Disappointing Library wall advice!

last month

Hello, i use a lot of books for work and dreamt of a lovely library wall. i listened to my husband making me scrimp on it and this is what ive ended up with. ignore the other mess - we are having works done elsewhere but we needed to be ablw to open that door. and im not happy the sides arent finished and it therefore looks wonky when its not. looking for advice on how to improve. do you think painting walls and shelves same colour would enhance? please help!

Featured Answer

Lucy Mo
Original Author

last month

Its happening! decluttering going well so fsr and conversely using thr top shelf more is helping for balance. moving piano not an option. no more wall left (fire place and double windows etc)

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (23)

Jonathan
last month
Personally I think the issue is that there is too much to store in this space. Even if you had a higher end shelving solution it would still look full to the gunnels. Either accept this is how you live or ruthlessly cull
Lucy Mo
Original Author
last month
Thank you. yes they are jam packed arent they which looks messy and is not a pleasure to use. most of rhem are for work but not all of them and the top level is not utilised for anything haeful at all so i can definitely try and get rid of some. do tou think more space on the shelves is the only issue?
Related Discussions
Make my room more impressive
Q
Comments (127)
Lots of ideas....couldn't resist adding my two cents. i copied your photos and did a little cut and paste- it's messy, but hopefully gets the main idea across. i'd put your sofa in front of the large book case, chair by the fireplace, tv on the stand on the wall opposite the fireplace - so you can either look at the fire or the tv. Someone suggested using frames of one color for your photos - an inexpensive way to do that would be to spray paint them all a dark color-black goes with everything. Since your shelves are a medium tone wood, display things that are dark or light so that they contrast against the wood. Limiting your display items pallette to a few values usually helps to unify things. (I think that's why so many people want to paint the shelves or put inserts in the back to help your nice things read more clearly...some get lost). If you want to "splurge" -you may consider having a carpenter make a few solid tall cabinet doors to provide a visual break in the shelving. I'm showing 3 doors - 1 on the right side of the fireplace and 2 on the left to leave two open vertical shelves for display on each side - with things arranged to frame the fireplace as the focal point. To add some height to your big vases, consider stacking some books beneath them. Enjoy experimenting untill you get something you're happy with - good luck!
...See More
IS IT POSSIBLE ?????
Q
Comments (4)
We have a library in our home. The room used to be a TV room, which was impractical for two reasons: first, the room is located over the garage and is open to the bedroom, which meant that watching TV at night would disturb our children's sleep. Secondly, having windows on three sides of the room made TV watching difficult in the daytime, as no matter what angle we positioned the TV and sofa, we would always have glares. So we decided to move the computer from the basement to the den, we added a large bookshelf on one wall, and repurposed an extra dining room set into a homework station, the sideboard and huthc acting as a stationery/board game center. We are very pleased with the results and my sixteen year old now uses it to tutor another young girl, because she has everything handy, there room enough for them to spread the materials, use a laptop, dictionaries and work materials are handy and there is always plenty of light.
...See More
New kitchen, but just not working.
Q
Comments (448)
fragle0 ... congratulations on the new addition to your family. Have been following your lovely changes. You probably won't have time to work on the decor for a while. Just wanted to suggest that you try pulling the nesting tables forward to be more in line with front of the chairs & placing your floor lamp to the back of them. This will give a bit more light at night for reading in that area.Also switching the plant by the fireplace & the one on the corner by the sofa.
...See More
WRm pale grey for north facing room
Q
Comments (6)
I'm a huge fan of Farrow & Ball and their greys are lovely but if they're not working for you then why not try a different brand? The Paint Library Architectural range is very useful and they have a good range of greys in varying shades from I to V (I being the lightest) so you can use a III on the walls and I on the woodwork for a perfect tonal look. They're also grouped by undertone so they're really easy to use! Try Salt or Cotton perhaps? Zoffany also have some beautiful greys and have a similar shading system with some of their colours (quarter, half and double). In particular, I really love the Silver, Harbour Grey and Linen ranges.
...See More
temple274
last month
Can I suggest a relatively simple solution in order to add some horizontal as well as vertical lines which should be more pleasing visually. If you get some basic metal library type bookends — they come in different sizes and you'll find them online — you can have shorter runs of books which are easier to keep upright, and then stack some of the books you don’t need to access too frequently horizontally in the space between the new sections. It's also a way to create some open spaces in which you could put odds and ends, the Dalek or a photo frame for example!
Isla Cherry
last month
I think Jonathan is 100% right. If you culled it down to half and then spaced them nicely interspersed with ornaments and maybe a plant or two it would be able to breathe. I also have an ongoing book collection problem. Do you need to store them all in one place? Couldn't you have small bookcases/shelves dotted around your house/apartment. When it comes to displaying books less is more.
Lucy Mo thanked Isla Cherry
Lucy Mo
Original Author
last month
Thank you. i just picked up a small bookcase for my living room to put some non-work ones in there and I am definitely going to try and cut them down a bit. Do you think it would look better with wood going down right hand side amd casing them in? really appreciate the help and ill add pictures once improved if anyone interested!
Lucy Mo
Original Author
last month
Doesnt help that the room is a dumping ground at the moment either !
Sonia
last month
We had the same issue, two huge bookcases full of read, but never reread books! So why keep them? We love books and reading so I feel your pain. We, well me really, decided to cull the collection. It was easy for me but not for my husband, but in time we managed it. I took some of the books to work for my colleagues to have, and then the rest went to a charity shop. I then painted the two bookcases in an off white and put the kept books back and added a few accessories. It is so much better than it was and I think this may help you to do the same. You have to say to yourself, when did I last pick this book up and read it again? I bet it’s years ago, then just let it go. Here are my bookcases, full but not overflowing any more, thank goodness!
Sonia
last month
P.S. You can guess which bookcase is my husbands, he’s already filling it up! 😊
Lucy Mo
Original Author
last month
Yours look lovely. i think my problem is also that the piano is not centralised so it all looks a bit off to me. unfortunately for us these are not reading books but musical scores for work so there really isnt a lot we can get rid of but i will do my absolute best!!
Betty Boo
last month
Hello Lucy, I too, encourage you to have a really good clear out and be as ruthless as you can, perhaps getting a friend on board to help you let things go. Only keep the essential books you need for work and hopefully some of your music books can be donated or at least recycled and by doing this you’ll create the space and the look you want. I would then tackle the cupboard which seems crammed full and perhaps clear the top of the piano too. The more you get rid of the better the space will be to work in and enjoy. I wish you luck and hope you’ll show us your transformation!
Lucy Mo thanked Betty Boo
Lucy Mo
Original Author
last month
Thank you so much. You’re very right, rhis room was meant to be a lovely work room and has turned into a dumping ground. i am embarrassed by it but i dont have anything of sentimental value in here and have filled two bin liners (lots of stuff left over from wedding being stored in here) so i am ready to be ruthless. the cupboard is my wardrobe and aboit th only thing that is organised to be honest 😝 will definitely update after my cull!
Sonia
last month
Stacey Solomon’s programme this week was the home of a music teacher and family who were overwhelmed with stuff everywhere, much worse than yours, and Stacey and the team helped them let go of some stuff and then they updated the rooms. So I wonder if it would inspire you? It’s called Sort Your Life Out and I think it’s on iplayer too.
Lucy Mo
Original Author
last month
I love that programme but i think you all might mistaken me for a hoarder on here. the rest of my house is clutter free. the book case is a problem because it is filled with books that get used. we are both performers. And the room is currently a state because like i said there are things going on elsewhere inmy house that have meant things are getting dumped in my work room. the problem is not the general clutter but the

book shelves.
Isla Cherry
last month
The shelves are in place now and I think anything custom built will be very expensive. Try and get rid of as much as you can and consider small bookcases in other locations. Don't panic. If the rest of your house is immaculate this can be too. Consider storing your books either by colour or by size rather than order or alphabetical. You could also store them by subject. One option might be to paint the wall behind them a darker colour. A navy blue or dark green is very calming. Just take it slowly, I've got rid of books in haste and regretted it. Buy some plastic trugs (you can reuse them later for storage) and put the books you like or need the least in there for now. If you painted the wall dark and possibly the shelves too the piano would also blend in. if you don't fancy painting think of wallpapering maybe with sheet music. I also like storing books horizontally because it allows the shelves to breathe.
Lucy Mo thanked Isla Cherry
123
last month
I think a really quick fix would be to clear the ends of your shelves. The books overhanging the ends make it look like they are different lengths or even sagging. If each end was clear you could see they were the same length. And painting the wall dark would look good too I think
Lucy Mo thanked 123
Lucy Mo
Original Author
last month
Yes im definitrly up for painting and think this could look more uniform. book cull commences tonight and ive bought some book end things so will uodate after phase 1! i have a very dark blue in master bedroom so perhaps ill look at a green. i love green. but forst things first. tackle the clutter!!
eleanor_paints
last month
Hi Lucy, I think temple274's idea is good, and to take it further my first thought on seeing your shelves was to add sides to them (with the same wood rather than bookends), so it becomes a bit more like a bookcase instead of floating shelves. I think neatening up the ends in this way will also help it to look tidier if you can't get rid of much (I really struggle to get rid of books!). With the bookend idea, you could then move some of the ornaments around - putting some into their own spaces lower down to break up the solid rows of books.

A dark green sounds fantastic, and if you do that, could you perhaps stain the shelves a darker wood colour as well? Something like walnut?
Lucy Mo thanked eleanor_paints
Anna G
last month
Would magazine files fit? Might make it easier to pull out the music you need without everything else leaning over. Ikea have a decent selection.
Sonia
last month
I think once you have sorted what you want to keep, then painting the wall behind, and maybe even the shelves, in a colour you love it will certainly smarten things up. Where the lower shelves stop where the picture is, could you add more shelving there, or will the door be in the way? No one thinks you’re a hoarder, you are nowhere near that! I’m sharing a couple of pictures of book storage which is more realistic, that is the shelves are FULL of books but still have a neat vibe. I think you’ll like the first one!
Lucy Mo thanked Sonia
Eileen Nixon
last month
Bit worried about the horses head, is that there to remind you to keep the shelves tidy?….
Tanya Llewellyn
last month
I can relate to piles of music everywhere! Have you considered a filing cabinet or two (not the yucky metal ones, but something more in keeping with your style) for at least some of your music, and incorporate it/them into the shelf wall, which will then free up space for other books.

2 drawer solid wood:

3 dr mahogany (fancy!)

3 dr oak

More budget-friendly version:
Lucy Mo thanked Tanya Llewellyn
siobhanmcgee90
last month
Clear everything out, paint the shelves and wall a lovely colour you love and then rigorously arrange the books in alphabetic order in groups interspersed with objects you love. You will need book ends to do this properly. I think the shorter shelves look like they are toppling over so maybe have a bookend at each end. I would move the piano out of that spot and have it on a wall on its own and have full shelves there.

Disappointing Library wall advice!

Lucy Mo
Original Author

Comments (23)

Jonathan

Lucy Mo
Original Author

Related Discussions

temple274

Isla Cherry

Lucy Mo
Original Author

Lucy Mo
Original Author

Sonia

Sonia

Lucy Mo
Original Author

Betty Boo

Lucy Mo
Original Author

Sonia

Lucy Mo
Original Author

Isla Cherry

123

Lucy Mo
Original Author

eleanor_paints

Anna G

Sonia

Eileen Nixon

Tanya Llewellyn

siobhanmcgee90

COMPANY

EXPLORE HOUZZ

CONNECT WITH US

Disappointing Library wall advice!

Lucy MoOriginal Author

Comments (23)

Lucy MoOriginal Author

Related Discussions

Lucy MoOriginal Author

Lucy MoOriginal Author

Lucy MoOriginal Author

Lucy MoOriginal Author

Lucy MoOriginal Author

Lucy MoOriginal Author

COMPANY

EXPLORE HOUZZ

CONNECT WITH US

Lucy Mo
Original Author

Lucy Mo
Original Author

Lucy Mo
Original Author

Lucy Mo
Original Author

Lucy Mo
Original Author

Lucy Mo
Original Author

Lucy Mo
Original Author

Lucy Mo
Original Author