apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

great eyecandy! in the mid 90ies during the huge influence of feng shui, books seemed often to be the worst thing to collect in your place. now the come back and you can found some book related eyecandy in design books or blogs.

This book has been on my Amazon Wishlist for months. Dying to get it!

The first photo reminds me of Basilica Cistern in old city section of Istanbul.

I wish Tampa had a library like these. This city seems to think bare white walls and metal utility shelves are the height of design.

I was going to say that these pictures remind me of the "Long Room" at Trinity College in Dublin. I went to Ireland on a business trip in 1998 ( I felt so very lucky to be paid to spend a week visiting the country my ancestor came from). I had seen excerpts from the Book of Kells, for those of you who don't know what they are, the Book of Kells were written in at 890 AD, and are the four books of the New Testament, translated from Hebrew into Latin with beautiful illuminated text. The monks who wrote these often devoted their entire lives to the effort, and had to mix their own inks and paints. They used yellow rocks that contained arsenic to create the golden yellow colors and they'd lick their pen to wet it, then dip it into the crushed rock. Of course they died of poisoning, which makes you realize how devoted they were to completing the task they'd been given. The books were stolen around 1916 and were missing for several years before they turned up mysteriously so now they are kept under tight security and are in temperature controlled cases to protect them from the elements. Anyway, you go to the library at Trinity College and get to see these wonderful illuminated books in pristine condition that have literally survived the centuries right next to papyrus scrolls and other books from the same period that are crumbling. After you get through the various displays, you have to exit in this Long Room and it takes you up the stairs to a long room that is three stories high and has floor to ceiling library shelves housing original leather bound copies of all the classics. The place is completely silent as you walk through in awe at what you've just seen and are now seeing. I don't know how many books are in there but it must be thousands! In the middle of the aisles there are displays of medical instruments from medieval times up through the early 1900's. It was one of the most inspiring, uplifting places I've ever been and I'd love to go back there for another peek at things.

Oooh, that's my alma mater Trinity COllege Dublin. I love Hofers images and have long lusted after this one in particular.

This picture stopped me in my tracks - Trinity College Dublin! I'm a student there myself these days (though the students aren't allowed in the beautiful Long Room to study, obviously).

I was there a year ago next week.

It is remarkable.

And, I love the busts lining the corridor.

I have begun looking online, but I haven't seemed to be able to find any print/poster versions of her work. These are such arrestingly beautiful images and, with my budget, it seems like that the only way that I could ever own them outside of the book-it's definitely on my wishlist as well!

natalie annie- Her photos tend go for the price of a luxury car. The book is your best bet.