Often, the secret to creating a room that warms your heart and comforts your soul is no secret at all. A single item you own and love can jump-start a style. For Gwen and Jim Williams of Homewood, Alabama, the inspiration they needed was already in their very bare family room.
Hatching a Plan
"We wanted a place where we could sit down, curl up with a book, or listen to our girls play the piano," Gwen says. The couple
asked decorator Sandra Lynn to let only two things guide the room's new decor: a glossy grand piano and a treasured portrait
of their three daughters sitting at that piano. They also asked Sandra to design a floor-to-ceiling bookcase.
The couple got their wish. Watch how this room went from boring to welcoming without a hitch.
A Book-Lover's Dream
When Sandra prepared a budget for Jim and Gwen , she asked how much money they'd like to spend on books. A custom bookcase
was going to span one wall and range in height from 12 feet on each end to 14 feet high at its peak; Sandra would need plenty
of tomes to fill the shelves.
Jim and Gwen just looked at her questioningly, the way any self-respecting book-lovers would. "We had boxes of books scattered from our attic to my mom's basement," Gwen says. "We both love to read."
On display, the books are like works of art. Designed by Sandra, with the help of carpenter Steven Coletta, the shelves echo the majestic windows on the opposite wall.
DECORATING BY THE BOOK
Here are a few ideas for turning your tired bookshelves into a true focal point.
- Begin with empty bookshelves. Start your arrangement on the shelf that is closest to eye level.
- Rather than lining up all of your books side by side, stack some horizontally.
- If a book has a beautiful cover you'd like to display, lean it at an angle or set it on a small easel. Tip: Valuable books should be shelved vertically to put less strain on the bindings and keep them in their best condition.
- Group your collection by similar color and size.
- Arrange accessories in odd numbers.
- Use a stack of books to add height to a decorative item.
- Leave empty space. Every inch of the bookshelf does not have to be filled.
- Bring the books forward to the edge of the shelf instead of pushing them against the back.
- Loading comments...
