Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Pottery Barn Inspiration

Years ago I started noticing in Pottery Barn catalogues how they would have entire book cases full of backwards books.  So that the side with the pages was facing forwards.
I always liked how it looked, but I also like seeing which books I have on my shelf.  So I never knew how to incorporate this.

Here's a bedroom from the current Pottery Barn catalogue, notice the books in the background-
backwards, and the look is so soothing
 Here's another one... all of the books piled to the side of the couch and under the table are angled so that we see the pages.  again- much more calm looking that all of the different colors.
 This picture is not pottery barn (well not that I'm aware of), but it is REALLY similar to the original Pottery Barn picture that I noticed all of the backwards books in.  Don't you love all of the creams and whites?
I recently heard Genevieve Gorder on "Dear Genevieve" explain that when you are styling bookcases that seem too crazy and loud, take it down to just one color.  That becomes super calm. So then add in one more color for interest, but not too chaotic.  Or go full color for a big statement.  But basically she was saying (in much more eloquent words), that the number of different colors affects the feel of the bookcases.  Less colors = soothing and calm, more colors = expression and big statement (but maybe chaotic if I am the one laying things out)

And here... I love how the old books make a statement with their yellowed pages.
 So when I was trying to find things in the house to style and fill our bookcases... I found a bag of books that we intended to take to Half Price books and sell to them.  We clearly did not care about the books, so I thought, "Books we don't like or want?? GREAT! I can put them BACKWARDS on the shelf!" And so I did.

I also have a stack of newer books in a different spot on the shelf, but I forgot to take a picture of it. and I like this stack better.  But the idea is the coloring.  I love it.  Thanks Pottery Barn for a fun idea!

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