Does anybody know a organized way to store books?

We have about a hundred books in our house that need some form of organization. I've tried bookshelves but they just end up looking cluttered. Does anybody have a unique way that I could store them and still look good? There are various sizes and we want to keep all of them.





Thanks!

Does anybody know a organized way to store books?
go with the bookshelves, but don't just shove it full of books. alternate books on their sides with some standing up and mix in other decorative items as well like a vase or candle, even some picture frames. keep an open back to the shelf so your wall color will come through to keep it light and airy and place doors on some parts of the shelf for hidden storage to make the rest look even more gorgeous! books are a beautiful thing to display!
Reply:Arrange the bookshelves using the Zig Zag formula





Alternate a vertical stack of books on an upper shelf with either a chunky box, a standing porcelain or tole plate, or a stack of horizontal books just beneath it. That way, you can create both balance and visual interest at once.





There's a whole article on it by an interior stylist here: http://www.art-and-home.net/servlet/the-...
Reply:I agree with the other answers here. One tip I wanted to mention, make sure to remove the dust jackets of your hard cover books. The shelves will look MUCH better without the throwaway paper dust jackets.


(I am pretty anal myself and keep my books in alpha order by author.)
Reply:Only 100 books? How about Hundreds of books. We put floor to ceiling shelving in a spare bedroom that we turned into an office. A good portion of our book collection is displayed on these shelves and we also incorporated other things, such as pictures of the family, a vintage sewing machine with fabric (by the quilting books), stuffed toys by the kids books, plants (fake ones if the room is dark), empty but colorful bottles of wine (no more than three) and a few other odds and ends. Then don't just put the books in a row... stack a few, lean a few, and even fan a few... by that I mean to place them vertically into the corner but fan them out into a semicircle.
Reply:according to catagory?? .. with the ones that are not on your favorite list either given away or stashed all together in abox in the garage tobe given away next time! I personally hate it..when the bindings don't look really good together..so I organize mine by tossing the ugly ones....Iknow ...VERY BAD! ! especially when it turns out that I chucked my husbands favorite...but I "don't know where it went..." that's my story and I'm stick'n to it! ♥
Reply:Personally, I think we have too many books in our house, but I defer to my wife in all matters of decorating. She's got them looking really good on shelves that flank both side of the fireplace in the family room. She put up fake plants, some family pictures and several pieces of glass she collects (she calls it cranberry glass). During the holidays, she puts the glass and pictures away and takes out all of her Santa's to display. Anyway, I like it, and it looks pretty good.
Reply:I love books. I always have. I love going to the bookstore and taking my son to the library because there is just something comforting about wandering around all those aisles filled with books.





I used to buy a lot of books and I loved arranging them on my own home bookshelves.





Then I got so many books that I ran out of bookshelf space and I realized something. I never touched most of those books. They simply sat there on the shelf, collecting dust and wasting my valuable time every time I had to move them in order to clean the bookshelf. That is when I realized that I was no longer a collector of books - I had become a pack rat.





My advice to you would be to first really think long and hard about the need for all of those books.





I have found that going to the library, not only gives me quality time to spend with my son, but saves me money, space in my home and my valuable time.





If you decide that you can part with some of your books in order to have a more organized home, donate them to your local library. You will be helping your community by providing valuable resources and, if you live in the U.S., it will be a donation you can claim on your taxes.





If you decide to keep all of the books you will need to designate space for them. A large bookshelf is the best way to go. Creating an entire bookshelf wall in one room of your home will keep all of your books in one place and make them easier to organize and to find.





Think about how a library sorts their books and try to mimic the same technique. Start by separating your books into categories. Then arrange the books alphabetically within each category.





Keep your bookshelves from looking too clutered by not packing them to tightly with books. Leave some space on each shelf and add a decorative item like a vase, a framed photo, a figurine, etc.





If you have books that are too tall for the shelves, lay them down at the end of the shelf, using them as a bookend.