Book Keepers

Book Keepers

By Guest Blogger: LaMar Lisman

Jan 23, 2009 - 10:35 AM

I can tell you everything I need to know about a perspective client 10 minutes after I walk into their space. How? My opinion is quickly based on how many or how few books they have. Books are accessories that have a soul. I adore them—everywhere. Over the years I have had the opportunity to work on some lavish and impressive homes, but without a book in sight, they can feel hollow and empty.

Books don’t just need to go on shelves. By now, everyone has seen chic layouts of large books cleverly arranged on coffee tables. I love a big stack of impressive books stacked next to an occasional chair. They create instant interest and can even double as an end table. Don’t just arrange them vertically on shelves, try stacking them horizontally and mixing in fun objects. I especially enjoy books mixed in with globes, fragments of sea glass and even a magnifying glass or two.

Nightstands should always have a book on them. (And like mine, stacked next to them.) Books are also the perfect accessory if you are someone that can’t abide knick-knacks. Whether your home is clean line contemporary or elegantly traditional, books are always appropriate. They are simple to move, functional and at the very least will speak volumes (pun intended) about your educational pedigree.

—LaMar Lisman, CEO and Interior Designer, Lisman Studio, SLC

Reader Comments:

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Jan 23, 2009 12:12 pm

Posted by Anonymous

I have this look—unintentionally! Except it's more New Yorker magazines than books. Do you have a suggestion for keeping magazines tidy and good looking, especially for those of us who subscribe to weeklies?

Feb 4, 2009 10:49 am

Posted by Anonymous

I organize my magazines by keeping the different titles separated and by placing them on shelves, some vertically like books in a library, and others stacked face up. Visually, it makes them look more interesting and easy to access.