Book storage is a bit of a passion for me. Nothing says warm and lived-in more than a floor-to-ceiling wall of books. Many of us however, don’t have an entire wall to devote to book storage, and doing a little surfing for new ideas, I discovered that people are putting books in some very interesting places these days. Going beyond ingenuity and space-saving, it seems that books themselves are being used as design elements, and I’m all for it! Here are my top five picks for the most creative book pageantry:
Dead Wall Space
It’s wall space in and around a passageway, above a door frame, etc. Sure you could hang a picture frame there, but why when you can put it to so much better use, like these people did?
Robyn Clarke + Co design, photo by John Trigiani
Freckles Chick blog: OK, so those are CDs, which is kind of funny because who has CDs anymore? But you could easily adopt this for book storage.
Photo by PK Photo
Up to the Rafters
On the ceiling? Yes, why not? Especially useful in basement rooms or rooms with low ceilings, this is a great example of a truly great idea; practical, cost-effective (it’s literally painted plywood affixed to the ceiling), and certainly an ingenious design feature. Way to dress up the rafters!
Apartment Therapy blog
Bookish Furniture
Spaces are getting smaller, and furniture designers are catching on. We’re seeing more and more furniture that incorporates storage, or in the case of the “Cave” storage that incorporates furniture.
Clockwise from the top; Sakurah "Cave" via I Like Cool blog, Moormann "Bookinist", "Bibliochaise" by Nobody and Co. via Decomodo blog, "Ex-libris" table by Minottiitalia.
Smart Stairs
I’ve seen bookshelves lining staircases and shelving functioning as railings, but never this…
From Levitate, a design firm in England, this staircase seems to be built entirely of books! This is probably the most innovative and good looking design I’ve seen in a long time. I guess the only concern would be how much you actually use these stairs (if, for example, they lead to the basement where you wouldn't often go), and how the books would weather your constant hoofing it up and down, in dirty shoes… Although, anyone with this degree of design savvy must also be pretty tidy, wouldn’t you think?
Levitate design, via Neu Black blog
The Book House
How cute! If I had the space, I would run home right now and beg my husband to build this for our little girl (the poor guy is cursed with being handy). I can’t imagine anything more wondrous for a child’s imagination that to sleep in a nook of books, especially if they can be piled up and removed to control your view of the outside. I don’t imagine many of you have the space either, but doesn’t this get your creative juices flowing? Room divider?
Daily Design Spot blog
What do you think? Have you an ingenious book storage idea you'd like to share?