9 Ideas for Bookcases, Bookshelves & Books

When is the last time you went to the library or bought a book? There are days when I get scared people will forget what books look and feel like, and they won't have bookshelves in their homes, or old fashion printed books on paper that you hold in your hands. Don't think that will happen?

Think about today's kids who don't recognize the phones we used a few years ago, you know … the ones that sat on the desk, hung on the wall or phone booths? In my handyman business, I watched homes add cell phones and now that every family member has a phone, land lines are disappearing fast just to cut costs (read Technology Costs Exceed Utilities).

Bookshelves Serve Multiple Purposes

So before you admit (and I'd rather you didn't) you don't have very many books in your house, let's explore all the different ways you can use bookshelves in your house. And of course, I'm hoping that if you've got some bookcases, they'll provide a reason to keep some old fashion books around.

• Bookshelves can/should be used to organize books so you can find them easily.
• Bookshelves can combine books with family mementos like framed photos, trophies and the wonderful treasures you pick up on vacation.
• Bookshelves are a great organizing tool when you add baskets. In the front entry way, baskets can hold hats and gloves while my office baskets are great for storing supplies because I don't have a desk with drawers.
• Bookscases can take the place of closets by folding and stacking clothes, which I prefer because I can easily scan to find the color I want to wear today. And for shoe lovers, there are short shelves that help you organize shoes around the perimeter of your closet.
• Bookcases can take the place of walls, dividing one large space into several smaller living spaces.
• Bookcases can support a desk top, giving you the ability to configure your desk to match your space. If you like this idea, you'll want to be sure to buy book cases with a fixed (not adjustable) shelf at the right height for a desk top (melamine sheets are 5/8 inches thick and well, I'll let you calculate the height for an ergonomic desk).

Bookcases Can Store Many Things

So here let's have fun and use photos to tell the story, about where you can find bookshelves and what they holds. So here's a fantastic way to add more bookshelves and more storage, for very little space. With most bookshelves 12 inches deep, you can add built-in shelves like these that create a library in what otherwise, would be an ordinary hallway.

Most of the time the space under staircases is lost, or there's a closet but it's hard to access whatever you're storing in that tight space. That's why we're seeing more open storage under stairs, both open bookshelves, drawers or a combination of both like you see here.

Another fun approach to adding more bookshelves, is to combine them with a door. They're called “hidden doors” and they're lots of fun because they add mystery to our homes and lives, especially when there's fun stuff behind the door.