A Novel Idea
A few weeks ago I had this great idea to turn the bookcases in my office into….bookcases. For years they have held practically everything except books. Go figure. What's funny, is I absolutely adore books. I would spend an entire weeks pay on them if I could. And all this time they've been piled up on nightstands, under the bed, in boxes and drawers, in the garage..you get the idea. They were stuffed everywhere but on the actual bookcase. It was time for change.
Here's what I learned about myself through the process…
1. I like seeing my books. It inspires me to want to browse through one and actually cook something or design something or plan a party or travel to a new destination.
2. I like how orderly the rows of books and organizers are…they seem neat and tidy even though they are actually very full. And I'm loving the pops of color from the bindings.
3. I really like having less clutter and have edited down my collection to just the ones I enjoy along with my "can't part with" favorite magazines.
4. The space feels better to me..more like the real me. If I love books so much why haven't I surrounded myself with them sooner? Why did I hide them away and fill the shelves with unused craft supplies, half done projects and "pretty stuff"?
5. My office feels more efficient. Books are categorized by subject matter which makes them easier to find and my office supplies are neatly tucked away in boxes and wire baskets.
6. I like the view from my desk. If I'm stuck in an inspiration rut I can easily find something to get the creativity rolling along.
7. Most importantly, I learned to really think about how I will use a space before I start filling it up with "stuff". I've been guilty of this strategy and am vowing to change. No more, "Oh this is cute"…."I need that"….or "I'll buy this _____ and make something later".
In the end it will only end up as clutter.
8. And finally…I learned I need to have an enormous yard sale!
I hope this encourages you to design and decorate your space to really suit you. No matter how it may look or feel to anyone else. After all…you're the one using it day after day. And the freedom of having a space you thoroughly enjoy is priceless!
63 Responses to “A Novel Idea”
I love books too…and magazines. I have so many but nowhere to put them. I share a small room with the rest of the family members as our offic/computer room. Both of the older kids have built-in book shelves (because our entire family loves books), but I don’t have shelves of my own. Needless to say my books are scattered around the house, by my living room chair, in my closet, under the bed, and stacked in my bedroom.
I love the way you show your books–beautiful yet useful and easy to reach.
It looks great! I have so many books that I have a library. I even have a long library table, made out of an old door, with 8 chairs, for us to enjoy books, puzzles…..I love seeing them all in one room even though I have had to pile some on the floor;)
~Debra xxx
Capers of the vintage vixens
Now this was an inspiring post! I have thousands of books…no joke. My husband is also an avid reader. I really need to do this and can almost feel your satisfaction with your new space and clutter free room! It looks wonderful! 🙂
I have a thing for books too, your bookcases look pretty even with all your books! Love what you have done with the books and the baskets.
I’m very inspired to straighten up the bookshelves in my sewing room, thank you!
I love books, too, but really have limited space! I just love how you displayed everything….it looks like such a wonderful space to work in!
~Julia
it looks wonderful! and whats even better, it makes you happy! yea!!!
With the whole trend in art the last five years, I think many of us have been in swoop, scoop, and gather mode buying up and collecting what others deem beautiful, valuable, or trendy. I’m with you let’s kick it to the curb, and fill our home with things we truly love!
fantastic!!
that has been my shopping or rather not to shop mantra for the last couple of years. since i do not like clutter and i want to use my spaces effectively , i surely can not purchase every cute thing & then ‘find’ a place for it later!
Hi Heather-
I did this to my office this past weekend also. Last week when I was working I kept asking myself – why am I keeping all this “stuff” clutter? I ripped inspiration boards off the wall, cleaned up my two Ikea shelves and literally got rid of all the crafty bits and bobs that no longer have any meaning to me. I have a lot of books and kept the ones that I love, but boxed up lots that I know I will never read again.I feel like I have breathing room to think clearly now. It is fresh – a new start, a clean slate to go forward with no clutter. Not only is the actual space clutter free, but my mind will be as well now when I am at work. Like you said after -It is a much more inspiring place now.
I don’t think I can wait to have a yard sale. I am going to take it all to my local thrift store this afternoon.
My best-Diane
I couldn’t agree more! I have magazines and books everywhere! Instead of filling up my bookcase with books I use it to display all my “pretty thngs”. This post has inspired me to make a change! Thanks!
~Adrienne
Keeping all of the magazines in baskets is a great idea and one I am going to borrow…if that is okay with you.(-:
i would also spend a weeks pay on books…mostly decorating one at that! my wishlist on Amazon is HUGE. i have no bookcases in my home, so books are piled on top of table and dressers for now 🙁
we’re planning a move, so i will for sure be getting bookcases, and the way you have done yours will be a great inspiration…love it, thank you!!
holy typos in my post…whoops, sorry!
Great result Heather :o) I sorted my books a couple of years ago when I re-did the study…needs doing again though now :o(
So inspiring! And I totally agree with you how satisfying it is to decorate to suit your own needs without regard to how others view it. So liberating and wonderful!
This looks fantastic! Can you please tell us where you got your bookcases? Many thanks!
Beautiful. Oh how I’d love to take a cup of coffee and go sit in there for a few house going through your books and magazines! Hugs, Heidi
wonderful….I love them…you have inspired me to take on my bookselves….I will use yours as inspiration.
Happy day
Heather, your arrangement on the shelves is beautiful and you’ve definitely inspired me to get going! We built our home 8 years ago and included a “library” for our bibliophile family, but we never built in the bookcases (you know how that goes at the end of construction – the goal is just to GET IN the house and within budget). We have books all over the house, but almost ZERO in the library! Part of the delay has been not knowing how I wanted the bookshelves built – style, size, arrangement, etc. It seems so permanent that I didn’t want to make a mistake. I’ve noticed that it appears yours are free standing and nesting together very closely so as to look built in. Am I correct? And if so, do you mind sharing your source?
Heather’s Library! It looks wonderful! I’d happily sit in there browsing those shelves for hours! Books are such good friends. 🙂 I’ve steadily been purging my accumulation of stuffs, paring down to what really pleases and inspires. It’s such a relief! Enjoy!!
Heather… me again, would it be okay to use one of these pictures over at Blissfully Domestic?….I will put a link back to here.
Thanks
Teresa
Blissful Home
Heather – this is fantastic!! May I ask where you got those or are they custom built in place?
my husband started helping me with our inventory room on saturday. it is time to be more efficient—
thanks for posting this inspiration, will help me finish organizing…….thank you, thank you!
k
I am drooling. This is beautiful, fresh and organized but not so organized that it’s ugly. Great pictures. Totally jealous! This will go in my file labeled “decorating wishes”!
The bookcase looks wonderful and very colorful. I love books and magazines and save ALOT of them. I never give books away; they are like my friends and I would never give them away. Thanks for sharing.
Oh my goodness, the sheer thought of you have a yard sale sends shivers up my spine! I would probably have to take out a loan if I lived any where close to you!
Liz
http://mylovelylittlelulu.blogspot.com/
Love it Heather! It looks orderly, and yet not too much so. I have two white bookcases in my rumpus “reading nook” and am yet to (like you) collect the books from various rooms and stack them altogether. I also love what you’ve done along the top of the bookcases. What a fabulous look, thanks for sharing 🙂
Loving these highly organise shelves! I have recently just put in a lovely organised bookcase myself & feel so good about it. Everytime I look at it I smile 🙂
~ Clare x
This is just too fantastic… I do have a question on the corner piece if I may – is that an Ikea piece as well? Would love to see the other side of the office!
This is a really wonderful post, Heather. I actually have 3 large bookcases which hold very few books and I’ve been thinking about re-painting them and filling them with all my books which are throughout my house – thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks for sharing! You have inspired me to get to work on reworking one of my bookcases for books! Thanks! Have a great week:)
Debbi
I love, love what you’ve done with your bookcases!
Do you mind if I ask what color of paint you used on
your walls? It really makes the white of the bookcases
pop!
Awesome!
I would love to come browse through your collection!
To me, a home MUST have books and magazines.
Tons of them.
I bet your yard sale would be a sight to behold…………
Looks great!! I’ve been needing to go through my bookshelves for a long time and this is the inspiration I needed!!
Oh my gosh! That is so amazing! I have so many boxes of books packed away in our basement – I have even donated some to our local library because we just don’t have the room (and also since I am a frequent visitor there too!). 🙂
I wish I had the space & shelving to do that! Maybe after we move I can put something together like that You are my organizational hero!
Absolutely love it!
I’m drooling over your bookcases – that’s exactly what I would like to do with my office! What kind of bookcases are they? Where did you get them?
This looks wonderful Heather! So clean and organized. I like how you’ve used baskets to store the smaller books. My bookcases are due for an overhaul … thanks for the inspiration!
Heather,
I love how your bookcases look what, I think, bookcases ought to look like – neat, tidy and arranged in a manner that works for you. I was glad to see your books were arranged by color, matching jackets put on them or the best one yet – turned backward.
Ooops, I meant to say: were’nt arranged by color…
Marla
I absolutely adore your wall lined with bookshelves … would love to have that in my house one day! I really love the baskets on the 2nd shelf down too — it kind of breaks everything up visually AND gives you a place to stash all the stuff that might otherwise look cluttery. (Then again, I’m a basket fanatic!)
I LOVE this!! I featured your blog on my blog today..I hope you don’t mind! If you do I can delete the post.
Keep inspiring!! 🙂
You are so inspiring. I love the baskets – are they a recent purchase? (Can’t wait for the next Fleamarket Style Mag!)
Dealing with exactly that in my craft room today and took a break to visit you! I think I’m going to need a little help from Jeanne (as in “I dream of”) or Samantha Stevens (as in Bewitched) because I’m just drowning in my O.C.D. …. Hey, maybe that’s why the unfinished pile is the biggest!!!! LOL! (to self “Ya THINK???!!!!”) Thank you for showing such lovely results CAN HAPPEN!
Books are a huge part of our lives and we literally have them stacked two deep on most of our shelves…as well as stacks on the tables and floors!
I have been looking around here and thinking I need to rearrange and make some changes (and maybe the need of a yard sale too!) wanted to say thanks for the inspiration to get me going! ~ Rebecca
This is gorgeous! I’m working on redoing my library and you’ve completely inspired me — thank you!
looks terrific..and let me know when you have that yard sale,,i will be there:)
I have a really large bookshelf that I had built in my bedroom and I really struggle with how to make it look stylish in a bedroom without too many books! What was I thinking…anyways….love your bookcases. They look marvvvvvelous!
Hugs.
Rose
Lovely Heather cosy, organised, & just gorgeous I so cannot wait to finish my house build so I can get all my books magazines & nick naks organised!! 🙂
The pitfall of being a creative person is that we accumulate clutter, because we see the potential in things. I have really curtailed my thrift store shopping for this reason. Now, I only buy things if I have an immediate need for the item.
I have boxes of stuff in my garage that I have collected. Now, that I’m retired I plan to go through it all and actually use things or give them away.
I love your book cases!
I had my husband build a wall of bookcases for me last year and I love love love them.
I’m like you I love looking at all of my books.
I have the exact same bookcases in my room (Billy from Ikea if I’m not mistaken). So inexpensive and they look great! I love what you did with yours; and am borrowing your ideas, especially about using baskets to hide those items that don’t stack well.
Love your blog!
Heather, this is perfect! I love that you used some baskets, wire ones so pretty! What a beautiful office space. I have a thing for books and magazines I really have to refrain from buying them at times, I just love them! I am with you on the yard sale. I’ve been putting things I want to sell in bins, just need the snow to go away 🙂 Susan
You did a great job!!!! Love, love, love. The books look good and th touches are perfect…enjoy
I am in the middle of cleaning my studio and found out the same thing I need to have a huge garage sale…..and I won’t be waiting till spring…
Love the bookshelves….
Hi Wendy!
The bookcases are from Ikea..Billy.
They have a great selection of cubbies there!
Smiles,
H
Hi Amy,
Yes, mine are freestanding. We just put them as close together as possible. They’re the Billy bookcases from Ikea.
Smiles,
H
Yes, absolutely! Thanks Teresa!
Smiles,
H
Hi! Yes, even the corner piece is from Ikea.
Smiles,
H
Hi Cathy,
I don’t have the paint name anymore. The can was thrown out long ago and I never saved the paint chip.
So sorry. It’s kind of a pale olive color. Photos sometimes make it look different.
Best,
H
Thanks so much Brooklyne!
Best,
H
Hi Grammy,
The baskets are also from Ikea!
Thanks for the excitement over the FMS magazine. It comes out in a few short weeks!
Smiles,
H
Your office space looks really inspiring, Heather. My girlfriend loves books too, and she’s been dreaming of putting up a home library in her home in Reston, VA. I’m actually planning to help her with the re-designing and she’s quite happy about it. She has this room on the third floor, and it has cabinet shelves where she keeps all her books, but we’ve had this idea of removing the door and turn it into an open shelf. I hope she’ll learn something new from this, too.
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