Homeward Bound

Posted on: October 5, 2009

Homeward Bound

Design with books for a fresh perspective on a popular room

By Taniesha Robinson
CTW Features

Image courtesy istockphoto

These days, personal libraries are better contained on computers and handheld electronic devices than they are on the shelves of a bookcase. For those who still cling to their tangible relationship with paper, however, books at home can easily become a source of clutter. Achieve bound beauty with these expert tips for organized and stylish book storage.

Organize by room

"Books should be divided in terms of where they're most likely to be used," says Mervyn Kaufman, author of "Store It!: Where to Put All the Things You Need to Keep" (Filipacchi Publishing, 2009). That means cookbooks in the kitchen, kids' books in the kids' room and other books in a den, family room or even bedroom. "I see a lot of wasted space in homes," says Laura Leist, president of the National Association of Professional Organizers and owner of Seattle-based Eliminate Chaos pro-organizing company. Bedrooms and home offices are among the rooms she thinks are under-utilized for storage most often.

Break up the monotony

"I don't just stack them all in a line on the shelf," says Leist. Both Leist and Kaufman suggest distributing other objects throughout shelves and stacking some books vertically to add diversity. "Interrupting the rows with other objects enriches the interest," Kaufman says.

Beware of stacks

Often in beautiful photos of home interiors, there is a stack of books on a coffee table or beside a love seat. "Yeah it looks great, but all you have to do is have somebody bump into them," Kaufman says.

Don't strive for perfection

When staging a home, some interior designers may put white slip covers on books in personal libraries to complement the décor and color scheme of the room. "It's just such a terrible mistake because it just draws attention to mono-colors," Kaufman says. He also warns against over-organizing the books by size, saying variety is what makes them look interesting. "I think what you want is to make it look lived in."