Forever Hunting for the Perfect Bookshelves
Books as "decor," slowly phasing out IKEA Billy shelves, and recent small pleasures.
“In every room of the house there should be a desk and books. Books are the foremost ornament of a house. All the members of the family must feel that their home is always able to keep them entertained, and to this feeling books contribute most of all.”
These words were written by Carmen Sylva, the Queen of Romania, when she described her ideal home. I found the quote while reading Modern Swedish Design: Three Founding Texts, a book that has been on my list forever — specifically the text Beauty in the Home by Ellen Key. I have so much more to say about this text, so I’m excited to dive into that another time.
But first, happy November — and NYC Marathon Day! Last night, an art studio in the neighborhood was moving out and they had hundreds of art and design books to give away. Aaron and I picked up quite a few, which was amazing, but it also reminded me of my current storage issue: I desperately need more bookshelves. And coming home with another 30 books and having no shelf to put them on got me scurrying again to Facebook Marketplace and my favorite IG furniture pages.
I try not to rush things when it comes to furnishing my space. Sometimes you have to, though, because there’s no other option — which is why I still have a couple of IKEA Billy bookshelves. And as much as I love IKEA and the fact that they make beautiful, more affordable furniture, I’m ready for some new bookshelves that feel more aligned with the space I’m trying to create. A lot of vintage or designer bookshelves are sooo expensive though so I’m continuing to keep an eye out for good deals.
I currently have two bookshelves that I got from Good Behavior, one of my favorite accounts. They’re teak bookshelves, nicely made and pretty heavy (one of them is here below).
The books in my home are one of my favorite things. They make my home feel like *my* home. It makes my home feel warm and cozy. I always love seeing other people’s unique personal libraries, too. You can learn so much about someone by looking at their book collection!
In terms of storing books, I do think it should be functional, so although the look of stacked books is really nice, if the stack is too tall, or there are too many stacks, it loses functionality, and it becomes pretty difficult to browse through the books.
My Pinterest has been filled with stunning shelves lately, so I want to share some that are inspiring me.
Shelves That I’m Loving
1. 1960's George Nelson Walnut and Aluminum Shelving Wall Unit
The combination of wood and metal — absolutely love. It’s great when shelving units have various levels, drawers, and angles. It makes it really fun to style your books and knick-knacks.
2. Moebe Magazine Shelving Units
These shelving units are stunning and would be such a great way to show current favorite books and magazines.
I came across Casa Galvão, a residence in Lisbon, while looking for shelf inspo, and the ones that are built into the wall are just so nice. They seamlessly become part of the home.
4. Pier Library
So simple, so chic. I love the white and it just looks so crisp. It feels like you’re in a really nice design bookstore.
5. The media room in this LA home
To me, this is the perfect built-in shelf. Warm wood, floor-to-ceiling, comfy seats, and a ladder! The ladder just really makes it.
Small Pleasures Lately
Seeing La Cocina the other week. It’s from writer and director Alonso Ruizpalacios and it shows the life of restaurant workers (mostly immigrants from all over the world) and everything that goes on. I really enjoyed
’s article for Eater.
Seeing Rosemary’s Baby for the first time. It’s truly been on my list for as long as I can remember. I loved every bit of it — the colors, the clothing, the interiors in the movie, the plot. (I also love seeing bookshelves in movies. It’s another thing on my mind at the moment).
The bittersweet feeling of October ending. It always goes by too fast and I kind of hate that it was unusually warm this October. But November is another favorite month of mine, and I’m just so happy to see the leaves getting extra crunchy.
The Book Hook. Aaron designed this years ago during his time at SCAD, and we are currently working on improving it and bringing it back. It’s a little hook that acts as a bookmark for your book.
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i would definitely buy a book hook