Nothing screams ‘cerebral’ and gives your home a lived-in and cosy ambience like a whole collection of books. But unless arranged in some sort of manner—whether whimsical or precise—your stack of books could end up looking like a pile of clutter. So, just where do you file your literary collection and in what manner do you go about setting it up?
THE THREEE STEP METHOD: The first thing you would need to do is separate the keepsakes from the trash. What you feel you need, want and is a collectible stays. Never chuck the rest. Instead, donate. The world is in need of readers and the bin is no place for a book.
Second, you will need to pinpoint a precise location in your apartment to store your books. Placing all of the reading in one section makes it easier to source a book when you want one, or even helps you locate one you did not know you had. Depending on the amount of books you have, you would need to allocate an entire wall or perhaps just a portion of it. And last, you will need to figure out your personality. Are you ‘a place for everything and everything in its place’ kind of person or are you prone to leading a sort of messy lifestyle. Accordingly, you could go in for open shelving or closed cabinetry for your bookshelves.
SHELVING: Most often, books would be stored on shelves. From a single shelf on a wall to an entire open cabinet with numerous shelving. These can either be of the same size for symmetry, or could have varying heights and widths to accommodate different book sizes. While custom bookshelves can get as high as the ceiling in a room, for easy access, the ideal height of a bookcase is 80 inches. The heights of shelves can be adjusted according to book sizes, but for a standard measurement, a good 12 inches of space will accommodate most book heights. A typical bookcase will also have a depth of 12 inches, but this can be increased or decreased again according to your requirements.
ARMOIRES: If you do not want to dedicate an entire wall to your books or have a desire for a unique method of exhibiting, try an armoire instead. Because of its large depths and doors, an armoire can accommodate a large number of books—and if neatness is not your strength, simply shut the doors.
ODDS AND ENDS: Aside from dedicating spaces to book storage, we must not ignore the odd space that would provide additional and quirky storage methods. Coffee and console tables provide elegant tabletop surfaces. Headboards of beds
and ends of sofas can also be custom-built to provide you with a small but adequate storage space. And then, there’s nothing to beat that loft-like feel of books randomly stacked on the floor or under table lamps and telephones. For an added look of quirkiness, pair with black and white or vintage photo frames.
ARRANGEMENT: Your books need not be by themselves. Coupled with colourful or cane boxes, frames and other artifacts, you can create beautiful arrangements. Organise your books according to height and colour and if possible, categories as well. And finally, one last tip—get rid of all your magazines. That’s unnecessary clutter.
The writer is an interior designer, with offices in Delhi and Mumbai. E-mail her at info@fleurxavierdesign.com
