We’ve talked endlessly about “the publication problem”; yet another contributor even referred to Overreaders Anonymous. Sure, using her hints to declutter is 1 way to proceed. You might even buy a typical bookcase. But we have got four creative methods and plenty of bizarre examples of odd “bookcases” that include some dazzle to those tomes. Let us dive in.
1. Consider a piece that is multipurpose. Coffee tables, beds, seats — all of them are just waiting for smart overreaders to rethink them alternatives to the bookcase.
By Way of Example, the Ofo. It virtually redefines what we mean when we call a chair a Lazy Boy. That’s because of the undulating chair, you are able to reach about for a publication. No getting up necessary. It comes in a variety of colors and is produced by Maria and Igor Solovyov, industrial designers in Belarus.
nobody&co
Bibliochaise
Produced in Milan with a duo whose difficulty may seem familiar — “Twelve years back, we lived in a small apartment full of novels but with nowhere to sit” — that the Bibliochaise solved their problem.
Available from SJ Studios in Santa Monica, California, the chair comes in a black or white finish with leather or cotton cushions in countless colors. And it’s on wheels. Thankfully. The name of the designers’ studio is Nobody&co; the chair is offered in Europe and Hong Kong.
lisafinster.com
This timber coffee table by San Francisco architect and furniture designer Lisa Finster is one smart multifunctional piece. This is the tabletop or, even if you would like to not have your book spines lose a competition to a glass of water, then it is the side (see next photograph).
If someone borrows a publication and does not return it, you’ll need to get another one with the same profile. The table is made from poplar, and Finster customizes each one.
Juniper Books
2. Convert empty spaces to book storage. Wherever you look, there’s air waiting to be stuffed. Or clogged with novels. However do it.
Intelligent points with this solution, from Thatcher Wine of Juniper Books at Boulder, Colorado. Thatcher is obsessed with finding solutions for many residential libraries (and hotels). Here he takes advantage of stairs.
Louise Lakier
Here we view the ceiling beams being used ingeniously. Another space that has been waiting to be stuffed. And directly at the kitchen a space not often considered for novels.
Brenda Olde
3. Forget the ho-hum shelf. No need to go straight-on rectangular or square. Use your imagination or use a product designer’s imagination to get a statement-piece bookshelf.
Here the bookcase frames stained glass along with a view.
The infamous Eyebrow House in the TV series Portlandia sports a space-age bookcase that blends into the stairs. Or is that a portal to the mothership?
Marco Antunio
Not only is this bookcase curved, but with the calming appearance of a color wheel, but it frames the wilderness beyond.
In the designers of this unusually named Ofo (first picture) comes the marginally less unexpectedly named Pinta. It’s possible to structure the modules into your own wall art.
Chris A Dorsey Photography
It is known as the Cloud Bookcase, but I receive more honeycomb from it. It is an Italian layout available at Hive Modern.
Contemporary
4. Turn the novels into art. Perhaps you just need the right coverings for your publications — and the right books to fulfill them. Juniper Books does many customized book sets with artful covers, but I’m partial to the old red, blue and white. This makes a library look patriotic.
More: Put a Mini Library on Your Front Yard | Read photos of home libraries