Home companion: Bookshelves

Via From Scandinavia with love

I know this is not your traditional bookcase-filled with books. But I love the vibe of this room, and the shelves is what makes this room pop with visual interest!  A whimsical modern touch that makes me giggly and ready to tackle any craft, reading or fun activity!  A family room with an equally substantial family bookcase!

Home companion: Bookshelves

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Hola friends!  Sorry I haven't been around here, but I'm taking things slow down in Florida with my parents and Emilu.   I've been making the rounds around my favorite shops, and catching up with family.  In the meantime, I love the orderly style of this bookshelf, simple, but not shabby.  Just plain awesome, isn't?  Happy Wednesday and see you guys tomorrow, I have a wedding to show you!

Home companion: Bookscases

Sometimes a bookshelf is just a bookshelf. But, other times, it's a statement.  And this one says ...my adventure side dictates how my classic side behaves. And I agree.  We all have very opposite tastes sometimes, and by marrying them together we can satisfy our desires.  For example, I love that I can pull my favorite poems anthology from this bookshelf and marvel at the small pair of elephants carved from onyx I recently acquired from Madagascar.  Wait there are no elephants in Madagascar, are they?  Oh well, you get the drift. 

Image via

Home companion: Bookshelves

Photo via

This wrap-around library is the ideal place to get lost from the nagging demands of the everyday.  I would sit here all day long, doing what I like best: reading. The masculine undertone decor is surprisingly calming, with a hint of sophistication.  And I bet this room looks twice as good under the dimming lights of desk lamps at night.  Le sigh!

Also, this smart and innovative bookshop is right up my alley.  And this poignant article about the grave state of the novel confirms my passion for fiction over non-fiction.

If you had space in your house, would you have a dedicated room for books?  Or do you prefer having them all around the house?  I think I would go for the library in a flash.

Cool bookshelves

Remember the Seinfeld episode where Kramer decides to publish a coffee table book about coffee tables?  The new Bookshelf book totes with same concept behind Kramer's idea:  A book about bookshelves to put on your own bookshelf!  The book celebrates the creative ways in which people who love and own books store or display their books around their home or office. And the people who help them reinterpret the humble yet, extremely prized, bookshelf.

Home companion: Bookshelves

{Via Desire to Inspire}

It's always been a dream of mine to have a wall display of books in our bedroom. Is it practical? Probably not. But I have a feeling I would sleep like a log in a room like this one. Have a happy Thursday

Home companion: Bookshelves

I love everything about this room, and the larger than life bookcase is the focal point. However, that farm table with the mismatched chairs is absolute heaven, and compliments the room exquisitely. I can see myself here throwing dinner parties, discussing the newest contemporary fiction or a  having dinner with the usual suspects (my family). What is it about books that makes everything  so cozy and inviting?

{Image via}

Color blocking your bookshelves

By now you already have a clear idea of how much I love bookshelves. Our bookshelf is located in our very narrow entryway, it was the only place for it. You can see a better view here.  On Sunday I reorganized the books by color, but couldn't give you a frontal shot of the whole unit because of the space issue. I can only shoot each square to show you how the project turned out. But I really wish you could see it as a whole. It looks stylish, and most importantly eye-pleasing.

Homecompanion: Bookshelves

Source: blissful.tumblr.com 

I'm loving this bookshelf. The position, in the corner of the room, and the grand wall of framed art next to it, blends so well with the soft color palette of the room.  And the books are organized by color, a trend that seems to be on the rise.

Home companion: Bookshelves

I have always have a soft spot for bookshelves, whether it's a built-in, they never disappoint, or a free-standing bookshelf.  When I was young, I used to think that a house with many books was a house that felt inviting and cozy.  My parents had a custom-made/sectional/open shelving/low standing bookcase, that took 3/4 wall space of the entire tv/study room when we were growing up.  They had to bring the furniture in three separate parts and put it together on the spot.  It was a fine piece of furniture with integrated desk spaces and media holes for the TV/VHS.

Bookcases have so many functions, from anchoring a space to bringing warmth and detail, yet they also make a space more intimate (you're displaying your worldly tastes) and even provide an aperture to show your design and organization skills.  I will be showcasing them every week, so stick around, because this promises to be eye candy for the home enthusiast's soul.  

{via Planete Deco}

What role do bookshelves play in your home life?

Children's books

Let's talk about books for children, which I know nothing about.  Really.  I know something about books for adults, but only a little, since I don't have time to read (for now, I hope) and don't know which authors have published new books anymore.  I read somewhere, in a blog, that children's books have their own developmental valve and many are written keeping this in mind.  When I was little, I read whatever book cruised in front of me, regardless of age and maturity appropriateness.  No one was watching closely what I read or didn't read.  It was actually liberating and made me appreciate reading even more.  Besides I was always wanting to read what my elders were reading, it looked far more interesting than what I was reading.  Anyway, I was browsing online and found these three books, which look fascinating.  I wonder what taste in books Emilu will have.

A cousin of mine has started reading The Little Prince to her three year old girl.  It's the first chapter book she reads to her and she's so into it. I don't remember my first chapter book. Which one was yours?

Images via Grasshopper