After going to the Warby Parker 121 Greene store… I became absolutely obsessed with finding color-coded books. I thought it would be super fun to go to random bookstores throughout New York City and different thrift stores and whatnot to collect books. Yep. I got overwhelmed during my first trip. All of a sudden the books were everywhere (duh) and I couldn’t make final decisions on the selection. Then I gave up.
Warby Parker recently sent me a book (a super cute old book!) and it re-inspired me to look for more books. But this time, I was definitely not going to do it on my own. Vintage collecting? Not my forte! However, there are a bunch of people out there who are amazing at it!
Some of my inspiration:
via Babble
During my “research,” I stumbled on Jamie Birkholz and her Etsy shop Jaysworld.
Her collections are great! Oh, I’m just swooning away over here.
I think that a bunch on a bookshelf or even just a few stacked on a table would be such a nice touch in any home.
What do you think of color curated book collections?
xoxo
I think color-coded book collections are stupid. What's the point of owning a book if it's not one you've read and love? And to organize by color instead of topic means you clearly have no intention of looking at the book again (unless you can remember what color it was).
Completely agree with you, Casey! I went through a phase in middle school where I arranged my books by color, but they were all books I had read and loved many times 🙂 Books are alive, and look great on a shelf if they MEAN something–but buying them just because of how they look or to decorate with is so pretentious and wasteful.
(I also really hate it when people destroy books for craft projects…but that's another story)
I love this idea! I've always wanted a library in my future house, but if I don't have one, I'm totally ok with shelves or a stack of them around! Such a fun and different decor idea!
-Meghan
meghanbanke.com
It combines two of my favorite things – color coding and books! I love it. Hopefully I can make that happen some day!
Kate
katethealmostgreat.blogspot.com
I love collecting books! I think they are really nice to have around the house and I also like the fact that I will always have something to read. The color coding idea is an even cuter way to collect books! I really want a library in my new home. I have always wanted one since I saw Beauty and the Beast when I was little 🙂
Hunter
preponabudge.blogspot.com
Where is the white leaning book case from? This is such a cute blog post!
I think this is a bit of a good idea, bad idea thing. I hate when books are used for craft projects, but so long as they're still readable then I would say go for it. I think it would be best if you tossed in a few books you've actually read here and there and remember you can find beautiful books everywhere.
Mana
Fashion and Happy Things
For the purpose of practicality, I only keep books I love and would want to read again and again. Maybe a better idea would be to hunt for old editions of books you have read and love or the classics – the printed fabric bound books are gorgeous! Hunting for just one title might make sorting through books online a little bit easier, and if there's a book store you can just ask the seller where that particular title can be found. That way you can have the best of both worlds, your favorite novels and a beautiful collection of colorful books.
Love the color curated look! I have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to bookcase styling: http://pinterest.com/ktoupsrd/bookcase-styling/