On thing that drives me nuts about interior design advice is it doesn't start from the non-negotiables often enough.
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It can be hard to understand that getting rid of short shelves to make space for full-sized ones is worth it. Or that was hard for me. I kept thinking "but I need more shelves"
Not like this. This little thing is too tiny.
@futurebird cube shelving is a good way to go. you get all that shelf space but it's very flexible. trying to get the significant other to see this wisdom
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And here is my most controversial one:
Sort your books by SIZE first. The size dictates the shelf height and one tall book can waste a lot of space. (not controversial)
Next by subject. Have the same topic, or author, or genre on the same shelf. (not controversial)
Last, on each shelf sort them by color. It will make the shelf look less chaotic. People get mad about this since it's "looks over function" but if you have a subject shelf you'll be able to find your books.
At least for me the color sorting makes it easier to find the book I'm looking for. I know some people will do a subject shelf sorted by author, or alphabetically, or subtopic... But, if I'm looking at "discrete math books" I won't remember the title. I remember "it was in the light blue one" -- so color helps.
From across the room it looks less jumbled. You also notice how different subjects have different color pallets. Which is neat.
Also, alpha sorting will NOT stay sorted. Color will.
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And here is my most controversial one:
Sort your books by SIZE first. The size dictates the shelf height and one tall book can waste a lot of space. (not controversial)
Next by subject. Have the same topic, or author, or genre on the same shelf. (not controversial)
Last, on each shelf sort them by color. It will make the shelf look less chaotic. People get mad about this since it's "looks over function" but if you have a subject shelf you'll be able to find your books.
@futurebird your controversial take (size) is kind of cursed but makes sense if you have a bookshelf with different measures and in terms of balance. I prefer to put the heavier (bigger) books in the lower parts of the bookshelves.
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@futurebird closet design, but instead of clothes and shoes it's books.
Most closet shelves are not sturdy enough to hold books. I have considered the concept of having a "book closet" then I could put most of the books in there and close the door for a more minimalist feeling.
But I like to look at the shelf and scan the titles while I'm working. I would end up sitting in the damn closet so it wouldn't work.
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At least for me the color sorting makes it easier to find the book I'm looking for. I know some people will do a subject shelf sorted by author, or alphabetically, or subtopic... But, if I'm looking at "discrete math books" I won't remember the title. I remember "it was in the light blue one" -- so color helps.
From across the room it looks less jumbled. You also notice how different subjects have different color pallets. Which is neat.
Also, alpha sorting will NOT stay sorted. Color will.
So i keep organising our coat rack like this - but get told off for doing it. Everyone else seems to think it's just acceptable to hang a coat anywhere!
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On thing that drives me nuts about interior design advice is it doesn't start from the non-negotiables often enough.
For example I don't think I'm that strange or remarkable for owning about 800 books. I know a lot of people with more. (I have SOME restraint) But if you look for design ideas for books it's not like "here is where you can put all those books" it's more like "get these fake books for this look" --or it's "design a home library." my brother in Christ WHERE.
@futurebird I never thought of design with my floor-to-nearly ceiling (2.85 m) Swedish furniture company system. It's a good wall insulation.
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So i keep organising our coat rack like this - but get told off for doing it. Everyone else seems to think it's just acceptable to hang a coat anywhere!
I love this!
It's just a little moment of joy when normally seeing a bunch of coats and ski gear in a pile would make me sad.
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@futurebird I never thought of design with my floor-to-nearly ceiling (2.85 m) Swedish furniture company system. It's a good wall insulation.
You need twice as many bookshelves. I made a "book wall" to divide my living room since we ran out of walls. You might need to do that.
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On thing that drives me nuts about interior design advice is it doesn't start from the non-negotiables often enough.
For example I don't think I'm that strange or remarkable for owning about 800 books. I know a lot of people with more. (I have SOME restraint) But if you look for design ideas for books it's not like "here is where you can put all those books" it's more like "get these fake books for this look" --or it's "design a home library." my brother in Christ WHERE.
@futurebird Interior design is all about people who have the time and money to make all sorts of changes which ordinary people can't do. When on a limited budget, in a limited budget house, space is at a premium, and most 'spacesaving' ideas either cost too much or don't work.
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@futurebird cube shelving is a good way to go. you get all that shelf space but it's very flexible. trying to get the significant other to see this wisdom
Do you mean the stack-able ones? I've found that with the book collection I have I really just need very tall shelves, and the cubes can't stack high enough. But there are also some cube systems that can go higher I think.
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@futurebird Interior design is all about people who have the time and money to make all sorts of changes which ordinary people can't do. When on a limited budget, in a limited budget house, space is at a premium, and most 'spacesaving' ideas either cost too much or don't work.
I don't know if I agree that interior design isn't for everyone. Some of the best most inviting spaces have been designed and curated by people with no budget. It's like art, it's for everyone and money can't really make up for taste and creativity.
It's also WORK and takes time to make a space better, more functional, good looking, someone needs to care about it.
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@futurebird your controversial take (size) is kind of cursed but makes sense if you have a bookshelf with different measures and in terms of balance. I prefer to put the heavier (bigger) books in the lower parts of the bookshelves.
@eco_amandine Tip: most high shelves can be achored in the wall. @futurebird
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@eco_amandine Tip: most high shelves can be achored in the wall. @futurebird
They need to be. Books are heavy and it might sound romantic to die being crushed by your book collection but it is NOT cute.
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On thing that drives me nuts about interior design advice is it doesn't start from the non-negotiables often enough.
For example I don't think I'm that strange or remarkable for owning about 800 books. I know a lot of people with more. (I have SOME restraint) But if you look for design ideas for books it's not like "here is where you can put all those books" it's more like "get these fake books for this look" --or it's "design a home library." my brother in Christ WHERE.
@futurebird Among the magazines I subedit are some interiors titles.
Nothing is weirder than people who turn their books so the spines are towards the back so they won't spoil 'the look'. How do they find the book they want? Do they only have a dozen or so? Do they have incredible memories for placements? It's just *wrong*.
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At least for me the color sorting makes it easier to find the book I'm looking for. I know some people will do a subject shelf sorted by author, or alphabetically, or subtopic... But, if I'm looking at "discrete math books" I won't remember the title. I remember "it was in the light blue one" -- so color helps.
From across the room it looks less jumbled. You also notice how different subjects have different color pallets. Which is neat.
Also, alpha sorting will NOT stay sorted. Color will.
@futurebird aren't all math books yellow? (Actually I don't own any of the Springer yellow books).
I do own some bookshelves that I got made to measure with specific shelf heights though.
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@futurebird Among the magazines I subedit are some interiors titles.
Nothing is weirder than people who turn their books so the spines are towards the back so they won't spoil 'the look'. How do they find the book they want? Do they only have a dozen or so? Do they have incredible memories for placements? It's just *wrong*.
That's not a method to store books you use. It's decorative.
If I put my books that way all of my husband's books would look WORSE since there are so many post-it notes and tabs sticking out. And any book I've taken to school (most of them) have my last name written on the spine in big black letters if it's a textbook so no one would take it.
I don't want to see that.
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@futurebird aren't all math books yellow? (Actually I don't own any of the Springer yellow books).
I do own some bookshelves that I got made to measure with specific shelf heights though.
Math books are my most colorful books and each subject has a full spectrum of colors.
But my books on ants are all either white green or black for some reason.
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On thing that drives me nuts about interior design advice is it doesn't start from the non-negotiables often enough.
For example I don't think I'm that strange or remarkable for owning about 800 books. I know a lot of people with more. (I have SOME restraint) But if you look for design ideas for books it's not like "here is where you can put all those books" it's more like "get these fake books for this look" --or it's "design a home library." my brother in Christ WHERE.
@futurebird "Bookshelf scaping" and "how to fill up all that space in your bookshelves."
The kind of facepalm that risks concussion.
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@futurebird "Bookshelf scaping" and "how to fill up all that space in your bookshelves."
The kind of facepalm that risks concussion.
I'm envious of people who have shelves and don't know how to fill them. I'm over here planning to put extra shelving above the door.
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And here is my most controversial one:
Sort your books by SIZE first. The size dictates the shelf height and one tall book can waste a lot of space. (not controversial)
Next by subject. Have the same topic, or author, or genre on the same shelf. (not controversial)
Last, on each shelf sort them by color. It will make the shelf look less chaotic. People get mad about this since it's "looks over function" but if you have a subject shelf you'll be able to find your books.
I remember the story of a couple with many books moving together into an apartment with limited room for shelf space. They prepared by making a database of all their books, including the measurements of each one, to help plan the optimal distribution within the shelves and to be able to find them again in their "optimal utilization of available space" challenge.
