judging a book by its cover

Do you love your books, but not the look of the bookshelves? Maybe it is time for a book re-organization.

I have been pretty old-school when it comes to my library organization. My books are split into sections based on topics and the design books are typically categorized based on different types of climates. (Clearly any fan of the Dewey Decimal System would cringe). However, I was inspired by a recent trip to friend Zem Joaquin’s house and seeing her library design. She has organized her books to create a visually clean and peaceful space for reading.

First, she took off most the book’s dust covers, preferring the simple colors of the books bindings over the typically more chaotic designs of the dust covers. Then she split the books into different shelves based on color of the bindings, the font and even type of fonts. Some books are set vertically, and some horizontally. There are objects mixed in with the books, making the overall effect more like a Mondrian painting than a typical cluttered bookshelf.

Like most personal libraries, Zem and husband James’ books tell a story about them. They give clues into their interests and ways of thinking. One shelf includes books related so sustainable design, while another has an interesting mix of books on the internet, tech leadership, economic naturalist, and biographies on women in art.

Oh, and a personal favorite, a pop-up book on phobias.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 13th, 2010 at 5:00 am and is filed under blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.