These shelves easily become a catch-all place! They clutter up so badly! I took just about everything off and started over. You know what? I have a lot of books. Like, a lot a lot of books.
Things were not looking too pretty at this point! I figured out what I wanted to go back on the shelf, purged out a few of the books to donate, and then pulled out the shelf from the wall and cleaned behind it good. After dusting off the shelves, I was ready to do some organizing...but first, a prettification was in order!
As you can see in the last picture, I used cereal boxes to boost up some smaller books in the back, allowing me to have two rows of books on that shelf while still being able to see each selection. I had gotten a little tired, however, of staring at the Nutrition Facts! I grabbed some pretty paper that would tie in with my color scheme for the room (purple, and this has pops of greens which I love) and covered the boxes.
Then they were ready to be filled! I love the pop of color that ties in with the rest of the room, and you'd never know they were old cereal boxes!
When I added the front row of books, I left a gap so that I can still see that pretty paper. :)
That wasn't the only pretty addition I wanted to make, however. On top of the bookshelf is a small caddy of drawers that holds various office supplies like paper clips, stapler, etc. I grabbed some more pretty paper and lined the drawers!
The colors exactly match the paper I used on the cereal boxes, ohhappyday, but the stripes and dots give even more visual appeal. I just traced one of the drawers on the back of my paper, trimmed it down to size, and popped it in! I probably should have covered the paper with a protectant such as a spray sealer, but I didn't take the time for that. We'll see how they hold up!
Easy peasy lemon squeezy! Are you ready for the after?
Its not an outrageously glamorous project, but it makes a huge difference when the area looks neater and less cluttered. I also tried to "face" the books, or keep them close to the front edge of the shelf so I will be less tempted to shove junk there. :) Oh, and did you notice some of my cute tins that I mentioned in this post? Yup, they are on display there, too. I love how this shelf came out - I had just a few books that I needed to put in front, so I made it a neat 3 layer-type of effect:
I am loving the change it makes in my small space, as well as the pops of color I've been able to include! I have big plans for these shelves, once it is warm enough to take it outside and do some work to it, so we will see how this space evolves over the next few months! For now, I am just going to smile at the colorful changes and go read a book.
How do you work to add color and life to otherwise "normal" or "boring" areas? Have you been "prettifying" anything lately? Whose ready for the colors and smells of spring? I am!
Oh the double row of books is such a cool idea! I hate when my books aren't deep enough for the shelves! Great solution!
ReplyDeleteThanks! It does make it a little bit inconvenient to reach the books in the back, but its better than having to box up the books that don't fit on the shelf. Thanks for commenting!
DeleteUsing cereal boxes to prop up a second row of books a very clever idea! I have several shelves that could benefit from that. :) Your after pictures look great!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Vida! It sure is an inexpensive fix!
DeleteGreat idea with the book propping to make a second row on one shelf. I might have to steal that idea. My books on my bookshelves seem to reproduce when I'm not looking. But I love donating to the local library. It helps them out, and clears out my shelves!
ReplyDeleteJeanette
Ooh, I love the idea of donating to a local library! Superb!
DeleteThanks for visiting! Hope you come again! =)
ReplyDeleteThat is such a great before and after story, and I really love that you lined the drawers with pretty paper!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for linking up and sharing!
xoxo,
Jen
Thank YOU for all the inspiration! =)
DeleteThat's quite the makeover!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Oh, and you have a great name ;)
DeleteDon't your cereal boxes get smashed down under the weight of the books? That's what I would be worried about. Great idea, though! Where do you get the pretty paper?
ReplyDeleteSometimes they do in the middle, but I generally put smaller/lighter books on the boxes so that doesn't happen. You could also put a smaller box in a larger one for more support!
DeleteThe paper is just scrapbook paper from Walmart. It actually wasn't big enough to cover the whole box...but that is ok, the whole box doesn't show. {wink!} =)
My built-in shelves (fives stacks of shelves 24" deep, 25" high and between 36" and 48" wide for a total of 72 linear feet) over two separate rooms unfortunately invite ephemera to be stored there, keys, wallet, phones, etc. They definitely hold a lot of books, but the books don't make the best use of the volume on their own. And there is that decorator recommendation that you have a third books, a third dust-catchers and a third white space. The open shelves in my studio (38 of the 72 ft) will be used for craft storage by way of fabric covered boxes, but the rest are in the family room. I use the height by stacking some of my books horizontally, shelving some the standard way, some stacked two or three high with another group standing on top of them. Some of the horizontal stacks then hold part of my glass collection, which I layer back to front in some cases to use up some volume and make the look less library-like and more random, but still balanced. I have to remind myself all the time that even though the two sets of shelves are on either side of the fireplace, a very symmetrical arrangement, the contents of the shelves do not need, or even want to be symmetrical. Nicole, I'm reminiscing over your book collection; I have many of the same well-loved books from my childhood: Misty of Chincoteague, Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew, and I think I might have caught a couple of antiques by Laura Lee Hope? We might be sisters. :-)
ReplyDelete