My wariness of decorative items — as mentioned in my last post — extends to books, which might be an unusual stance for someone with a master’s degree in Library & Information Science. But, having worked in three libraries, an illuminated manuscripts gallery and a rare books shop, I agree with the first law of library science (though I’m not sure it’s enforceable in any jurisdiction): Books are for use. Sure, they’re pretty, but without use, there is little inherit value. I got all preachy about this before our last move and streamlined our collection, trying to keep only the books that we love, would want to read or reference again, or would want to be able to loan to someone else. Maybe I’ll hoard books in the future when we’re homeowners, but as frequently-moving renters, a smaller library makes sense. Books are heavy, man.
Here’s what the bookcases looked like the last time you saw them:
And here’s what the bookcases look like these days:
I swapped out some houseplants, got a new stereo and moved the booze to a bar stand. I tried to style it up a bit, which isn’t my strong suit, but I’m really happy with the current look.
Sloane Leaning Bookcase – Crate & Barrel
HEKTAR – IKEA
Big Jambox – Jawbone
Rugby Stripe Bin – The Container Store
It seems like the EcoLogic Pots may no longer be manufactured, which is too bad because they’re awesome looking. I have them scattered throughout our apartment. Chicagoans can find them at Gethsemane; they’re pretty expensive on Amazon.
We’ve had these bookshelves for five years and they’ve held up really well. They’re available only in brown now; some similar white options are:
- Linea Leaning Bookcase – The Container Store
- Studio Wall Shelf – Pottery Barn
- White Five-tier Leaning Ladder Shelf – Overstock
The striped bin is perfect for hiding ugly board games and whatever else we want to toss in there, and the HEKTAR spotlights cast a really nice light in the evenings.
The Big Jambox was a splurge and well worth it. It’s plenty loud for our apartment and it connects wirelessly via Bluetooth with my iPhone and iMac and Jarrod’s iPad mini. It has a super long battery life, so we can move it to the kitchen or backyard for hours without a power cord.
See that electrical outlet on the floor to the right of the bookcase? That is some crazy stupid luck. I don’t know why it was placed there originally, but the location couldn’t be more ideal for this arrangement. All of the cords are hidden neatly behind the bookshelf.
Read any good books lately? Or read Emily Henderson’s blog and been driven crazy by the fact she doesn’t spell “cord” correctly?
