I have more books than square feet. 280. I counted them the other day for the first time, and I like that it’s a nice, even number—although it doesn’t include 11 coffee-table books and 13 cookbooks. Moving into the studio, one of my biggest concerns was where my books would go. I don’t think I can take credit for the fireplace idea. I probably saw something similar on Instagram or Pinterest, but I knew that would be one storage solution. And I had a handyman hang the shelf above my bed before I even moved in. Later, running out of room, I hung the one above my closet. There’s a row on top of the radiator hiding behind my bed, and there are always a few recent reads tossed on the AC. The top of my armoire has been my latest target.
People often ask if I’ve read all of the books, to which I respond that I’ve read most of them. I counted the unread ones, and there are nine, including two that I just picked up from a pile someone left for grabs on the sidewalk. What I want to say, though it sounds so snobby, is that the books in my apartment are just a fraction of the books I’ve read in my life. I also borrow from the library and from friends, and I do periodically clean out books that I didn’t like much. The ones I keep are the ones I can imagine rereading or lending to friends or, admittedly, because I really like the covers.
I love to read (and reread). I have for as long as I can remember. It is my main hobby—above decorating, above writing. Certainly above the short-lived embroidery habit I picked up during the pandemic. My favorite place to read is my chair, but I also read in bed and in the park and on the subway. I almost always have a book with me in case I find myself with a few minutes to sneak in a few pages. Pandora Sykes explains this compulsion better than I can here. Simply put, my home wouldn’t feel complete without books.
So I was taken aback several years ago when a friend said she’d never thought about books as décor until she saw my apartment. I’d never thought of them that way before. To me décor is a want; books are a need. Books are so much more than décor! Fast forward to March 2022 when Ashley Tisdale caused a small splash by admitting during her Architecture Digest home tour that she made her husband buy 400 books to fill her shelves the day before the shoot. Truthfully, I don’t care whether or not a former Disney Channel actress will read those 400 books. “They were from indie bookstores!” her husband assured the haters. But the debacle did prompt a conversation on my particular corner of the internet about whether books were décor.
Of course, I read most of my books, but I also like the way they look. Does that make them décor? I don’t think my apartment would look as cute and cozy without them. Does that make them décor? If I didn’t have so many books, all I’d have is some empty wall space and a useless fireplace. Perhaps I keep so many books around for the same reason that I keep all of my favorite pieces around. They serve multiple functions. I like to read them, and I like to look at them. But, a word to the wise: If you are using books strictly for the aesthetics, be prepared for everyone to ask how many of them you have read. The jig will be up!
That said, I do have a book styling tip for you. Please, please, please do not shove your books to the back of a deep shelf with a lot of empty space in front of them. Line of the spines closer to the front edge of the shelf and leave the empty space in the back. It’s a small tweak that will look so much more polished. And please do not organize them by color or, god forbid, with the spines facing backward. The only acceptable ways to organize books are alphabetically or by genre. I take a more haphazard approach. My only real rule is that the shelf over my bed is reserved for paperbacks. I trust that the professional I hired did an excellent job securing it, and I haven’t had any issues in the two years since. Nevertheless, I rest easier knowing that the less heavy tomes are the ones teetering above me while I sleep.
this week’s read
Not a review or recommendation—just what I’m reading right now.