper is pretty but I don't think it belongs in a library roundup.
KateDi, check out the DIY network. They show the guy making the cuts himself but anyplace you buy lumber will do the cuts for you. All you need to do is plan out the cuts before you go. If you search out some DIY projects, many will describe the cuts so you can get an idea how they do it.If you want to get really fancy you can invest in a miter box so you can angle the corners. I have done this for a bath ladder I am building and it makes is look for professional.
love #2
I just got a Kindle for Christmas and between it and my strong feelings for the library, our physical book accumulation is going to slow down a lot. I feel a little bad about it, but not terribly. I imagine our graphic novel collection will still build, but I really enjoy reading books on my Kindle.
Nothing beats a library with a chandelier in it! Love the look.
I love the gentle slope of the books on the top shelf of number 7. Something so simple, yet I was immediately drawn to it.
Hmm this post made me realize that I don't like the look of books arranged in rainbow order...clothes yes, books no.
KatieDi, we bought Ikea Billy bookshelves with glass doors and we've been really happy with them. They are good-looking and keep our books free of dust. We used an entire wall of our living room for them.
Agreed. It bothers my inner librarian so much...
Hi Kate! We were looking for building a custom library in a rental as well. After considering all the options, we settled on Ikea if you can believe it. We went for the white Billy bookcases with glass doors and filled a room. I would imagine you could build the piece over the doorway with a bit of creativity. What's great is when we move, we plan to reuse these bookshelves in an alternate way but actually build the built-ins of our dream.
I feel the same way. Ive seen some thats are really pretty but I just cant do it my own home...too staged.
I used shelves from ikea.
these pics are really inspiring!