i think making a bookshelf to fit the exact space would be nice. or wallpapering the background and hanging shelves that are the exact width between the moulding.

I think this is really cute; I like the floating boxes. I agree that some texture/color in the background would be great, and I also think that a third box on the bottom would balance this out nicely. Great idea!

Yep - a third box would be cool as would some color or pattern.

This is a great start.

This does look cute, though I think there are much grander possibilities for such a space.

I would fit in a recessed mirror- then it would look like a fantastic framed art piece - as opposed to an ackward closed off door with shelving chiling in it.

Eh, I don't really like it. I agree it needs color and texture.

It's a good start, but looks a bit... cluttered. Like a dumping place for piles and stuff that you've tried to tidy up a bit. It looks unconsidered, which is surely not the case at all.

You clearly did think about creating a vignette. But the overall look is not quite working. A few thoughts:

1) Too many disparate elements = cluttered look. The books seem random and unrelated. Better approach: Group the books together en masse, with some variation in arrangement / orientationt / size / color (you choose). Then accent with a few chosen pieces of art.

2) Think of scale and proportion. The small stacks of books on the floor are being "crushed" by those heavy wooden boxes. Perched above everything, those heavy boxes seem to defy gravity. This creates an odd, precarious feel. The visual weight should be placed low to ground the area. Consider moving the boxes to the floor, or elevating them off the floor just a bit, and filling them with the books.

i totally agree TheGoodBiGirl- it's just it seemed like all of the grander possibilities that i dreamed up required way more time, effort, and $$ than i currently have available :)

also, i think you're all right about adding color and/or texture, so i'll try to work on that next. thanks!!!

I like this! My sister keeps her books stacked on the floor like this; she calls it her "accusatory pile" since it's mostly books she hasn't read yet.

I agree, though that, you need a third box, or at least something tall, possibly on the top box. A picture frame, or vase or something, maybe?

I LOVE the little Japanese doll.

I have to admit too, this is not an improvement in my opinion. Fortunately you did not spend much nor is this difficult to change.

Frankly, at least the door left untouched, had it's own life and character. At least then it made for a good conversation piece. Now you just stacked stuff in front as well as hung the shelves not fit to size.

Does not look poor, but I wouldn't have chosen this route.

I kind of like the first photo with just the white door (untouched) and the small shelf to the side. Simple as that. Or you put absolutely nothing within 3 feet of that area and simply paint the entire door (not the molding) a solid color, a modern blue/grey of sort, so it contrasts the softness and lite in the place or even have someone or you paint that area like a painting, maybe some type of abstract pattern, but make sure you cover the entire door so it fits to scale. Whatever the case, the clutter solution is not a good one and I hope no one suggested this on AT.

The larger box would look better on the bottom (visual weight). A third box, or similarly rustic shelf, is needed to bring this together as deliberate and not accidental. In fact, a salvaged bit of shelving above the two boxes (where did the little plant go?) with your small items would help to tie things together. If you really love your books enough to have a special place for them in the bedroom, make it THEIR place (and special). Keep them together. Having some on the floor and some in the boxes looks too much like you're processing but not settled in.

That area is positively aching for some saturation of color (my spleen is wincing!)

Also, let your little print/card/artwork lean against the wall instead of being hung on the wall. It's very much shadowed by the box above it. Let it rest on the top of the top box.

I would probably paint the inside a deep color. Then add empty photo frames with interesting textures from thrift stores that I would paint the same color. I would probably do a dark blue wall with silver frames.

I would find an ottoman that fit just inside the door frame so the bottom half wouldn't look unbalanced.

books on the floor... that brings back memories...

Why not just stick a door knob on it? If you can't beat it....

I agree with recon1. I liked it just the way it was but had I changed it I would have used chalkboard paint and turned it into a bulliten/blackboard.

I think I would be more tempted to attach some molding and a beautiful knob and treat it as architectural art... a door. Gasp.

I think this look would work better if the shelves were floating shelves or at least didn't have the high sides/top to them. It would probably require more skills than I have (or maybe just a saw?), but if you were to lop off the top half of each shelf and flip the cut off pieces upside down, you would have two additional shelves to place on the bottom half of the door and put things onto!

Bleh. This could have been SO much better.

Maybe some sleeker shelves and/or mirrors?
A bit of bold wallpaper?

And I like the other suggestion of making it into a blackboard!

i have something similar in our kitchen... i painted a piece of masonite board (or something similar) with chalkboard paint and attached it to the "door". our wall had too much texture to paint the chalkboard paint directly on it.

This one definitely isn't as nice as I expected before the jump. I figured they would have used the architecture and went with it - like maybe putting a small desk there with some corkboard above and/or painting the door a hue of the color of the room so it looks like an office area. Another idea would have been to find a bookcase about the same height and width. Even a decent mural would have looked better.

I think they are going in a good direction with this but i don't think the project looks completed. Maybe consider painting the shelves white so they have almost a build-in look to them?

I think it looks good-- I think you should get a plant (a large plant!) to put close-ish to the window. That would fill the hole in a nice way left by your shelf.

It still looks majorly college dorm to me...we pick at places that look better than this on other forums here.