The Curtained Bookcase

Last week, I posted about book storage solutions, and one of my favorites (and yours too!) was a curtained bookcase. A curtain-covered bookcase is such a versatile idea - why? Well, it gives you two completely separate walls for the price of one, it protects your treasures (or conceals your clutter), and it can completely change the feel of a room. Let's pull back the curtain, shall we?

Here's a GREAT curtain option from Elle Decor. Notice the wonderful combination of color and open space shelving. Note the bed in the lower RH corner. Now look through the shelves... what's on the other side?

Ta da! There's a living room! This is such a great idea for studio spaces or too open room plans. Very similar shelving is available at IKEA - and with some clever curtain and mirror placement, you can give the illusion of a wall while retaining all your natural light. An enthusiastic two thumbs up.

And now a little Old World inspiration - this page from the 1705 Frauen-Zimmer Bibliotheckgen (or Little Lady's Library, as we like to say in English), a guide to book-collecting for women. Obviously, this German damsel was ahead of her day: her bookcases are duly swathed, and the material appears to match the cloth cover on the desk beside her.

Flash-forward: here's a welcome solution for infrequently used books and other items. The curtain takes on the personality of a wall, with a decorative mirror hanging as wall decor. Note the cheery lining on the curtain. (P.S. If you're storing large quantities of books out of sight, it might be helpful to have a record of where things are. I recommend Library Thing - an awesome online version of your library. It includes cover views, subject categories, and for $20, a tool to scan your books directly into the system. It's like having your own library catalogue).

More storage solutions, for mini cases. Curtaining smaller bookcases is a great way to add several square feet of storage space. The stuff you stash doesn't have to be pretty, or even organized: the curtain hides all.

Last look: country chic over at Cote de Texas. With this design, the curtains remain stationary, softening the look of the cases.

By the way, be sure to visit the Cote de Texas page on bookcases for a marvelous selection of book storage options and libraries.

Pic 1 and 2, Elle Decor via Apartment Therapy, Pic 2, http://beineckeearlymodern.wordpress.com/, Pic 3, http://www.bhg.com/decorating/small-spaces/strategies/live-large-in-a-small-space/?page=2, Pic 4, http://www.passingopenwindows.com/. Pic 6, http://www.cotedetexas.blogspot.com/2008/08/living-with-books-lots-of-them.html.

All the Pretty Books

If, like me, books are a big part of your life, you've probably struggled with how to display them. Because books are both decorative objects AND something you use, displaying them can be a balancing act between accessing and preserving them, and not letting them take over your home. 

For instance, you should not do this (books as coffee ring and dust collectors):

One of the best guides out there on how to care for your home (and tomes) is Home Comforts, by Cheryl Mendelson. Mendelson has written the modern bible for home and fabric care, and she advises several basics for book care:  keep them away from sun, if possible. Shelve upright instead of stacking when you can (and never put them on the floor), and hang onto book jackets - they protect the book and increase its value.

Here's one of my favorite book display techniques:  color splash!  Arranging by color makes a statement, and depending on what colors you choose to display, and how you combine them, it can be a very original look - and very modern.

Or, you can avoid color altogether and go monochrome, for a more elegant look.

Great SHELVES are also a key for displaying your books. Shelves are to books like frames are to pictures:  they define the look and give it unity. And, they keep your books in good condition.

Good choice for the magazine collector:

For mixing books and display items:

Incorporating art with shelves (just keep in mind those are books you can't access):

Built-ins are perfect for small spaces:

Great for any space:  personalize the most banal bookshelf with color:

CURTAINED bookcases. This is a great idea. Why?  You protect your books from the light and dust, and you can completely change the look of your room - library by day, luxe living room by night. Genius! 

Using wall coverings, instead of shelves, to define the look:

Get more milage out of book storage by using books with other pieces of furniture, like a hall table. The combination of wallpaper, frames, and color is creative and sophisticated.

What are your favorite book display tricks?

pic 1, http://lovinglivingsmall.blogspot.com/2008/08/coffee-table-made-out-of-books.html. pic 2, http://www.instructables.com/community/Anyone-interested-in-table-legs-made-from-books/, pic 3, http://ffffound.com/home/lillylovesyou/found/?offset=25&, pic 4, http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewcoulterenright/507549974/in/photostream, pic 5, http://www.flickr.com/photos/22876714@N03/3667157718/, pic 6, West Elm, pic 7 - 11, Domino, pic 12, http://paloma81.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html.

The Southern Literary Trail

Artist Christopher Stott, Pear With Books

Susan, of the blog A Southern Daydreamer Reads, has begun a summer reading challenge in the blogosphere. I'm game! 

Earlier this summer, I visited Flannery O'Conner's home, Andalusia, as well as Margaret Mitchell's Atlanta apartment, where she wrote Gone With The Wind. Both are part of the Southern Literary Trail, a special event this year celebrating classic Southern writers in Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. The Trail got me thinking - there are so many great Southern writers I either haven't read, or haven't read much of - if I can't TRAVEL the Trail, why not READ my way through the Trail? Now, there are too many great Southern authors to read everyone (or everything they wrote), but I've selected a few for my own challenge. I'm off on the Trail! Here's my route:

1) Mud on the Stars, William Bradford Huie (Hartselle, Alabama)

2) The Complete Short Stories, Truman Capote (Monroeville, Alabama)

3) A Good Man is Hard to Find, Flannery O'Conner (Milledgeville, GA)

4) The Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison (Tuskegee, AL)

5) The Collected Plays, Lillian Hellman (Demopolis, Alabama)

6) As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner (Oxford, MS)

7) The Moviegoer, Walker Percy (Greenville, MS)

8) The Golden Apples, Eudora Welty (Columbus, MS)

9) The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams (Columbus, MS)

10) The Beautiful and Damned, F. Scott Fitzgerald (Montgomery, AL)

Caveat: this list is subject to change, based on whimsy. I may switch the works around a little... but I have until September 21st, when the challenge ends, to figure it out! 

My (Uninteresting) Lovely Things

Tag, I'm it! Creative talent Sarah Klassen of Haute Design tagged me to list 6 lovely and uninteresting things around my home (be sure to check out her own very unique list). Really, I think all lovely things ARE interesting no matter how common, so maybe I bend the rules a bit here... perhaps? 

1. Coffee, Coffee, COFFEE! My cup of Joe is the reason I arise each morning. I can't face all that wretched sunshine and good cheer without some fortification. And believe me, you don't want to talk to me until I do.

2. Flats. I do love a pair of heels, but my uniform is stylish flats, calvin klein jeans, a little jacket, and a big necklace. My favorite flats for winter are Tory Burch and Pretty Ballerinas. In summer, it's Miss Trish of Capri and GAP - I love to be active, and I just feel ready to run in a good pair of flats! And yes, I do tend to store them in piles like this... my closet skills leave a little to be desired. 

3. Cupcakes. There should be many, many more of these around my house. Especially Mint Julep ones! Check out the blog Monogram Momma for the recipe! 

4. Books. I chose this image because it resembles my library, insomuch as they both contain books. Alas, the similarities end there, but I'm dreaming big. And in the meantime, I'm collecting as many books as I can (to whit:  after four days of antique shopping in Georgia all I managed to come home with was... antique books.  And prints from antique books. Hopeless.). Whether it's a gorgeous art book or a favorite dog-eared novel, books are a common and essential part of my home.

5. Headbands.  I have an ongoing battle with my hair - some moments I like it down, others, I can't bear to have it around my face... the consequence is that my house is littered with headbands. Most are pretty casual, but for a party, I'd wear something like this beautiful peacock feather band from LovMely Accessories on Etsy. Isn't it charming?  

6. Blankets.  What is more common or more cozy than a blanket? I use blankets just as much in summer as in winter - perhaps more.  It's a constant battle with the a/c down South!

What common items can you not get by without? 

Credits. 

Coffee: stylist Lucyina Moodie.

Flats: Harper's Bazaar image of Aerin Lauder's closet via Moodboard.

Books: Curious Expeditions.

Blankets: Joe Tyler.

The Examined Life

Do you journal? What sort of journal personality are you?

Plane Jane basic, frills-free. Your thoughts don't need embellishment.

No - you're an astute fashionista, a trendsetter. In your hands, an LV Agenda's pages are replaced with lined sheets. You linger at the cafe over crepes and record your chic life. 

BUT... today you're also an intellectual - with flair. The journal of choice for Van Gogh and Hemingway is your ideal. But the modern version in pink (or green) is your style. 

Or... perhaps today is just a day for play - and jotting down a few jokes. Kate Spade's papers are perfect.

Hmmm... but what have YOU been up to? Life is an adventure, after all. 

Especially when you're traveling the world!  Today, Venice.  Tomorrow, Fiji.  Your daily life could fill a book - or be a book.  The publisher just called. 
Or maybe you'd just like to have a journal for one trip - to the beach, perhaps, and your sunny friend Lilly Pulitzer would love to tag along.

At the end of the day though, you just want to go home. Cozy, modern, or daring, your nest is YOU, and beautiful Italian marbled journals reflect your taste for quality.  A perfect design. 
Who will you be today?
Journal 1, mead.com. Journal 2, louisvuitton.com. Journal 3, moleskin.com. Journal 4, katespade.com. Journal 5-6, jennibick.com.  Journal 7-8 katespaperie.com.  Book, amazon.com. 

The Library as Escape

These images from Parish-Hadley: Sixty Years of American Design, and the accompanying free verse description of libraries caught my fancy:
"The library as escape,
as private domain
(knock before entering)...
on the other hand, the library as
dining room-cum-art gallery...
a generous book table covered
in plainest felt...
book bindings rich enough to
supply the decoration...
Morocco-bound first
editions in exotic wood cases
behind brass grilles...
the learned appeal of floor-to-
ceiling bookcases...
a place for scholarship, trophies,
personal memorabilia (your
picture with the president)..."

Brooke Astor's library, holding 3,000 volumes. Hadley designed the bookcases of red enamel with brass trim. The shelves glint and shine as much as the gold-lettered bindings.

Albert Hadley's personal library. A carousel giraffe is a whimsical touch in a space that feels part library, part sitting room. 

Grillwork doors protect precious first editions. Heavy Russian furniture is offset by the expansive cream of the walls. 

All images and intro text from the 1995 edition of Parish-Hadley: Sixty Years of American Design.

Judging By Covers: Great Libraries

"You can never be too thin, too rich, or have too many books." - Carter Burden, VOGUE

There is something magical about books. What other common household object has defined national identities, inspired self-sacrifice, been lauded as the font of wisdom, or required vigilant guard over the centuries. The cheap paperback you're currently using as a coaster is a miracle. The technology that produced it, and your ability to read it are, too, wondrous things. How much more wonderful then, to have a room devoted entirely to books.

True confessions: I am mad about books. I have 600 catalogued so far, and enough remaining on my shelves to suspect the final tally is quite a bit higher. And I dream of my own personal book heaven with plenteous shelves, comfy seating, and maybe a spiral stair (or two). But, even if the closest you come to a library is a stack of your college textbooks and a CD collection, the design below will leave you inspired!

The Bodleian library at Oxford is probably the best in the world (although the Library of Congress is a close competitor, particularly for modern works). The Oxford library was founded in the 1300s, and later pioneered placing books upright, rather than on their sides, to save space. Books are so treasured at the Bodleian that any users admitted to the library must take a special oath: “I hereby undertake not to remove from the Library, or to mark, deface, or injure in any way, any volume, document, or other object belonging to it or in its custody; nor to bring into the Library or kindle therein any fire or flame, and not to smoke in the Library; and I promise to obey all rules of the Library.” Because of the no fire policy, the library remained unheated for centuries (and, I can attest from my own experiences, still FEELS unheated today). Here is the exterior of the Radcliffe Camera, and an interior view of the reading room.

One of the most fabulous movie libraries has to be this one, from My Fair Lady. Sporting spiral stairs and leather chairs drawn up to the fire (and ample room for the sing'n and the dance'n) this is a pretty fabulous library. Here is Rex Harrison on parade.













This imaginary library, created by Disney animators for the movie Beauty and the Beast, is equally awe-inspiring.














Another special library: The White House. This is not the library you're used to seeing in all the holiday images, nor where FDR recorded those famous fireside chats. This is the Eisenhower Executive Office Building Library, where White House staff may take out books or place orders for volumes in the Library of Congress. A few steps away from the West Wing, it retains all the old-Washington aura.

The Irish kept up with the British: here's Trinity College, University of Dublin. Aside from housing Ireland's oldest harp and the famous Book of Kells, the Long Room (shown below) is full to the brim with antique volumes and medieval manuscripts. Founded in the 1600s, Trinity library also inspires more modern structures - including ones yet to exist. In 2002, Trinity considered legal action over the Jedi library in Star Wars: Episode II, Attack of the Clones. See the resemblance?














Finally, Europe by no means has the market on gorgeous libraries cornered. There's the Library of Congress, the New York library, and one of my favorites, the library at Biltmore House in Ashville, SC. George Vanderbilt's dream library contains over 10,000 books and a ceiling imported whole piece from a villa in Italy. Note the spiral stair and massive stone fireplace.


















Feeling inspired yet? There's another post coming on how to do a library in YOUR home - and featuring some more attainable designs (hint: no gargoyles or two-story fireplaces). Stay tuned!

Images: Antique books: willows95988.typepad.com. Oxford library: auntiemwrites weblog, Oxford-tutors.org. My Fair Lady: iowagrasslands.blogspot.com. Beauty and the Beast library: littlemiao.vox.com. EEOB Library and floor: National Archives. Trinity College: from the book Libraries, by photographer Candida Höfer. Jedi Library: irish-architecture.com.  Biltmore Library: bookthink.com.