Bookworm
You can't talk about home office storage without mentioning IKEA. Where would the home office be without their Expedit bookshelves? Here is a very nice use of open shelving and this is what makes it work: It is centered on the wall and items flank both sides of it filling in the space The wall is painted a color so the white shelving stands out against it The top is accessorized beautifully — not crammed with stuff that didn't fit in the shelves — so it looks attractive and substantial in scale Closed storage is provided by nice-looking black and white boxes It is not stuffed to overflowing The whole office is decorated in a black and white color scheme with the patterned drapes picking up the colors in the books on the shelves.
An armoire, a vintage chest, two floating shelves and two plastic folding tables were magically transformed into an attractive office through the use of good design principles. The armoire and chest hide all the not-so-pretty necessities. The shelves handle display duty, with desktop items coordinated by color. Notice that even though the desks are not high-end items, they still fill the space, which suggests a custom-fitted look. The shelves also fill the available wall space.
raw Some of us have odd-sized and shaped things that we need to store, so we have to think outside the box. And for creativity's sake, it can help to have those things out where we can see them instead of behind closed doors. In this office, a big cylindrical bin holds rolls of fabric. A garment rack holds paper patterns or templates. Clear plastic storage boxes keep things tidy, but visible. Black and white storage boxes on the floor at the back coordinate with the black and white ottoman in the foreground.
The attractive bins on these open shelves hold books, files and heaven-knows-what because we can't see it. Mixed in with the display items, the bins themselves become display items. A handful of books have been covered with attractive wrapping paper or wall paper. You don't need to hide books — it is an office after all — but some reference books or binders aren't all that attractive. If you are focusing on creating a very pretty space, this technique will turn your books into display items. This will work best if you have a small number of books that you can group by subject so you can remember which is which. If you need to see the titles of your books, grouping them by the color of the covers will make them look more attractive.
This beautiful office has a combination of furniture pieces offering closed storage and open display. Tip: Before you go out to buy storage pieces for your office, take stock of all the things you will need to keep in your office. Decide what can be on display and what will be better off hidden. Think of it in terms of how many cubic feet of each you have, then buy your storage pieces accordingly.
Repeat after me: "Fill the space." The secret to creating a look that looks like high-end built-in cabinets is to fill the space you have as completely as possible. These freestanding shelves almost perfectly fill the niches. They could have been purchased as single units, or could have been four separate bookcases in each niche. Whatever it takes to fill that wall or niche, fill it up instead of having a too-tiny storage unit stranded in the middle of a big wall.
If you love the look of built-ins but are working with freestanding pieces, create a tight, balanced and symmetrical grouping. If this office only had one of the taller units and the chest against this wall, the room would look lopsided and the furniture pieces would feel more like clutter than organization. By using two of the taller units, flanking them tight on both sides of the chest, and then using a mirror that perfectly fills the gap and is taller than the two side units, this designer has created an attractive and substantial arrangement.
One of the keys to making freestanding shelving look as substantial as built-ins is to fill the wall entirely with the shelving — even if it takes more than one unit. Using three of these shelving units side by side along one wall makes them look as if they are built in. In this example, a red unit between the black ones adds visual interest and a custom look.
the bookshelf
bookcases
books!!!
a very cool reading nook
books of course!
bookcases
the blackboard paint inside the bookshelves
the paint on the table, the books!
bookshelves and window seat.
bookshelves on either side of the window. I could also put a bookshelf on it's side in front of the window to create a bench and moore storage below.
black painted bookshelfs
the bookshelves
I love the bookshelves on either side of the fireplace and the color of the fireplace.
A wall of books!
love the colors, the books and the fireplace mantle
Bathroom reading time!
bookshelf arrangement
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