J. Crew is Flipping Out

I keep spotting backwards books. How about these displays at J. Crew?

Photos taken with my iPhone

I'd planned to do a little bookshelf flip myself, but (sigh) it's something that was put off in these last few busy weeks. And, let's be honest. Today I'm going to immerse myself in the new Rue!

PB is Flipping Out Too

My Mom sent me this link in an email, saying, "look at the books above the bed!"

Handsomely styled, Pottery Barn- and nice catch, Mom! Everywhere I look, it's backwards books. It's a sign- today I'm going to turn my library around.

Reversing Our Books (Again?)

This weekend I scored a copy of San Francisco Style for only $5.99 (hurrah!), and amongst its glossy pages I found the home of Oly & Ironies co-mastermind Brad Huntzinger. If I were one notch creepier I'd be combing the Oakland Hills and peering in windows to see the interior of his house for myself- really, it's that good.

I was particularly in awe of this little library bedroom. It's a snug reading nook, but feels calming and airy- thanks in large part to the unorthodox spine-in shelving. Can you imagine how claustrophobic this room would be if the books were right-way-out? Can you imagine trying to enjoy a passage of delicate prose with Tolstoy, Milton and some crime drama breathing down your neck? (Hypothetically, of course...)

Photograph by David Duncan Livingston, Scanned by Shock the Bourgeois

This concept isn't anything new for me. Just last week Sara of The Steampunk Home shared my own spine-in shelving experiment on her blog (thanks to Sara and her readers for such a great discussion!). 

You can see the full original post here.

My original reverse-shelving trial was staged in our old Wallingford apartment, and since then several things have changed. We've moved to a smaller apartment in Berkeley, we now have an entire wall of our living room devoted to our library, and we have more books. If our collection was colorful and distracting before, it's a cacophonous disaster now. I'm thinking that I'm going to take a page out of Mr. Huntzinger's book: round two is in order. 

Thoughts?

Summing Up My Style

Ally at From the Right Bank is holding another round of "What's Your Style in One Picture." I decided I was up for the challenge this time around. 

Image Courtesy of Domino Magazine

I spent an evening searching through my image archives (and doing a bit of soul searching as well), and I kept coming back to this library. Books will always be a focal point of my design aesthetic, and I dream of showcasing mine in a soaring bookcase like this one. Isn't this the perfect reading room? A tufted leather sofa to recline on, the crisp daylight to illuminate each new page, the expansive white palette to fill with imaginings. I love the classic bones of this salon, and the cheeky details- the stately bust, the diminutive topiary, the sly bar set-up, the rat in the glass case! My style precisely.

Too much fun- thanks Ally!

Feeling Bookish

I like to observe weekly rituals- just little things to add structure to my life, to help me mark the passing of time. The flea on Sunday, the flower stand on Wednesday, the farmer's market on Thursday. All romanticism aside, it's nice to have a reason to leave the house!

Starting today, I'm instituting library Friday. 

Images Courtesy of Anthropologie, Scanned by ShocktheBourgeois

Any recommendations for my Summer reading list?

Dare to Dream: A Room to Furnish with Books

This weekend Third Place Books was having a 20% off sale, which I used as an excuse to spend 100% more than I budgeted on some new design tomes for my collection (c'mon, they were on sale!). Matilda and I nestled in with a pile of literature and purred at all the pretty pictures- that's what I call a holiday.

Our favorite? A design book about books in design. A biblio-file for a bibliophile? 

Whatever it is, here it is:

Books Do Furnish A Room by Leslie Geddes-Brown showcases the integration of books into homes. Grand libraries, teetering stacks of text, bizarre modern-art bookcases, books shoved wherever they'd fit. Like or dislike, each image was a guilty pleasure: such fun to put together an imagining of the reader based on their collection and the manner of its display!

And my favorite image? 

The library in the county home of Stephen Sills & James Huniford in Bedford, New York.

I always think of myself as preferring a dusky nook for reading, but this crisp white page of a room makes a convincing argument to the contrary. Where might one find a skeletal lobster for her cabinet of curiosities? Also, my library will never be complete without that magical ladder (even though my bookcases are only 6' tall). Someday, a real library- ah, dare to dream.

Decorating for Two: Battle of the Sexes

You live with someone for four years, you think you know them, and then one day the truth comes out: they have a design aesthetic, and it's not quite the same as yours.  

The fact that Adam has his own taste is a shocking revelation for me. Call me oblivious, but all these years he's never voiced an opinion! It's amazing how the give and take of a relationship works- he gave me total sovereignty over our shared abode, I pretended to enjoy watching televised poker tournaments (sorry to finally break it to you, Adam). Those days are over though. From now on we're going to be watching a lot more Project Runway and Adam's been promoted to design consultant.

Last night we held design summit with the help of Skype screen sharing, and Adam worked on his visual vocabulary. And boy, did he ever. He had a lot to say- both about what he likes, and what I like (that he doesn't). I may have created a monster, but I asked for it (and I probably had this coming after I threw away his Bob Marley and Scarface posters).

He responded to this bedroom immediately- the stormy walls, the majestic dark wood bed, the fireplace. He even knew what style of chandelier that was (making me look like a total fool). I was intimidated by this pick, as it seems more formal than our budget and pocket apartment can provide. What I have to learn from this is that I do need to decorate to accommodate my 6'7" fellow, and that I should think twice before painting over wood furniture.

Image Source Unknown

We were in complete agreement about these two rooms.  He liked the wood floors and architectural details, I am very into that table and chandelier. Very.

Images Courtesy of Unknown, Anna Wolf via Dwellings & Decor

These are a couple of my favorites that he stuck up his nose at (I saw you Adam, video chat!).  He hates having furniture floating in the room like this round table, instead preferring to have everything anchored to a wall.  As for the second image (the one that's been on my Berkeley apartment mood board)... the color scheme was vetoed firmly.  Good thing I hadn't bought any lavender paint yet, argh!

Images Credits Unknown

Adam had very strong notions about organizing- stacked and visible. In Adam's world if you put something in a cabinet and close the door... it no longer exists (which makes hiding Christmas presents a snap in our household). He repeatedly pointed out neat images of kitchens and craft rooms with open shelving, many of which had a sophisticated mercantile feel.

I'm all over this, as long as we pick out beautiful furniture and showcase our things in a pleasing way!

Images Credits Unknown

Conceptually, we both love this first image. In real life, we have neither the private property or the self-confidence for a bathroom like that! Thinking more practically, Adam chose images of bathrooms with deep double sinks, large and tall mirrors, exposed pipes, basket storage, and patterned hex tile flooring. That's my kinda man!

Image Credits Unknown

Adam shares my love of curiosities, but we didn't see eye to eye when it came to display. While I prefer a more naturally staged approach (like Mr. Puffin there), Adam liked seeing the objects laid out in the glass case. I guess that's a scientist for you.

Image Courtesy of Spagat, AT

Remember this stunning loft that I mentioned yesterday? He liked it too- except for the drapes, calling them "too feminine." I'm in disbelief here. I suppose he's not a fan of these either?

Image Courtesy of Loft Life Blog

Many of my favorite homes have a fairy tale quality to them. Stone buildings with peaked roofs, all swallowed up in vines. Mazes of nooks furnished with mismatched antiques, and lots to be discovered. It was a dream come true that Adam picked out these images as HIS favorites as well! He didn't even bat an eye at the floral mural in that odd green room, acknowledging that it just added to the charm.

Image Credits Unknown

One of the most important design decisions we'll make together will be about how to store and display our rather large library. I'm afraid this could be a point of contention. Adam liked grid shelving, pointing out every room with an Expedit unit (very subtle hint, boyfriend). He noted how this bookcase made from crates combined rustic and geometric elements that he favored. On the other hand, I prefer floor to ceiling bookcases with a little more drama... 

Images Courtesy of Unknown, Domino Magazine

This is a very broad and eclectic spread- it's going to be fun to help him narrow down his vision and start blending it with mine! I'm envisioning a major decor purge as soon as I move. Perhaps he'll wish he'd kept his mouth shut when I've turned the house upside down? Heh heh.

What do you all think of Adam's first dip into the image pool? Is this something you'd consider doing with your partner or spouse? Any design professionals out there who want to chime in? I'd love to know how you help your clients define their personal style- your techniques might come in handy here!

In Limbo

Moving has just gotten as real as can be: on Monday we watched all of our earthly possessions rumble away on a truck. I anticipate being tense and worried until I'm reunited with my things on the 21st.

Okay. Nothing. Move.

For now we're squatting in our empty apartment, subsisting on take-out food, two suitcases, a twin-sized bed, and a 10" television manufactured in 1988. I take it back: this is as surreal as can be!

This apartment and this beautiful neighborhood will always be a fond memory for me- our little urban Eden where we were so happy. Our prelapsarian flat:

Our ever-changing decor, and our beloved curiosities.

The newest addition to our dining room, an Ikea Granemo cabinet.

The glass sliding doors are an excellent preventative measure against our feline saboteur.

Foiled again, eh Matilda?

Our living room, featuring a petite sofa from Former Furniture.

Our bathroom, staged for relaxation.

The best seat in the house: our sunporch, overlooking a lovely park.

In Memoriam, Our Wallingford Apartment

Decorating by the Book. Or... Not.

I am not so good at packing. A normal person puts their belongings in a cardboard box, seals it up, and moves on to the next. I, on the other hand, put one item in a cardboard box, suddenly recall details about how I acquired said item, and spend several hours in pleasant reminiscence. Utterly hopeless.

For this move, I've decided to pack up books first. This is no small feat, as books (by mass) comprise a considerable percentage of our belongings. It's also rather difficult for me to resist reading as I go. I've stayed pretty strong on that front, but I couldn't help goofing off just a little bit...

A while back an Apartment Therapy blogger presented a trend in book display that piqued my interest. Don't worry- I'm not talking about color-coding!

I'm talking about shelving books with the spine in.

Image from Crooked House

As you can probably imagine, the comments on this post were, well... "not enthusiastic." I was sort of ashamed to admit it, but I was tempted by the dark side- in this case, the non-spine side!

We have a ton of books. While we love every last word of each of them, we don't love every cover. It's difficult to integrate them into our decor- our bookshelves seem to dominate the room with color and weight.

These shelves represent about half of our library.

So, on a whim, I decided to flip em'.

The picture-perfect results.

As you can see, I went about halfway. I left all of my treasured Everyman's Library tomes right-side-out, but anything that was shabby, neon, or not frequently re-read got the flip. This allowed me to showcase my love of books without sacrificing my color scheme. The occasional visible volume served as a reference point for the alphabetical order. I noticed that the variance of thicknesses and the shades of cream and white made a beautiful backdrop- it was easy to add a few more artifacts without the shelves feeling cluttered. As a whole, everything looked softer, and blended so much better with the muted tones of my living room.

Would I execute this design more permanently? I'm not sure. I loved the visual effect, and honestly- I didn't find it to be terribly impractical. Then again, I know my book collection backwards and forwards. I don't need to see a cover to know a book!

My verdict? Don't judge a book by its cover. I'm talking to you, AT community. Creative book displays don't indicate that the owner "never reads," or "doesn't need them."

Thoughts?

Suffering from a Touch of Recession Depression

I'm thrifty. I live for the thrill of bargain hunting. I cackle gleefully as my pennies accumulate. And when I do splurge on something, I generally make up for it by trimming back on other expenses (usually the unimportant stuff, like, say... "food").  

However, as much as I pride myself on maintaining a strict budget and planning for the future, responsibility can be a pain in the ass. For example: gritting my teeth and using my tax return to supplement student loan payments instead of "stimulating the economy." Let me tell you- if I had this kind of willpower at the gym, I would be a much thinner Lizzie. *grumble*

So, in today's "doomed to wishful thinking" spirit, here's a Room Design that's also a Dare to Dream. If I decided not to pay the bills and redecorated my living room instead, it would look something like this:

Educated Decisions

Put a Vintage Twist on Storage

 

Antique Library Card File ($850.00, Craig's List) + Well-Traveled Steamer Trunk ($50.00, Craig's List)

Sink into Something Soft

 

Lovely Tufted Velvet Sofa ($400.00, Craig's List) + Sophisticated Black Velvet Pillow ($32.95, Crate & Barrel)

Help Yourself to Some Refreshments

 

Black Balloon Wine Glasses (6 for $29.99, Target) +  Pedestal Serving Bowl ($23.99, Target) 

Keep Things Polished with Chrome

 

MCM Eames "Laurel" Floor Lamp ($175.00, Craig's List) + Shining Serving Tray ($39.99, Target)

Take Notes

 

Salvaged "Hardware" Frame with chalkboard paint ($15.00, Craig's List) + Industrial Chic Wrought Iron Easel ($17.95, Crate & Barrel)

Achieve Studied Style

Pom Pom Chestnut Branches ($16.95 each, Crate & Barrel) + Test Tube Vase ($29.99, Target) + Black Globe ($39.95, Crate & Barrel)

Anyone want to give my living room a $2,000 bail-out?