Mommyfaithe Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Edging you out of your house?? I love my books.....they are sort of an appendage....but I have a very small house, and I get claustrophobic....I was actually in tears yesterday because even though I am the decluttering queen, I have too many books, and I feel like the house is caving in on me, even though they are on shelves. Does anyone organize their books so they are not so obviously there? I really do not need them as a fashion statement:D. They are important to our education, but I do not have to have them on display, kwim? I have already culled the shelves....and I just can't part with my out of prints, or my original Serl's and McGuffeys, or my 1850's printing of Pilgrim's Progress.....so, any advice would be appreciated on how to disguise or out up safely.... Thanks! Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hthnmamax2 Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 :bigear::bigear: :grouphug::grouphug: I have no answer for you, but I'll definitely be following this thread as my family keeps threatening an intervention because of my books. They say I have too many, I say there's no such thing. Meh. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merry gardens Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 (edited) Doors. Put them in something with doors or behind a door.The books are sort of edging me out, but I keep many hidden too. I have some books behind closed doors on end tables, in the linen closet, in an old china cabinet-turned bookshelf, etc. At one point, I dedicated our entire entry way closet to books. We moved our homeschool downstairs when we finished our basement. I recently put an entire wall of bookshelves up in the basement behind a closed door. I spread books throughout the house in regular looking furniture, separating them according to subject matter, (so I can find them!) Edited September 2, 2012 by merry gardens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 I know you said you can't get rid of any more, but I found when we were living in a small space that I had to keep getting rid of things past the point where I thought I could. I love books and I know it's hard, but feeling peaceful in your own home is important too. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quad Shot Academy Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Loan them to people. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chava_Raizel Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Too many books? What do you mean? There is no such thing as too many books. Seriously though, I try to spread them out - there are books in every room here. I have a full wall in the living room dedicated to our most used books, then everyone has at least one tall bookcase in their bedrooms. As hard as it is, I do try to purge a few books here and there, just to make room for new ones. I would never get rid of those out of prints, but maybe some of the science books that I thought would be fun but no one ever looked at, or the duplicates I accidentally bought, or the read aloud that no one really enjoyed...I can usually find at least 3-4 books to purge. I like the idea of using closets to store books - just wish I had one that wasn't currently in use! Our house is small and all of our closets are full. If the sight of the books is really bothering you, I remember seeing someone hung curtains in front of her bookcases to disguise them. That might be an option for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted September 2, 2012 Author Share Posted September 2, 2012 Loan them to people. ;) :D I do! Too often. I think I will leave one or 2 at the gym a day. They have a fundraiser selling them....I will just add to that:D I like the door thing....hmmmmmm...... :bigear: for many ideas.....pinterest etc...does ikea have anything? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 We put bookshelves in the attic for those can't-get-rid of books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Start boxing up some of your least favorites. If you haven't wanted or needed them in a predetermined amount of time, then most likely you should donate them. I purged, and purged, and purged with my last move almost 2 years ago. A few weeks ago I found 3 boxes of books in the garage. I found I was not nearly as attached to them as I had thought. I did keep a handful, but the rest I donated to the library for their sale. Some of the really good ones, I donated to the librarian so they could be added to circulation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 our attic is not a good space, but we have boxes and boxes up there. our dining room is full of bookshelves and I want to put some in the upstairs hallway. i remember seeing someone decorate bookshelves - like prop up family photos or small prints on bookshelves, shadow boxes, whatever collections - in front of the books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 I reached some key point with it and finally stopped hoarding them. We still have a LOT of books, but I now feel free to give some away and weed the collection occasionally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 (edited) A friend of mine had bookcases made on wall one, and the entire thing is hidden behind doors. It's much neater that way. I have not been able to find something affordable without custom design. I have five bookshelves lining one wall -- four are short and one tall. If I could find similar bookshelves with doors, I'd do it. I'd love it in antique white to match our office furniture (which is visible from the living area and antique white trimmed in cherry). I really wish my youngest would give up his picture books. ACK Edited September 2, 2012 by nestof3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 I have to admit, I wasn't precisely sure which type of "books" you were talking about until the second sentence. lol Someone please tell me I wasn't the only one. :D OP, I have the same problem too. I have a tiny house, that looks like a library because of the number of bookshelves and I still have stacks of books that need a home. I've donated tons to the library already, but still have so many more than I have a place for. I'm trying to get hubby to build more bookshelves, but he says we need to get rid of more first. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted September 2, 2012 Author Share Posted September 2, 2012 our attic is not a good space, but we have boxes and boxes up there. our dining room is full of bookshelves and I want to put some in the upstairs hallway. i remember seeing someone decorate bookshelves - like prop up family photos or small prints on bookshelves, shadow boxes, whatever collections - in front of the books. I have things decorating the fronts of my book cases....but now it is making me nuts! I can't stand it. At first it looked cute...now it just seems cluttered to me....:glare: I guess it is time for Major Declutterer to take command! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted September 2, 2012 Author Share Posted September 2, 2012 I have to admit, I wasn't precisely sure which type of "books" you were talking about until the second sentence. lol Someone please tell me I wasn't the only one. :D Yeah...:lol: I have that problem too....but that is a whole nuther post. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 I have things decorating the fronts of my book cases....but now it is making me nuts! I can't stand it. At first it looked cute...now it just seems cluttered to me....:glare: I guess it is time for Major Declutterer to take command! I came to the same conclusion not long ago too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 I have things decorating the fronts of my book cases....but now it is making me nuts! I can't stand it. At first it looked cute...now it just seems cluttered to me....:glare:! LOL good, now i dont feel bad that I never got around to trying that! I do remember throwing wall hangings over bookshelves in college. I know, i know, we arent in college any more. You wouldnt know it from MY housekeeping and decorating skills, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 You have an 8 y/o. So there isn't much homeschooling curriculum that you can't get rid of yet. When my youngest passed a grade, then I felt fine getting rid of a lot books she had already read/used. I did a major purge when she got to middle school. Ideas: If your hallway is wide enough, then homemade built ins along one side of the hall, or along one side of the stairs A wall of bookcases in a room (dining room, or living room, or in each kid's room!), maybe with counters with doors on the bottom, and bookcases on top Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Ikea bookshelves with doors...preferably in white so it feels more clean and light and open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Ikea bookshelves with doors...preferably in white so it feels more clean and light and open. We have IKEA PAX but I know they won't hold the weight of books. I use them for scrap booking and also in our room for clothes. What units would work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Funny that there's a thread on this today... I came here to search this very topic. I am eyeing these: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S09879976/ I am all about doors. I have built-ins in my dining/school room right now that hide ALL my school stuff behind lovely white painted doors. We're moving soon and I NEED a similar solution. We school at the table where we eat, and I just can't enjoy a peaceful dinner if my messy (or even not-so-messy) school stuff is staring me in the face. So, you people who said "doors" -- where else can you find a bookcase with doors (besides Ikea)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Ikea bookshelves with doors...preferably in white so it feels more clean and light and open. Do link! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merry gardens Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 (edited) ...So, you people who said "doors" -- where else can you find a bookcase with doors (besides Ikea)? Try old, used furniture at antique shops, thrift stores or garage sales. Old furniture is typically sturdier and holds more weight than some of my newer bookshelves. You can paint old furniture to look newer or to blend with the walls. They don't have to be book shelves per se. One piece I have is from my parents' dining room. It was a china cabinet with solid doors, but it has shelves that hold books well. I also use the floor of my linen closet. And we have doors on our end tables and coffee table, where I stash books and some learning supplies. Also, if you have extra cabinet space in your kitchen area or old cabinets pulled out from a kitchen remodel, they work too! Kitchen cabinets work especially well for cook books. :) Edited September 2, 2012 by merry gardens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabeline Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 :D I do! Too often. I think I will leave one or 2 at the gym a day. They have a fundraiser selling them....I will just add to that:D I like the door thing....hmmmmmm...... :bigear: for many ideas.....pinterest etc...does ikea have anything? The billy bookcases from Ikea have doors you can add to them. I have one with doors that have glass on the top half and solid on the bottom half. It helps hide the clutter and still looks nice. Also we got the deepest kind and they are deep enough to double stack the books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 We have two floor to ceiling built in bookcases and just put in another book case in the living room. There are also bookcases in every bedroom and a small one in the kitchen. We like to build our own or refurbish older ones. I personally like to see them. I couldn't put them behind doors. I also like to see books when I visit people. I find I tend to lose interest in people when their homes have no visible books. Harsh I know. :lol: I also religiously donate quite a chunk to out library sale each year. It's a deal I made with dh---no new books coming in unless some go out! I also use the library as much as possible. It's pretty crazy how many books I've wanted to buy and then I check it out or borrow them and find I don't really care to own it after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 The billy bookcases from Ikea have doors you can add to them. I have one with doors that have glass on the top half and solid on the bottom half. It helps hide the clutter and still looks nice. Also we got the deepest kind and they are deep enough to double stack the books. Sadly, I don't think they sell these anymore. All I see are the beveled glass ones... which I assume means you can (sorta) see through them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 I personally like to see them. I couldn't put them behind doors. I also like to see books when I visit people. I find I tend to lose interest in people when their homes have no visible books. Harsh I know. :lol: I agree with you, but what about the non-attractive stuff like binders, textbooks and boxes of math manipulatives, etc.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted September 2, 2012 Author Share Posted September 2, 2012 Ok....the purge has begun!!!! I have a full bag for the church of devotionals....a full bag for df's dd who has little ones.....2 big garbage bags went into the......gulp....dumpster ( old yellowed paperbacks I can d/l free from kindle:D I send dd home with her text books....and I cleared 8.5 feet of book shelf space ....AND cleaned all the dust up!!!!! and that is just my livingroom/ hallway bookshelves!!!! PHEW!!! Next is game closet.....then upstairs bookshelves..... I have plenty, plenty of shelving, but way too much stuff....that is my consensus anyway.... I also have a bunch to list for sale cheap.....just to get them out of here, But can't toss them....kwim? Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loudwater School Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Have you considered organizing them by color? I know you say you want them to feel like they aren't there and you don't need them as a style expression, but something the things that stick out in our subconscious do so because they aren't blending with our style or integrating themselves into the decor. Does that make sense? If the books look wrong there, you will keep thinking that you have to fix them. But if you can make them look like they belong there, they'll stop being on the fore of your mind when you walk into a room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted September 2, 2012 Author Share Posted September 2, 2012 Have you considered organizing them by color? I know you say you want them to feel like they aren't there and you don't need them as a style expression, but something the things that stick out in our subconscious do so because they aren't blending with our style or integrating themselves into the decor. Does that make sense? If the books look wrong there, you will keep thinking that you have to fix them. But if you can make them look like they belong there, they'll stop being on the fore of your mind when you walk into a room. THAT is a cool idea!!! My dh's sense of aesthetics would do the happy dance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 those books by color pics drive me NUTs. Do you think I can remember the spine color of every book I own? I HAVE to organize by topic / type of book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 We have bookshelves in every room (even in one of our bathrooms.) One entire wall of my dining room is bookshelves & so is half a wall in my living room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted September 2, 2012 Author Share Posted September 2, 2012 We have bookshelves in every room (even in one of our bathrooms.) One entire wall of my dining room is bookshelves & so is half a wall in my living room. Me too....but the walls were beginning to close in on me!! We even have a shelf going over all the tops of our windows and doorways....I feel like I live in the library....and libraries are dusty....and well, my menopausal self needs AIR....:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 I have to admit, I wasn't precisely sure which type of "books" you were talking about until the second sentence. lol Someone please tell me I wasn't the only one. :D I'm right there with you. I hovered over the thread and misread it as "books edging out of the house" aka wardrobe malfunction. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 those books by color pics drive me NUTs. Do you think I can remember the spine color of every book I own? I HAVE to organize by topic / type of book Me too. They make the English major in me feel very intellectual and arrogant and irritated. I mean... organize your books by COLOR? But, to each his own. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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