Creating Space For Book Storage In Your Home
As a professional organizer + interior designer, I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you that the best book storage solution for your home is to go completely digital, with Kindle or iBooks. No, I’m kidding *wink* I promise I’m not telling you to get rid of all your books.
To be fair, John’s an avid bookworm + while he’s mainly devouring digital books these days, our home library is something we take great pride in curating and thoughtfully displaying throughout our home.
In other words, I’m well aware that nixing those paperbacks for digital books is sacrilegious :)
Sure, I could shower you with a binge-worthy round-up of book storage ideas –– from creative nooks in someone else's home to long, lustrous hallways + elegant floating shelves –– but this would only leave you scratching your head + thinking “well, that’s a cool idea... but unless I cut open the space beneath my stairs I don’t really have any storage cubbies nor do I have a long enough hallway that displaying books on feels like a good idea.”
So you ask, what could I possibly be talking about as it relates to creating space for book storage in your home?
Welp... the organizer in me says, great question! Let's dig a little deeper + explore why so many people struggle when it comes to finding a place for all those books to live?
When it comes to books, there’s a huge misconception, (especially when it comes to storing them) that leads to having oodles of books in our homes. Many of which we’ll never read again. However, the moment we muster up the courage to part ways, an odious sense of guilt washes over us. It’s like clockwork.
And for some people, that sense of shame runs deeper + resonates on a much more personal level –– which is why I’m 100% in your corner. Whether you realize it or not, when it comes to those dusty old pages, there’s something bigger at play. Take for instance, a book that was given to you as a gift that someone even went so far as to write you a sweet note. Or what about that time you stood in line for hours waiting to have it signed by the author?
When it comes to books, we have inherent attachments. However we also harbor an overwhelming societal guilt that’s deeply embedded into this lil’ love-hate game we play with our paperbacks. If we let go of + don’t want to keep “all of these books” –– what does that say about us? That we don’t value knowledge or books anymore?
Nope, not all.
In fact, what we’re tackling today is the process of editing our books. Figuring out what books to keep versus which ones to get rid of. Identifying whether our books should be displayed or stowed away + then we’re laying the groundwork to help you figure out how the heck to go about doing it all.
And friend, if you get to the end of all this ooey-gooey-organizing-goodness + find that you’re still in need of help — let’s chat.
ERASING THE BOX
When it comes to our homes + getting organized we often fail to think outside of the box, because we’re stuck in it. In fact, Sean Lowe, a great friend + mentor of ours, takes it a step further by saying, “don’t think outside the box –– erase it.”
Being the yogi-loving, life-long learner that I am, I’m all ears because this different way of thinking aligns itself perfectly with the core philosophy at Elegant Simplicity. It’s where the life-long journey of every single organizing project begins — with a fresh + new belief system around the items we hold onto in our homes.
So go on boo, erase right now, that negative self-talk + all of those old belief systems that you’ve been holding on to for years.
Things like…
“I’ll just stick this over here because...I might need it later.”
“I can’t get rid of this because... someone I really care about gave it to me as a gift.”
“It was really expensive…”
“Let me hang on to this a bit longer… someday my kids will want it.”
Sound familiar? These are what I often refer to as moments of guilt, when our guilty conscience is rearing its ugly head + causes us to use questionable judgement. Pay close attention, as you move through the process of organizing your books. Listen for these sneaky moments to bubble to surface because I promise, they’ll reappear over and over again.
By now you’re probably wondering, what happens...if we’ve erased our old belief systems about decluttering + getting organized then what is our new one? I’m glad you asked, friend.
Curating a home with intentionality.
In other words, think of the entire process of organizing as a lifelong journey of keeping only things that you love + that inspire you while continuously ridding your home (+ your life) of the things you no longer want or need.
Sounds amazing doesn’t it?
It is. But let's dive into how it plays out with book storage.
WHICH BOOKS TO KEEP VS. GET RID OF
If you have a lot of books (and with that smart little noggin resting atop your shoulders, I’m guessing that you do) then the question arises which should you keep + which of them should you get rid of? You’re standing there looking at all your books + saying, “Sherri, that’s a difficult question. How could I possibly decide which ones to keep — I love them all.”
I don’t disagree with you because it’s definitely a challenge. But ask yourself a few questions:
When was the last time you read it? Did you love it when you did?
If your response is never or I don’t know. Put it in the pile of things to get rid of.
If your response was idk...a while ago but yes, you enjoyed it, put it in the lets keep it pile.
Do you think you’ll read it again? Why?
If you honestly think you’ll read it again, then maybe it's a keeper.
But I want you to challenge yourself. Answer the question, why would you want to read it again? Did you find something in it valuable enough that warrants your future self spending time re-reading it? If so, it should go in the keep pile, but, if it you can’t see it exciting or inspiring you again, put it in the get rid of pile.
For what reason am I apprehensive to letting it go?
As you progress through your book collection, either as you process what to do with a single book or as you look over at the get rid of pile you may begin to feel a sense of apprehension for letting all these wonderful books go.
What I want you to know is that if there’s one, two, three or even four books that you put into the let go pile that you truly want to keep — go for it.
However if you find that you’re reaching to retrieve something from your let it go pile, I want you to question why. Why do you feel this way? What is holding you back from letting it go because if it truly is of value to you, you’ll be able to articulate your apprehension.
If you did get rid of it, could it be replaced?
The final question that I want you to ask yourself is — If I did get rid of it, could it easily be replaced? With the exception of a rare edition of a book, replacing a book down the road when you actually need it, isn't difficult. So in the present moment, I want you to weigh the pro’s + con’s of each outcome. And I think you’ll be surprised at what you uncover.
DISPLAYING BOOKS
Our book organizational system is truly fabulous so if you have a home library and you’re trying to figure out exactly the best way to organize it, set it up + keep the order long term let’s definitely chat.
Give Some Priority
As interior designers, when we think about styling bookcases, coffee tables, end tables, or heck just about any surface we’re always on the hunt for great books that are large, have a unique cover, and tell a story by their title. One excellent way to display the books you’ve decided to keep is to give some of them priority. Pair them alongside a yummy floral arrangement, style them on the coffee table or dress up your built-in cabinetry by simply investing in a pair of decorative bookends.
The Usual
When it comes to organizing your books, we often recommend doing the usual. Consider organizing them alphabetically by title, author, genre or subject. This way, you always know exactly where to find that one particular book you’re searching for. Plus, it makes it really easy for anyone else who wants to help maintain your organizing system.
Make A Colorful Statement
If organizing by title, author or genre is too elementary, boring or basic for you + you’re going for more of a visual impact— consider making a bold statement by displaying them by color.
All the yellow books on one shelf, the blue books on another and so forth. Since our philosophy at home is always function over aesthetic, why would we recommend this? Because it’s a great way to store books that you won't access very often. If they’re important enough to keep then lets display them in some way even if they’re the books you might otherwise have stored them in a closed cabinet or in your garage.
Kids Books
One of the best ways to ensure your kids read is to make their book collection visually interesting. Whether it’s in the playroom or their bedroom, we love to display kid’s books right alongside toys. By creating a little reading nook it helps to encourage our little bookworms to reach for a book instead of their latest + greatest collection of toys.
When it comes to your home, it’s important to remember that organizing is a life-long journey + that being organized isn’t a final destination we one day arrive at. There’s no finish line for us to cross that says we’re done. Boo, we don’t get to magically wake up one day + say phew I made it... I’m completely organized + now I can kick back, soak it all in + enjoy it being organized without ever lifting a finger.
Nope. Organizing takes time, it requires discipline + if you want to relish in your organizing bliss for years to come, you need to be in it for the long-haul.
And that’s exactly why 99% of people who live with clutter, despite being completely capable of having an organized home, never get there or get there and find themselves disorganized all over again.
Their beliefs around decluttering + getting organized are that you can “set it + forget it.”
But that’s simply untrue. Is anything in life (other than a rotisserie chicken) once and for all? No, our lives are busy, complex and our circumstances are forever evolving.
So, organizing once and for all is a broken belief system. In fact, a great organizing system, a beautifully functional home is designed + organized to be used. And it’s going to fall out of order.
Real talk boo? We’re all a bit disorganized. And many of us have stuff we’re holding onto that no longer serves us or our family (psst… even books *wink*).
Remember, organizing is a life-long journey. An on-going process without any bookends. But don’t get it twisted, I’m not asking or expecting you to go about you daily routines while also to maintaining an elaborate + exhausting organizing system. But what I do want to point out is that our current belief system of “once and for all” needs to change.
In order to remove the disorganized + to rid ourselves of any cluttered chaos, we must first learn to look at your home as a place you never want to leave. Getting rid of unnecessary stuff + being organized can’t be viewed as a final destination but rather a lifelong journey that we’re willing + capable of embracing because we know (without a doubt) that a beautiful, functional + forgiving home transforms us into the best versions of who we want to become.
If you love this — get ready to do another happy dance for our FREE Video Course: 4 Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home. And, if you’re wanting to dive even deeper into the world of organizing or design — let’s chat.