To Build or Not to Build?

bookshelves

Which approach to bookshelves is right for you and your home?

Whether you’re a dedicated bibliophile or more of a cereal box reader, we can all agree that bookshelves bring a level of beauty and intrigue to any home. But if your home isn’t already graced with built-in bookshelves, what are your options? We take a look at three approaches: prefabricated, DIY, and fully custom.

Prefabricated

Krystle Perkins

Designer: Krystle Perkins

Instagram: @perkinsonparkway

When designer Krystle Perkins and her family moved into their current home, bookshelves were an absolute must for her husband Michael, an avid reader. (At the last count, his collection topped more than 2,000 books!) The shelving needed to be large, strong, durable, and, of course, stylish.

The beautiful soaring living room ceilings created an interesting design challenge. “Traditional built-in bookshelves would have felt too heavy and cut the space in half, visually,” explains Perkins. Instead, she searched for something that looked light, airy, and would essentially disappear. When she found the white wall-mounted bookcases from CB2, she knew they would be the perfect fit. The all-white, steel, powder-coated shelves almost appear to float.

For styling, she began with a few small decorative objects. She placed the books without a particular rhyme or reason just to get them out of their boxes, then sat with them for a bit. “All of the spines felt like they were competing with one another. It felt like chaotic energy,” describes Perkins.

bookshelves

Eager to push the envelope and try a very design-forward approach, she rotated all of the books with the pages facing out (pictured above). “My husband was not a fan,” laughs Perkins. “He found it offensive to the books themselves and he slowly began turning the books around one at a time. Within a couple of days they were all turned back around.”

For the third styling approach (pictured at right), they agreed to a compromise—the shelves would serve as a design focal point for the home, while still being usable as a library. Since they have another large bookshelf in their bedroom, Perkins was able to sort the books by color. “A full rainbow approach wouldn’t have worked with the overall color scheme of our home, and an ombre effect would have felt too formulating,” she shares. An unfussy mix of neutrals felt just right—whites, creams, grays, and blacks, along with muted blues, greens, and rust. She placed the colors in groups, drawing your eye up and around the shelves, keeping any one group from overpowering another. She stacked them vertically and horizontally to add dimension, then integrated home decor pieces to warm up the overall feel.

For the decorative objects, Perkins worked in sets of threes, placing them in geometric triangle shapes, being sure to leave enough negative space to allow the eye a visual resting place. The result is a layered, interesting, warm, and inviting space. “When I walk in it feels neutral, intentional…purposeful. I really like it, and so does Michael!”

bookshelves

Do-It-Yourself

Designer: Sanda Stojakovic

Instagram: @design.playbook

According to the IKEA, every five seconds a Billy bookshelf is sold somewhere in the world. Launched in 1979, it’s a perfect blank canvas, offering sturdiness, affordability, and endless possible configurations. You can use one or multiples, stack them side-by-side, and add doors and lighting.

Instagram designer Sanda Stojakovic decided to space four of the Billy bookshelves out, allowing for a glorious abundance of moldings in between and around them. A glance at Stojakovic’s popular Instagram feed reveals her love for saturated, vibrant colors mixed with a variety of patterns. Her intent for the library was no different: “I have been wanting to create a library on this 160 inch wall of emptiness for a year now. My goal was to go bold with color and patterns to strike a balance between formality and casual flair.”

This formal living room is the largest room in their Chicago home, yet without a dedicated purpose, it went unused. A busy family of four, “We needed a screen-free zone,” laughs Stojakovic. She drew up the design and her husband, Uros, who is in construction, helped her frame it out. They added junction boxes for the sconces, plus ornate moldings, shadow boxes, and wainscotting to the adjoining walls. “People often ask why we didn’t build it completely from scratch since he has the tools and the supplies, but purchasing the shelves was a much much cheaper and faster option,” explains Stojakovic.

With the foundation set, Stojakovic was able to focus on the design. For the color, she used Blueberry by Benjamin Moore in the Advance formula finish. “I wanted a color that would read a true blue no matter how gloomy the weather. This color definitely does that. It’s cozy, vibrant, and happy at all times throughout the day or evening.” The ceiling is coated in Ambrosia by Benjamin Moore, a warm peach that subtly speaks to the vintage French chairs and drapery fabric, sourced from Calico Corners.

To amp up the cozy factor, she chose a mix of traditional and modern lighting. A crystal chandelier and ornate ceiling medallion hover in the center of the room, while three unique black and gold tapered arm sconces from Crystorama add an edgy flare. The wallpaper, Cream Fan by Brewster Ruhlmann, balances the saturated color of the bookshelves and brings an art deco flare to the room. Pillows in shades of monochromatic blue and oversized artwork complete the room. Stojakovic shares her advice for choosing artwork: “We all try to follow certain design rules when decorating a space, but with art we should lead with our intuition and choose the piece that makes our heart flutter.”

Fully Custom

If you’re not comfortable with a hands-on DIY approach, fully custom may be your best bet. We recommend first considering how you’ll use the shelves—are they meant to store a large collection of books? Or do you envision them as a place to display decorative objects? A mix of both? Head to Pinterest or Instagram to gather ideas. What styles speak to you? Are they sparse, or full of interest? Do you prefer bright and light, or dark and moody? Will this be a space that you use primarily for yourself, or are there others in your household who will also enjoy it?

The next step is contacting a local designer or contractor who will conduct an initial meeting to asses your needs and take measurements. If you are working with a designer, they will guide you through a design presentation and approval stage, helping to determine the style (traditional vs. modern), size, height, color, and extra features like integrated lighting or a library ladder. If you are working with a contractor, you will need to decide on these specifics, being sure to clearly communicate them before the building begins.

Australia-based firm Davicon Group is a full-service custom home builder who works with their clients through the entire process. We are swooning over a recent bookshelf they completed that encompasses shelving, a television, and even an air ventilation system. The integrated lighting adds depth and drama, elevating the entire project.

To bring all of your wildest library dreams to life, a library ladder is a must. We love the warmth this wood ladder brings to Maureen Callahan-Wing’s home in Upstate New York. Callahan-Wing is a collector and seller of vintage Penguin books in her Etsy shop, FinePreserversBooks. Her cat Gustav (pictured at right), has decided that the ladder is the most desirable seat in the house! See more of her library and her cats on her Instagram account, @finepreserversbooks.

We shared this Bookshelf article with you in the Fall/Winter 2021 issue of NEST Magazine. To view the full issue, click here

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Posted in Asheville, Charlottesville, Fall/Winter 2021, Fredericksburg, Greater Louisville, Greensboro, Greenville, Jackson, Lake Norman, Morganton, NEST Magazine, New River Valley, Raleigh-Durham, Richmond, Roanoke, Shenandoah Valley, Wilmington
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1 Comment

One Response to “To Build or Not to Build?”

  • 4seasonsrealtyfl

    Written on

    Thank you Krystle and Sanda. You just shared these ideas that are helpful in organizing books at home. Either you can have bookshelves like these or just scattered them at home.

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