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7 Ways To Use Books As A Decorative Feature

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"A room without books is like a body without a soul", said prolific Ancient Roman philosopher and orator, Cicero. Nearly 1900 year later, this statement still rings true. The books in our homes speak volumes about us; our likes (present and past), our milestones, our good intentions – and guilty pleasures. And it’s not just the contents of their pages that make books worthy of a place in our already cluttered homes; most of us would agree that they bring a certain character and homely feeling to a space too. No matter whether you’re an ibooks convert, a coffee table tome collector, or a holiday pulp fiction reader, everybody has at least a few books at home, so rather than stuffing them into shelves or under the bed, show them off by making a decorative feature out of them instead. And if you still don’t see the beauty of books after reading this feature, then perhaps you need to look to the Marie Kondo school of decluttering and get rid. Of course, you’ll have to buy the bestselling book first to read up on how…

Colour code them

The holy grail of the modern day bookcase, arranging your books by colour is the ultimate in book porn. You may well end up scouring charity shops to find a book the perfect shade of orange for your ombre library, but who cares? If your reading material doesn’t stretch to the whole spectrum of colours, you could pick one colour and fade it into black or white too. #shelfie.

Photo: Hudson Interiors

Dress your coffee table

Make like a fashion editor and keep all of your favourite inspiration bibles at arm’s reach by arranging them neatly on your coffee table (largest at the bottom), then see how much more often you actually pick them up for a browse. Even if it’s only while the ad break runs during Gogglebox – that still counts as reading, right?

Photo: @evachen212

Stack them high

Wondering what on earth to do with that annoying narrow alcove in your flat? Fill it with a tower of books. A good way to stow your books without a trip to Ikea for a Billy bookcase, stacking books up makes use of vertical space where square footage is tight. Aside from practicalities, a free-standing stack of books also gives a relaxed feel to a space and creates levels for visual interest. Use them as a personalised nightstand or side table – as unique as you are.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF TRACEY AYTON/HOME ON THE RUNWAY.

Display them like art

Glossy coffee table tomes were made to be displayed, so what good is hiding them away on a shelf where nobody can see how cultured you are? Install a library-style book shelf or ledge and rotate your hoard to change up your reading list every now and then.

Photo: Stylizimo

Hide their spines

One for all the minimalists out there; turning books around on the shelf to hide their spines instantly unifies decades of random books into one chic looking shelf. The subtle variations between old faded pages and newer ones is a thing of beauty, but be warned – it’ll be a bitch trying to find something to read, so maybe just do this with books you’re not likely to want to read a second time over. The good news? Visitors to your place will never know you bought the 50 Shades trilogy.

Photo: Svenska Mäklarhuset

Paint them

Die-hard book lovers, look away now, as what we’re about to suggest might count as sacrilege to some. But, giving unwanted books a quick coat of paint or two gives them a whole new lease of life. Think of it as recycling! Once painted, you can create sculptural stacks or rows of them on your shelves.

Photo: Sanna & Sania

Fill your fireplace

Your fireplace may be out of action, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still be the focal point of your room. It’s surprising how much you can actually fit in there too, so filling top-to-bottom with books is practical as well as visually pleasing. It may even reignite your love of real books – after all, you can’t do this with a Kindle.

Photo: Ab Chao

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