Is there anything in this world more reassuring, more relaxing, more calming and more friendly than row after row of books stacked neatly on shelves...in your own home? I think not.
Steven Heller writes an essay at Design Observer titled, Decorative Books: The End of Print. Part of Steven's article deals with digital media replacing print. This is a concept that my brain cannot process. Print will never die. Therefore I choose to ignore anything (not that Steven postulates this concept) said to the contrary. The rest of Steven's work, along with reader's comments, is interesting and thought provoking.
A link provided by commenter M. Kingsley brought the whole concept of decorating with books into perspective for me. I must warn you, the link that I am about to place here is not for the faint of heart. It is sacrilegious and when I have finished writing I am going to register a formal complaint to children services in the town of the writer. Link. If this is not one of the most irreverent things you have ever seen, then you are lacking in the department of soul.
And soul is what this is all about. If you display books that you've read, that you've dog-earred, that you've spilled coffee in, that you've high lighted, that you've written in, that you've caressed and smelled, that you've clutched close to your chest and wept over, that you've lost yourself in, that you've found yourself in, that you've written to its author, that you've treated as a friend, then your home has soul. If you display books that you've bought for the sake of displaying, then the books do not contribute to any shred of soul that could be found in your home.
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