We've had this page torn out of the May issue of Domino Magazine up on our inspiration board for a while now. The simple colors and the extremely high ceilings always made us happy but not until recently did we really dissect the photo. Take a look at what we uncovered.
Instead of plain, white walls above the inspiration boards the designer decided to put up shelving in order to give the room a library look. And while a ladder would be a great fixture to get to those out-of-reach books a fixture like that isn't always feasible. Instead, the designer decided to use "faux books" called Book Boxes by Pottery Barn. It's a great way to create the library den without having to fork over the dough for real books. Also, since the "books" are not within arms reach, it only makes sense that they aren't real. We even like the idea of taking books you already own that you never touch (but can't bear to part with)--and covering them in brown shipping paper for a unified look.
Related Shelving Posts
[Image from Domino Magazine; William Abranowicz]
ugh...
view Lparker's profile
I agree. Ugh. Fake books? If the shelves aren't necessary, find some other way to fill the space.
view HandyC's profile
this is weird. i mean, the product is okay for using for storage, but the idea of fake books gives me the willies!
view kdkaboom's profile
If they weren't in such odd colors, I might enjoy them.
view cptnruthless's profile
we sell these where I work and no one buys them. ours are made to look like vintage books.
view sevenmotions's profile
Didn't it explicitly say these weren't real books in the article?
view sarahisaghost's profile
I wouldn't do this myself, but the idea of using a fake book to store magazines makes me laugh for some reason.
view confusednazgul's profile
My grandpa had metal file boxes (for tax folders) like that. I think they were from the army in WWI. They were olive green. I still have one where I keep his papers.
view monarda's profile
ugh. just do something else to decorate.
view wc_canuck's profile
Gosh. I could see one or two for storing a few documents. But why create a space that you don't need in order of fill it with more stuff you don't need.
view ebrown's profile
haha i kinda agree... why not put all your REAL books up on the bookshelves? and who ever said all your books need to be in matching colors? i dunno that just seems a little anal...
view piratemptress's profile
fake books on shelves you can't use. sounds rather stupid and would not suit my life. since when is buying books such an expensive thing?
view TheoJ's profile
"why not put all your REAL books up on the bookshelves?"
I think these are used by people who don't read much.
view PhillyLass's profile
fake books? No, not really.
If I could find some that look very real I might get one or two to hide jewelry and keys from burglars in my book shelf.
view monica1's profile
lame.
view indiasoup's profile
I kind of like them I could hide my trashy novel collection. But covering books is too much like jr. high--and I actually want to read mine, so I would want to see the titles.
There's a little too much obsession with books as objects on this site. I don't want to arrange them with the spines not facing out, I don't want to arrange them by color, and I don't want to weed them out and give them away.
view Palmetto's profile
"Fork over the dough for real books"? Couldn't one find some of them genuine books at thrift shops for a buck or two a piece? I rather doubt that the Pottery Barn boxes cost less.
Books for decorative purposes only is offensive enough, must you add an utterly illogical defense for the practice?
view shirley-temple-of-doom's profile
There's that boiling oil, again.
view neutopian's profile
Ludicrous!
view hrhprincessfiona's profile
Ugh! What is with AT turning books into a purely design element? Your bookshelf is sucha bold statement about who you are and what you like to read/would like to read.
Fake books? That says you don't want to read a damn thing, but you hope people think you do. And covering a real book so that it looks like one of these fake books?
Some people really love books for the sake of their being books. So, no, I don't want to color coordinate my bookshelf, or wrap my books in paper to hide what they are, or clutter my house with empty boxes that look like books! I just like to buy beautiful bookshelves, and store my library on them.
Please change the tune, AT.
view rainyday's profile
I actually would LOVE these if they looked like real books. Vintage looking, you say sevenmotions? Where do you work because I seriously would buy a box full!
Don't get me wrong, I love real books and my book shelf (which is very large for a bookshelf) is overflowing with books...after I weeded out the ones I don't read, even!
But I also have a passion for "secrets." Boxes with locks, books that you can hide things in, secret compartments in desks.... If I could have a secret room hidden by a bookshelf that moved out of the way when I twisted the head of this sculpture here, I'd be ecstatic! I love that kind of stuff.
However, I agree with others that those fake books are papered with an ugly print and it's ridiculous to fill up dead space with fake books (real ones from thrift stores would be much cheaper, even if you bought paper to cover them all to match). There are so many more interesting things they could do with that space.
I wouldn't want a whole book shelf full of fake books, either, especially if I couldn't get at them. I just want about half to a whole dozen spread here and there throughout my house. (Great to hide things in when company comes over...stacks of papers disappear in seconds!)
view Mrs.Mack's profile
In last month's Domino, they showed a shelf where all the books had been covered in white and tan paper, hiding the binding, which is almost as lame as this is.
It all seems pretty anti-book.
view gquaker's profile
I agree with Mrs.Mack! They would be great to hide some of our piles and piles of papers/old bills/statements that never have a good place in our shoebox apartment.... imagine the piles of cords I could get out of those tupperware containers!
view jennycupcake's profile
I like the idea very much. It gives you storage space. You can appear as pretentious as folks who have real books they never really read. You can even cover them up with more attractive paper or just brown paper so that they appear pornographic by putting labels on them that suggest lewd and erotic stories. That should piss off every one.
view click212's profile
This post is....not ok. First of all, instead of spending money on tacky faux books, you could actually buy a multitude of used books that interest you. You could also buy a ladder and utilize the higher shelves. The idea of just buying those to fill space and *look* like you have books is stupid. If you don't like or want books, use it for something else.
view TCMB's profile
This is just stupid. Waste money on fake books? And this is encouraged???
view gryt's profile
"without having to fork over the dough for real books."
But these cost more than real books.... Especially if you buy used!
I think they are cute, and like a poster above, like the hidden/secret element, but buying a ton of these just to fill shelf space doesn't make any sense...
view boston brit's profile
this idea has a lot of fun applications though-- glue a bunch together and hollow them out and use it for cord storage on the floor or...
view saya*'s profile
*Laughing* Ohhh, my GAWD..it burns!
view neutopian's profile
well i pretty much agree with the majority here.. although i LOVE the idea of a place to hide the knickknacks when not needed. and to keep the place tidy.
fake books, on purpose, on shelves that you cant even reach? I'm sorry AT, thats a little too far fetched. even for this site. imo.
how about showing some other types of genious storage, that DOESNT involve pretending you read/ buying from pottery barn.
view Faynilla's profile