Books Make a Home: Elegant Ideas for Storing and Displaying Books
by Damian Thompson
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Description
Books fulfil myriad functions in our lives. They provide information, foster our enthusiasms and spark our memories. But these personal treasures also add colour and a true sense of personality to our homes. Books Make a Home explores the important role books play as decorative as well as functional items. Bibliophile Damian Thompson tours the rooms of the home in turn - Living Rooms, Home Libraries & Studies, Kitchens, Bedrooms & Bathrooms, Corridors & Staircases and Children's Rooms - show more discovering a host of techniques for stacking, shelving and closeting volumes, and a wealth of practical design solutions for each space and every size of collection. You will learn how to make the best use of existing storage and create new space for an ever-growing collection; how to combine books with other personal effects to create eye-catching displays; and how to organize and care for your books. Books Make a Home is an insightful guide to enjoying books with the eye as well as with the mind. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
This is less about how to justify keeping books by making the display of them appealing, and more about how to display them if you've already decided that you're going to keep them. And even though the pictures are supposed to be of treasures one can't bear to be parted with, the books are too often leaning higgledy-piggledy and being otherwise abused.
Or the shelves and arrangements are very pretty but if some books were actually pulled out to be read the tableau would lose all it's aesthetic value. Or if new books were brought in and they had the wrong color spine, oh my. And of course there's the obligatory spine-in case, which makes no sense to me.
It's the Tootsie Roll of decorating books. Still unhealthy sugar, and not even good show more chocolate to make it worthwhile.
All that being said, I do drool over the custom shelves on p. 102-3, all different sizes, for stereo speakers, favorite sculptures, and books of different sizes, and (I imagine) series of different lengths. It looks like something from Piet Mondrian almost.
And I liked the minimalist idea on p. 123. In all white hallway, open shelves would be too messy looking, and glass fronts or solid fronts would be clinical. The use of chicken wire adds whimsy and just the right amount of concealment. (And would work well in the kitchen, too.)
Btw, I read very little of the text as it just doesn't concern me. It seemed to me mostly just practical advice that we already know (books are heavy, so be careful) or descriptions of what the pictures show. show less
Or the shelves and arrangements are very pretty but if some books were actually pulled out to be read the tableau would lose all it's aesthetic value. Or if new books were brought in and they had the wrong color spine, oh my. And of course there's the obligatory spine-in case, which makes no sense to me.
It's the Tootsie Roll of decorating books. Still unhealthy sugar, and not even good show more chocolate to make it worthwhile.
All that being said, I do drool over the custom shelves on p. 102-3, all different sizes, for stereo speakers, favorite sculptures, and books of different sizes, and (I imagine) series of different lengths. It looks like something from Piet Mondrian almost.
And I liked the minimalist idea on p. 123. In all white hallway, open shelves would be too messy looking, and glass fronts or solid fronts would be clinical. The use of chicken wire adds whimsy and just the right amount of concealment. (And would work well in the kitchen, too.)
Btw, I read very little of the text as it just doesn't concern me. It seemed to me mostly just practical advice that we already know (books are heavy, so be careful) or descriptions of what the pictures show. show less
A beautiful book and a must have for book lovers everywhere. The book is high quality printed with ton's of pics and info on decorating with books in every room of the house. The ideas are unique and lots of the pics give a look into other peoples homes. After all book lovers like to see other peoples collections as well. There are lots of great ideas to arrange, display, organize and store your books. A really nice book to pick up and glance through while inspiring your next book purchase.
Do not get me wrong, I ? Books. I am a Librarian, I have many books. In reference to this particular book: Too many books? Is there such a possibility? Why, yes there is and this book is proof.
This book is comprised mostly of full page color photographs, but they gave me sensory overload.... I do not want a bookcase in my dining room or my bathroom (damp moldy books), one that takes up most the wall space in my living room, bedroom or office.
Then there is the 1/2 page on bookends..... Ahem, with only two small photographs as examples? I don't think so. I wanted to see the one made of live goldfish in 1/2 bowls!
In my opinion, this book fell extremely short...
This book is comprised mostly of full page color photographs, but they gave me sensory overload.... I do not want a bookcase in my dining room or my bathroom (damp moldy books), one that takes up most the wall space in my living room, bedroom or office.
Then there is the 1/2 page on bookends..... Ahem, with only two small photographs as examples? I don't think so. I wanted to see the one made of live goldfish in 1/2 bowls!
In my opinion, this book fell extremely short...
A book for any book lover. The title says it all.
Ryland Peters Small Books erfüllen unzählige Funktionen in unserem Leben. Sie liefern Informationen, fördern unsere Begeisterung und wecken unsere Erinnerungen. Aber diese persönlichen Schätze verleihen unserem Zuhause auch Farbe und ein wahres Gefühl von Persönlichkeit. Books Make a Home untersucht die wichtige Rolle, die sie sowohl als Dekoration als auch als Gebrauchsgegenstände spielen. Der Autor und Bibliophiler Damian Thompson führt der Reihe nach durch die Räume des Hauses - Living Rooms. Heimbibliotheken & Studien. Küchen . Schlafzimmer & Badezimmer. Korridore & Treppenhäuser und Kinderzimmer - Entdecken Sie eine Vielzahl von Techniken zum Stapeln, Regalieren und Verschließen von Volumen und veranschaulichen Sie, show more wie jeder Raum durch Bücher zum Leben erweckt werden kann. Neben inspirierender Fotografie gibt es eine Fülle praktischer Designlösungen für jeden Raum und jede Größe der Sammlung. Sie werden lernen, wie man... show less
May 14, 2020 (Edited)German
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Author Information
1 Work 306 Members
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Books Make a Home: Elegant Ideas for Storing and Displaying Books
- Original publication date
- 2011
- Dedication
- To Kit and Roger, who marked me with books, and to Peter, who always has a bookmark to hand.
- First words
- 'When I have a little money I buy books.
[Introduction] When I have a little money I buy books.
'I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of bulding enough bookcases' (Anne Quindlen). - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)One can also buy folding bookcases that can be swiftly flatpacked – ideal for the son or daughter who will be moving digs every year at university or college.
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)[Introduction] As the philosopher Alain de Botton has argued: 'We should stand to swap a ew of our swiftly disintegrating paperbacks for volumes that proclaim, through the weight and heft of their materials, the grace of their typography and the beauty of their illustrations, our desire for their contents to assume a permanent place in our hearts.' - Original language
- English
Classifications
- Genres
- Home & Garden, Nonfiction, Art & Design, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 747.9 — Arts & recreation Drawing & decorative arts Interior design / Glassware / Furniture Specific decorations [formerly Colours in Interior Decoration]
- LCC
- NK2115.5 .B66 .T49 — Fine Arts 3600-(9990) Other arts and art industries Decorative arts Interior decoration. House decoration General. History, etc.
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 307
- Popularity
- 104,193
- Reviews
- 5
- Rating
- (3.84)
- Languages
- English, German, Italian
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 5
- ASINs
- 2




























































