bookshelves??

so there is NO room for anything else in this nursery without it looking ridonculous.  But I'd hate to not have anywhere to put some books, pictures, maybe one or two tchotchkes....

options obviously include the single flat white wooden shelves that you can put up individually... but I came across these at Ikea last weekend during my shopping trip with Mom and Aunt CoCo (Cover!)

You can find them here:  Ikea Billy Shelf

what do you think??? too busy?? I'm looking for a "built-in bookshelf" feel.  maybe above the daybed (shown below with the sad little crib mattress in place before I got the twin)

bookshelves, again

Yes, I spent another weekend pretending that Cover and Jeff's new house was MY new house...

They are getting a painter to redo the trim and bookshelves in a nice white - so imagine the new color that it'll be in a few weeks...

I don't have a great before picture, (nor a great after picture.. yet to come) but basically it was a huge hodgepodge of all of her books.  A little refined editing out of the ones that I didn't like the spine color (haha), and a shopping trip to get some great new books, and voila!

haha don't you know that the Henry Kissinger book on foreign policy crises was Cover's top pick...

how pretty!

mmmm... books

it's no big secret that a stack of good books will perk up a lonely corner or table.  but i really can't pretend to give any sort of design tips as i would really just be subliminally echoing someone else or some other blog i've read in the past.

but of late my already-present book-obsession has taken too a new height.  forget kindles!  phooey! who wants all electronic when you could actually see all the books you've read and reminisce??  or just use them to displace your husband's piles and piles of ugly books...

all my little piles scattered around the house.  i just hate that i've only actually read about half of these books!

now.. as you can see, my husband has almost completely taken over our all-too-functional bookshelves in the office! wow, yes, that is a model of a pelvis up top on display.  he was soooo proud the day he brought that home.

as you may have seen in the previous post - i just went to hotlanta to stay with mary and norah (two adorable sisters who live together and have the cutest apartment!) and visit with angie and drew too...  well norah and mary share the reading obsession with me... see on Goodreads... but norah has taken it to an all new level.  piles and piles of amazon finds below!  constant goodreads updates!  great recommendations!

so in spirit, i bought three new ones myself on amazon the other day - two of the three in hardback to look nice on the shelves i hope to completely take back over one day!  see all my new good ones--  soon to add to the collection: The Book Thief - sure to be a hit

arrival of the bookshelf!

A while ago I posted about this disturbingly empty space in our hallway.... just begging for some furniture!

Though I much much prefer to buy antiques, I could not find the right look for the nook... until I stumbled upon this shelf from Wisteria:

And, just the other day.... arrival!!

a little elbow grease to put this bad boy together and obviously more antiquing to perfect my new favorite nook in the house:

  

Do you like it as much as I do??

Empty Nook begging for new furniture!

I have been dying for something to put in this spot in our hallway.  Originally I had the chair (recently recovered) here, and then I bought an adorable wicker planter, but it was too short and proportionally off.  A little table would be cute, but as you can see in the foreground, I already have a little table in the hallway and I need something different!!

The diminsions are 42" wide and I could do something up to 14" deep without really blocking the door to the left.

I thought about a little chest, maybe a pine chest or one like to the right:
The problem has been that I cannot find a reasonably priced little shallow chest like this!

Then... I was wandering through Wisteria when I found this:

It is called French Shop Keeper's Shelves, and has dimensions: 35.25"w x 13.5"d x 68.5"h... perfect, right?  The best part is the price, only $399+$25 for shipping.  I am seriously considering splunking down the cash, what do you think???  I need to get some more books...

Office Chair

It is time for us to mature away from the used, blue-cloth, swiveling plastic office chair mom and dad bought me when I started med school. Jimmy feels very threatened by this fact.

He is not one for change, especially when it could aversely affect his comfort. He is afraid of some high-backed, stiff, all-white antique that he can't relax and study while sitting on. Ha - his fears are probably founded in some reality...he probably expects me to pick out something completely ridiculous like this: (not that it's not cute, just that it is not practical!)

So I am on the search. I like a couple of different styles, but most importantly it must be comfortable. Above is a picture of our office as is. I want to refinish the wood from the bookshelves... either paint white or stain dark or antique... something! But, the focus here is the BLUE cheap chair. Must go. I would love opinions, more photos, ideas that you've used!

Ballard Designs has tons of great chairs - here is the gramercy chair in the white for $300-450

Here is CoverBover - at Restoration Hardware in one of my favorite chairs, Hudson Parsons, around $329.

Bookshelves

I love the artform of arranging a bookshelf.

Here are a few I have stolen* from other blogs and websites over the years. We have a set of two tall ones in our office... arranged by Jimmy with pride according to the category of book... with my girlie collection, including The Power of Makeup, Being Dead is no Excuse, and White Gloves and Party Manners, conveniently hiding out-of-sight!

I have to pick my battles and hold off on taking it over until I have him sufficiently distracted. One day I want built-in floor-to-ceiling white ones in our living room!

*Sorry for not crediting!

Allison Godwin's, from HOOT!