Shelve it

Storing books in a neat organised manner is not as easy as it might seem and I truly believe that this is actually the reason, except for the fact that it is also more affordable, why so many people turn to the internet to read. But organising your books does not have to be a nightmare if you know what you want; where to start and if you keep it organised. Here are a few ways to ensure that your bookshelf is really the showpiece it ought to be in your home

A clean start

The first thing you must do when taking on the task of organizing your bookshelf is to take all your books off the shelf and also to collect the ones laying around the house. Take a cloth and some furniture polish and clean your shelf so it can be shiny when you start organizing your books on it.

Sort it out!

This will be one of the most difficult tasks but it is essential to clear the clutter and get rid of unwanted books before putting your things back on the bookshelf. Go through the books and take out the ones that you didn’t like – this will open up more space for future purchases. Get rid of unimportant papers and magazines that ended up on your bookshelf.

Get organizing

You can organize the books on your bookshelf in various ways:

• In Alphabetical order.
• According to category.
• According to size.
• According to colour.
• According to the theme of the room it is in.

Decide which option you prefer and place the books in groups, order, etc. on the carpet to make the task of putting it back easier.

Decisions, decisions

Decide what else you want to put on the shelf and get rid of the rest. If you want to place a few ornaments or photo frames on the shelf, ensure that it fits in with the system and theme you have decided on. If you plan to store CD’s and DVD’s on the shelf as well, allocate an entire shelf to this purpose because mixing these with books will not look good. CD’s and DVD’s must be organised in the same way as your books to carry through the theme. Magazines can be placed on the sides or in the middle of your shelf and can be surrounded with books for a different look.

A new look

Have a look at your bookshelf and decide weather it is in need of a new coat of varnish. If so, give it a fresh coat and allow it to dry thoroughly. For a totally different and modern look, try adding some colour. You can decide to paint the entire bookcase in one colour or you can paint the insides of the shelves in different colours. This will add contrast and depth and can give your room a brand new appearance.

Get clever

If you constantly lend your books to family and friends or are afraid that your books, DVD’s and CD’s might get lost along the way, you can set up a log on the computer and keep tract of your extensive collection. Place a copy of the log in a binder on the bookshelf and keep the master log in your filing system.

What is available?

If your home has a classical look and feel, you will definitely not be disappointed with the options available on the market today. After doing a little bookshelf shopping, I found these great buys that will definitely add style and warmth to your home:

G Janko & Co

• The T-Wall Bookshelf from G Janko & Co is ideal for studies or living rooms and will allow you to store numerous books, DVD’s and CD’s in a stylish way.
• The loose standing S-Shelf bookcase from G Janko & Co is well suited for bedrooms.
• The Display Bookshelf from G Janko & Co will look nice in any entertainment area or home office.

Topolansky

• This beautiful Regent bookcase from Topolansky is both elegant and functional and offers drawers for those items you want no one to see.
• The St Anne Bookcase from Topolansky has ample shelving plus a cupboard where you can keep DVD’s and CD’s.
• The Tolkien Chisel Bookcase from Topalansky has a modern shape, lots of space and even has a place to put a small television.
• Topolansky’s Open Bookshelf is elegant and functional and ideal for the living room.

Interesting bookshelves

Over the years designers got quite creative when designing bookshelves and other furniture. Here are a few interesting ones that I’ve spotted and wouldn’t mind to have!

• My favourite bookcase is called ‘Shelves with a bench’ by Stanislav Katz. It looks very comfortable and combines modern luxury with optimal functionality – your favourite novel is just and arm length away!
• The ‘Bookworm’ by Ron Arad is very cleverly designed and an ideal way to display various items like magazines and books.
• The ‘Folding Bookshelves’ is something really innovative. It’s very practical because you can arrange the books in an interesting way and they can be laid down, stood up, turned 90 degrees, used horizontally or vertically.
• The ‘Equation Bookshelf’ by Marcos Breder is simple, yet elegant and will add style to any room.
• This ‘Octagon-shaped’ bookshelf by Younes Duret can be useful as a room divider or simply up against a wall. It has several inner nooks where books can be stacked and stored horizontally or vertically.
• ‘The Shelf that Spells out Shelf’ by Da-Eun Song is very creative and has space for lots of books and other items.
• ‘Hanging Bookshelf’ by Ünal&Böler Studio is an innovative storage design for your books and will add modern creativity to any room.

Something new and innovative!

So I was wrong, there now is a way to snuggle up with a good novel electronically with the Kindle electronic reader from Amazon.com. It is now possible to do easy book downloads on this device in less than a minute and storing and reading these books any place you want. This device also comes with an explanatory dictionary and is ideal for children who are still learning new words. It is small, lightweight and rechargeable. The font can be adjusted, and it will also look nice on your bookshelf when not in use! It is wireless and boasts lots of other features. Go read about it some more at http://www.amazon.com/