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Did you ever visit people who have beautiful, built-in bookcases that are COMPLETELY EMPTY??? :svengo:

 

Is it really possible that some people choose to have no books? Gasp!

 

We've recently been to several houses, in well to-do neighborhoods, with beautiful built-in bookcases, completely empty of books. A few had knick-knacks or framed photos or both, or maybe a trophy book of some sort.

 

I'm I the only one who considers this kind of strange?

 

I'm hoping they are truly avid readers, who donated all their gorgeous books to the library for the upcoming book sale, and are now really into their Kindles. :D

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Did you ever visit people who have beautiful, built-in bookcases that are COMPLETELY EMPTY??? :svengo:

 

Is it really possible that some people choose to have no books? Gasp!

 

We've recently been to several houses, in well to-do neighborhoods, with beautiful built-in bookcases, completely empty of books. A few had knick-knacks or framed photos or both, or maybe a trophy book of some sort.

 

I'm I the only one who considers this kind of strange?

 

I'm hoping they are truly avid readers, who donated all their gorgeous books to the library for the upcoming book sale, and are now really into their Kindles. :D

 

Maybe they just don't like people knowing what books they own so they hide them under their beds.:D

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What is even stranger is going into another homeschooler's house and see no books anywhere, unless you count text books. There wasn't even a bookcase to be seen anywhere. No books lying around, nothing. That was truly bizarre for me.

 

You might have seen that when we first moved to this house a few years back.

 

We had been so overwhelmed with books in our previous tiny house that I banished to vast majority of them to the basement. The living room was to be a peaceful haven from clutter. And yes, books can be clutter.

 

Now, however, they're coming back. It started with the everyday reference books, then the few nice and expensive editions I wanted to show off...We're not overwhelmed upstairs yet though.

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You might have seen that when we first moved to this house a few years back.

 

We had been so overwhelmed with books in our previous tiny house that I banished to vast majority of them to the basement. The living room was to be a peaceful haven from clutter. And yes, books can be clutter.

 

Now, however, they're coming back. It started with the everyday reference books, then the few nice and expensive editions I wanted to show off...We're not overwhelmed upstairs yet though.

 

This, I can understand. We have a dozen or so bookcases in the basement, too. :) But if you had a living room AND a study (or family room) with gorgeous built-in bookcases???

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We have very few bookcases and they mostly contain either board games or our shifting supply of library books. We did have lots and lots of books. But they are visually overwhelming for me. I need a calm place to be and all those books were not calming.

 

I like the look of empty shelves. I find the visual silence peaceful.

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A recent visitor to my house suggested that I put our books on a shelf in another room and use our built-ins to display knickknacks. :001_huh:

 

My sister said the same thing when she was giving me unsolicited "decorating advice." When I told her that we didn't have room and that I had already done a major cull, she said that I could make an alcove for my business in the corner and face the bookshelves away from the living room. That way I could hand some artwork on the back of the bookshelves. Huh? I think my books are decoration in and of themselves. And so does Ikea if you look at their catalog.

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yeah that's strange. Our entryway is a full room, and there's not enough wall space to use it for anything, because it has doorways off of it on the sides, so it was dead space for years. Then my husband built me a huge set of built in bookshelves on the back wall, with a counter and cupboards underneath, so it's the first thing you see when you walk in our front door. It's loaded with books, so I love to hear people's reactions when they first walk in our door. I've always been surrounded by books so it doesn't seem strange to me to have hundreds of books right in my main living area. But judging by the reactions I get, it's unusual :D And I have all of my school books color-coded so I love having those out to show off to other homeschoolers who I know can appreciate the work I put into it :D

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Decorators, friends, neighbors - whoever these people are who advise other people on what to put on their shelves (knick-knack, book or otherwise) are living in a dream world inspired by HGTV and BH&G.

 

Most of us live in our houses - we didn't buy them to stage for the world to admire - we actually live in them. Yes, no clutter is visually appealing - if you need that for the sake of sanity then visit an Ethan Allen store from time to time. In your own house, put the books on the shelves - no guilt required.

 

I think this whole granite countertop, stainless steel appliances, books as decorations, fresh flowers in the entry way, house obsession is akin to the airbrushed, skinnier than a pencil fashion model/actress complex. They are both equally unrealistic and, imo, unhealthy. Home is where we should be able to relax - not feel like we are being filmed 24/7.

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Are these houses for sale? I seem to remember hearing somewhere that if you are trying to sell your houses you should take out a lot of books.

 

We turned our living room into a family study -- big library table for us, big classroom table for the kids, walls lined with books -- but I'm pretty sure that if we put the house on the market we'd take out most of it and rent furniture or something to make it look less idiosyncratic.

 

ETA: That said, when we were looking for a house here all the houses had loads of books. It's an academic neighborhood and built-in bookshelves are a big selling point :)

Edited by JennyD
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In my neighborhood that is totally normal! My MIL, SIL, and neighbor all have huge entertainment centers with shelves on both sides and over the top. The electronic stuff fits in the cabinets underneath the TV. So what would I do with the shelves? Fill them with books, of course!

 

No. The only "books" are photo albums. :001_huh: Framed pictures, knick-knacks, vases, trophies, sports memorabilia ... but NO BOOKS.

 

These are people with children (or grandchildren). In my SIL's house there is ONE shelf with books. A side table in the family room has shelves underneath and ONE shelf holds books, two high school yearbooks and ALL the kids' books. My MIL has six (SIX!) board books in her magazine rack. Those are the only books I can find in the whole house except for the Bible on her dresser. My neighbor has two grandchildren who stay with her most days. There are a few sad little Wal-Mart Dora/Elmo/Thomas the Tank Engine books on a dresser in the kids' room (that they can't possibly reach).

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Are these houses for sale? I seem to remember hearing somewhere that if you are trying to sell your houses you should take out a lot of books.

 

We turned our living room into a family study -- big library table for us, big classroom table for the kids, walls lined with books -- but I'm pretty sure that if we put the house on the market we'd take out most of it and rent furniture or something to make it look less idiosyncratic.

 

Nope. Not for sale.

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Decorators, friends, neighbors - whoever these people are who advise other people on what to put on their shelves (knick-knack, book or otherwise) are living in a dream world inspired by HGTV and BH&G.

 

Most of us live in our houses - we didn't buy them to stage for the world to admire - we actually live in them. Yes, no clutter is visually appealing - if you need that for the sake of sanity then visit an Ethan Allen store from time to time. In your own house, put the books on the shelves - no guilt required.

 

I think this whole granite countertop, stainless steel appliances, books as decorations, fresh flowers in the entry way, house obsession is akin to the airbrushed, skinnier than a pencil fashion model/actress complex. They are both equally unrealistic and, imo, unhealthy. Home is where we should be able to relax - not feel like we are being filmed 24/7.

 

:iagree:, But I think it's odd. After all, at least "appearing" to be educated used to be fashionable. You know, when you could by books by the yard for decoration. :D Since when has it become attractive to appear unread? Bleh.

 

ETA: Oh good! The snob who likes to appear well-read but doesn't actually care to read books may still buy books by the yard here. Hah!

Edited by Medieval Mom
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I have thousands of books, but none are visible in the "entertaining" parts of my house. Oh, I take that back - we do have one glass-top coffee table that has about 30 "coffee table books" under the glass top.

 

Some people find books to be too cluttery for all parts of the house. Personally I don't feel like my formal rooms are neat if they have all manner of books shelved in them. If the books are nice-looking matched sets, then that would be a different story. This is more about my personal issues than what is "proper." When things are not orderly, it's a big distraction for me, and I will keep trying to change things around until they are neat enough.

 

I don't judge other people, of course. Each home has its own unique character. I love looking at the books that give me a bit of a window into another person's thoughts. But at the same time, an absence of books in my clear view doesn't mean that person doesn't read.

 

I hope nobody puts books in their living room just to prove to others that they do, in fact, own books.

Edited by SKL
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Did you ever visit people who have beautiful, built-in bookcases that are COMPLETELY EMPTY??? :svengo:

 

Is it really possible that some people choose to have no books? Gasp!

 

We've recently been to several houses, in well to-do neighborhoods, with beautiful built-in bookcases, completely empty of books. A few had knick-knacks or framed photos or both, or maybe a trophy book of some sort.

 

I'm I the only one who considers this kind of strange?

 

I'm hoping they are truly avid readers, who donated all their gorgeous books to the library for the upcoming book sale, and are now really into their Kindles. :D

 

My SIL has my dream room in her house, but has few books. It's an unbelievably beautiful two-story study with huge walls of wooden built-in bookcases. There is a loft on the second-story where one could (theoretically) sit and read overlooking the study. She even joked with me when they were building the house that she needed to borrow my books, just so the cases would make sense. :D

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Did they have young children? Maybe their children were knocking the books off the shelves, so they moved the books to another room.

 

We did recently visit a house with no bookcases and no books. At first I thought it was bizarre, but then I figured that the books were in another room I hadn't seen.

 

Our house has too many books, I think. I never thought that there was a limit, but I'm beginning to change my mind on that. We have a whole room devoted to bookcases and books. Then there are bookcases in every other room. Books stacked on shelves, on windowsills, in cabinets. I need to clean them out. It's annoying, and there are plenty of them that no one will ever look at again.

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I have been in houses with NO bookcases and NO books.

 

And the idea of having bookcases and using them for knick-knacks and not books? Well. It's insane. (And I don't CARE if they have a kindle. A house is not a home without a stack of books somewhere.)

 

:iagree: My sentiments exactly!

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I was at a friend's house the other day and they had a beautiful copy of a children's book out. I read it to the kids. (hers and mine) Later, we had picked up the toys and my friend's son wanted me to read the book again- but we couldn't find it. My friend had picked it up and put it way up high so the kids wouldn't ruin it! I couldn't find any other books to read to them (but the littlest was asleep, so we didn't go in his room- I'm hoping the books were in there!)

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I was at a friend's house the other day and they had a beautiful copy of a children's book out. I read it to the kids. (hers and mine) Later' date=' we had picked up the toys and my friend's son wanted me to read the book again- but we couldn't find it. My friend had picked it up and put it way up high so the kids wouldn't ruin it! I couldn't find any other books to read to them (but the littlest was asleep, so we didn't go in his room- I'm hoping the books were in there!)[/quote']

 

:svengo:

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So if I have to sell my home I have to take my books out of my bookshelves?!(Long, mournful howl)I don't know how I'm supposed to do that AND homeschool.
There is no way I'm boxing up my books whenever the day comes we can sell our house. No way. As long as they sit nicely on the shelf and aren't all sticking out and laying sideways and stuff, then I would leave them. That's what shelves are for! If people don't buy a house because there are books on the shelves, then whatever.
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You might have seen that when we first moved to this house a few years back.

 

We had been so overwhelmed with books in our previous tiny house that I banished to vast majority of them to the basement. The living room was to be a peaceful haven from clutter. And yes, books can be clutter.

 

Now, however, they're coming back. It started with the everyday reference books, then the few nice and expensive editions I wanted to show off...We're not overwhelmed upstairs yet though.

 

Sadly, that wasn't the case.

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Did you ever visit people who have beautiful, built-in bookcases that are COMPLETELY EMPTY??? :svengo:

 

I cannot fathom it.

 

I have a room full of built-in bookshelves (that dh built), and I filled them in a day. And had no room to fit the boxes more of books I had intended to bring down from the attic. And until a couple of weeks ago still had stacks of books in front of them, in spite of the other bookshelves in every other room except the bathrooms (but including the kitchen) because they are also full.

 

I finally cleaned up the piles of books in the built-in bookshelf room by putting three large rubbermaid containers of picture books and early readers in the attic... (yes, soon my entire attic will be full of books as well)

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What is even stranger is going into another homeschooler's house and see no books anywhere, unless you count text books. There wasn't even a bookcase to be seen anywhere. No books lying around, nothing. That was truly bizarre for me.

 

Yep. One such family came to visit me and the kids spent the whole visit reading every picture book I had in the living room.

 

I saw a magazine article where all the spines were turned inward. You know, so it's visually more attractive. With all white pages. Except....how do you find your book?!

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Yep. One such family came to visit me and the kids spent the whole visit reading every picture book I had in the living room.

 

I saw a magazine article where all the spines were turned inward. You know, so it's visually more attractive. With all white pages. Except....how do you find your book?!

 

I saw one where they covered all the books with brown paper (think school textbook covers) so they would look uniform on the shelf.

 

Yeah, that would be super-helpful. :glare:

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Yep. One such family came to visit me and the kids spent the whole visit reading every picture book I had in the living room.

 

I saw a magazine article where all the spines were turned inward. You know, so it's visually more attractive. With all white pages. Except....how do you find your book?!

 

Was that a magazine article or the infamous Pottery Barn catalog series where the books were all wrapped in paper of various shades of white and reversed so that only the pages showed?

 

Yes-there are people who will only put a few pretty books on shelves and then use all that space to display fancy papers on the back interior and knick knacks. I don't have enough free space on my shelves to see the back of the bookcase. And I wouldn't have it any other way.:001_smile:

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Decorators, friends, neighbors - whoever these people are who advise other people on what to put on their shelves (knick-knack, book or otherwise) are living in a dream world inspired by HGTV and BH&G.

 

Most of us live in our houses - we didn't buy them to stage for the world to admire - we actually live in them. Yes, no clutter is visually appealing - if you need that for the sake of sanity then visit an Ethan Allen store from time to time. In your own house, put the books on the shelves - no guilt required.

I think this whole granite countertop, stainless steel appliances, books as decorations, fresh flowers in the entry way, house obsession is akin to the airbrushed, skinnier than a pencil fashion model/actress complex. They are both equally unrealistic and, imo, unhealthy. Home is where we should be able to relax - not feel like we are being filmed 24/7.

 

:iagree: I may love how it looks but it isn't how I live and I don't need to feel guilty about it, either.

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People are so funny about books.

 

I have heard television decorator types suggest putting only a few books on shelves. Too many any you've ruined the 'look'. :001_huh:

 

We have a number of full-wall shelves throughout our home. I had one woman ask, "What do you do with all those books?"

:lol:

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I think this whole granite countertop, stainless steel appliances, books as decorations, fresh flowers in the entry way, house obsession is akin to the airbrushed, skinnier than a pencil fashion model/actress complex. They are both equally unrealistic and, imo, unhealthy. Home is where we should be able to relax - not feel like we are being filmed 24/7.

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

I want to cheer!! Definitely, and further for me, the way the decoration of my home has to be an extension of me and a reflection of my precious self. Huh? No, the couch has to be comfy, the counter top sanitary, the fridge cold, etc.

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I saw a magazine article where all the spines were turned inward. You know, so it's visually more attractive. With all white pages. Except....how do you find your book?!

 

I saw one where they covered all the books with brown paper (think school textbook covers) so they would look uniform on the shelf.

 

Yeah, that would be super-helpful. :glare:

 

I think this is something dh would love to do. He's very much into that minimal "spartan" look. boooorrrrinnnnnggggg.

 

We just bought a house that has beautiful built-ins in the living room and downstairs in the spare bedroom (which became the school room). He doesn't want to fill the LR shelves with all books. He thinks it'd be too cluttered and busy. He'd rather have some gaps, some space, maybe a picture frame or something. I can see having a few decorative pieces (right now I have a very pretty painted bird house in one corner and one he made out of birchwood in the other), some ceramic pieces and baskets (great for hiding things) and his US Flag from serving in Afghanistan is in the middle and I'm thrilled to have a "public" place for my scrapbooks.

 

Actually, they're pretty cluttered right now, but that's only because I'm still unloading boxes and stacking on a shelf keeps them off the floor :tongue_smilie:

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I think this whole granite countertop, stainless steel appliances, books as decorations, fresh flowers in the entry way, house obsession is akin to the airbrushed, skinnier than a pencil fashion model/actress complex. They are both equally unrealistic and, imo, unhealthy. Home is where we should be able to relax - not feel like we are being filmed 24/7.

 

Oh, gee. I hope people don't get that impression from my granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, books, and flowers. :001_huh:

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So if I have to sell my home I have to take my books out of my bookshelves?!(Long, mournful howl)I don't know how I'm supposed to do that AND homeschool. Maybe we'll have to move the classroom to the garage this winter....

 

My family vowed never to help me move again after the last time when they had to lug box after box after box of books out of one house and into another. :D

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