what will we do for design...?


Have you done this? Turned your books spine-side in on the bookcase, for that mono-tone look? Have you covered them with white or cream paper? Brown craft paper? I think I've done all of the above at one time or another..... what about you?

33 comments:

Chrissy...The Apothecary Shop said...

Morning...as much as I love the look of covering books,it would be way to much work for me and I do love the look of an old worn book! Enjoy your day!

SHERRY HART said...

Huge LOVE for those bookshelves...so clean and very easy on the eye...

ticklishfromadistance said...

No. None. I have thought about it, but to turn my books backwards would be too much of a guessing game for me and I have so, so many.

Tessa said...

I've seen this "look" before. Mixed feelings on this one...for me, I still think it's a bit strange, but then again I'm no designer so what do I know :) I love my books and like to see the titles, but I do often remove the dust jacket and sometimes group them by color... Pretty pic though!!

bluehydrangea said...

I have one big stack in white. But I didn't cover them, I just flipped the book jackets..it worked like a charm. It's the lazy girl's way...

The Frosted Gardner said...

Yep done it! Love it!

Chedva @Rooms and Words said...

NO. But I did use to arrange them by color. I would never find the book I wanted if its cover were disguised, but India Hicks did it and everyone loved it!

The-Countrypolitan said...

I too turn my book jackets inside out... and what you get is a nice variation of white jackets... depending on the age of the book, some will be more "mellowed" than others... ~Terri

Charlotta Ward said...

Call me boring but no, I actually haven't. I have however arranged them by colour, size, genre and style.. Not that this is original at all..

I love my books and read them again and again. I could not bare covering them up. I love their pretty spines too much!

Adore the bookshelves here!
Aubrey Road and its writer Jenny rock!

xx Charlotta

Julie Holloway said...

I LOVE these bookshelves, but it is crazy, isn't it? How impractical....we don't know what the books are! Yes, I've done it all.

Brooke @ Blueprint Bliss said...

I've never done anything to my books but this inspires me to. Love the look!

anita said...

no, i've never done that.
but i love the gray bookcases in the photo!
(thanks for your nice comment this morning!!!!)

savvycityfarmer said...

oh, all of the above ...

gota love it whoever did it first ... we'll never know

Rachel Joins the Fray said...

I haven't but considering the Twilight series is what is on my shelves these day, maybe I should try it. ; )

Thank you for your sweet comment yesterday - I have seen Runaway Bunny and wondered if it was good, but now I am definitely going to buy it!

Rachel

Jane Kilpatrick Schott said...

I have not yet found a client that is comfortable with it yet, but I am still trying. I have lived with this and love the change.

Will @ Bright.Bazaar said...

I'm with Charlotta...mine are in piles on their sides or upright, with fun objects on top - but I haven't covered them like this. However, the look you posted in the picture looks fab too - so either way is fun in my eyes!

Jen said...

I love this look but it is not practical for me..I have over 1000 books and counting and i dont know how I would ever find what I needed...but to look at them like that is relaxing!

Brandi@ Flights of Whimsy said...

I've yet to go this far, but I know the day will come...!

kelly giesen said...

I am usually on the opposite side, looking for ways to have but hide them - behind curtains, hidden bookshelves, custom closet nooks. However I like the look of the ones designed like a wine cellar - in an x layout as opposed to a shelf or cube.

Acquired Objects said...

I love the look you’ve created with your books and would love to do that myself…one problem…MEMORY! I’ve never had a problem with it before but menopause has a way of making us stupid and to save myself time searching for a beloved book I need the titles out. But I do love that look!

style chronicle said...

I have certainly considered all of the above. I have a collection of pretty light brown leather books that I love but not enough to fill all of my living room bookshelves so I have thought about using craft paper to complete the serene look. But then, I can't bring myself to do it. I am a book lover and what point is a book if you can't see it's cover?

Samantha said...

I've thrown out books because they look ugly on the shelf.

elena nuez said...

what a beautiful idea!!!
greetings from Spain

Unknown said...

I have actually never covered books. I have, however, taken the bookflaps off to unveil a certain color of a spine and grouped them accordingly. But, for the most part....just pick pretty books and display them! Elizabeth

jana@opalnevershouts said...

The even coloration sure looks beautiful with the spine facing in! Less busy for sure! I have never tried that. I just take the dust jackets off.

jana@opalnevershouts said...

The spines turned in sure gives a beautiful, less busy feel. In the past I have just removed the dust jackets.

kayce hughes said...

brown craft

Dovecote Decor said...

There are trends with posts. Arranging books is au-courant. Never would I arrange my books backwards, so that I could not find my good old friends, or let them be lost to my guests, or my darling girls for a quiet moment. Books, Blogs, Magazines, Newspapers--media exists in out quest for discovery and knowledge. I rearrange my books endlessly so we always see them.

Roberta said...

Great look. Especially on gray! My girlfriend found a wonderful gray. Ralph Lauren's "Country Dairy". I just finished painting my kitchen cabinets and love it with white trim!! A perfect beachy gray. xo

bronwyn said...

I love the look of this but I would go absolutely bonkers trying to find a book. My books get a lot of use. And I love glancing at my shelves and catching a glimpse of one that I haven't thought of in a while. Brown paper bag covers is an interesting idea - very elementary school. At least you could write the title somewhere. But I do love book covers and wouldn't want to cover them up.

Aimee@ the Functional Space said...

I've done it all when staging retail spaces but have never done it to the shelves at home. It's such a wonderful cohesive look but I'd never find the book I was looking for. I love the suggestion from above to turn the dust jackets around. I might be willing to give that a try.

Anonymous said...

For me, that bookshelf is like a big NO spoken across a room. It's like backs turned. I don't like it at all. - Jean

FROM THE RIGHT BANK said...

I love the look but hate the impracticality. I would go insane if I were looking for one in particular . . .