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[KALLIE]

I have 2 bookcases in my home - one in a bedroom that is my office and one in my kitchen.

The one in my office probably has about 50, some of my favorite fiction and some non fiction.

The one in my kitchen is all cookbooks - I'm guessing around 50.

[chi5925]

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@house_cat wrote:

@chi5925

Sooooooo pretty!

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Thank you for the nice words.

[Nomore]

Books are not really displayed at my home,  I wish it looked like @chi5925!  I have cookbooks next to my kitchen on a wall shelf for the ones I refer to regularly like Joy of Cooking, etc. Then there's some stacked on the fireplace for height for decor, but the books are reference type books for the whole family.  The rest are all down in the basement main room on a tall bookshelf my husband made. Those are mostly nature and rock/ gemstone reference books. The current reading books are in my bedroom and they will be passed on afterwards to whoever or whatever.  I finally got rid of all my old textbooks, from many years ago. I love the smell of books!

[PamfromCT]

Hi @chi5925, What a beautiful bookcase you have!  It shows that the enjoyment of books can lead to beauty in one's home.  Not always clutter.  I do love books and have many I will have as long as I can.  I am presently culling my collection, getting rid of old cookbooks and craft books I no longer have interest in.  I especially enjoy my art books and books relating to beautiful places I have been to or hope to go.  I have a collection of spiritual books in a small bookcase, which I treasure.  Of course, nothing is displayed as beautifully as in your home.  I do assume this was a custom design just for you.  and, as a side note, I have several pieces of antique children's items in my home - that little stuffed animal in a chair is so darling.  

[SHOPR]

We love to read, so it's nice to be among others who feel the same.  Not many in our family enjoy reading as we do.  I didn't pick up the hobby until I was an adult.  In school, I always felt it was just a necessary evil. 

Our built-in bookcase holds between 100 and 150 hardcover books ranging from new ones we chose to old inherited books.  None are of any value except to us, but I think they add a certain charm and character, and they make me happy.  I do re-read books every now and then, but not as often as I would like. 

We have 150-200 more books, including paperbacks, in storage trunks, where they are accessible, but hidden from view.

@chi5925, Your bookcase looks so nice! 

@house_cat, I've only had to move my books once, and not very far away.  I'm certain I would scale down, if I had to move them again. 

[chi5925]

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@PamfromCT wrote:

Hi @chi5925, What a beautiful bookcase you have!  It shows that the enjoyment of books can lead to beauty in one's home.  Not always clutter.  I do love books and have many I will have as long as I can.  I am presently culling my collection, getting rid of old cookbooks and craft books I no longer have interest in.  I especially enjoy my art books and books relating to beautiful places I have been to or hope to go.  I have a collection of spiritual books in a small bookcase, which I treasure.  Of course, nothing is displayed as beautifully as in your home.  I do assume this was a custom design just for you.  and, as a side note, I have several pieces of antique children's items in my home - that little stuffed animal in a chair is so darling.  

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Actually these are 3 bookcases from Ikea:  outside cases are the 31 1/2" wide ones and the one in the middle is the 15 1/2" wide and all are 78 1/2 high x 11 1/2" deep.  They are called "Billy":bookcases. They are very inexpensive and you can just get them plain (without the doors) or with doors since doors are sold separately.  The doors come in all glass (like I have) OR you can get the doors where there is glass to the middle of the door and then the bottom half of the door is solid.  Bookcases come in white, brown, black, or birch color.

I did change out the knobs with ones I purchased at Lowes instead of the cheapy looking ones that came with the bookcase.

I had them delivered to my home and installed by the guys that delivered them.  It was well worth the additional $150 (delivery + set up).  They attached bookcases to the wall with brackets and installed the light fixtures (inside narrow bookcase + fixtures on top)  and removed all boxes and cleaned up when done.

Oh....I also replaced the 2 top shelves in the middle narrow bookcase with glass so that the light inside that bookcase shines down thru the glass.

I researched long and hard to what would work for me in my limited space (they are located in kind of an alcove off of my living room). 

[athenian]

On moving with books:  we haven't moved for 25 years, but we have a strict no double shelving and no books on tables or floor policy.  Years ago we shipped our books by Greyhound when we moved, much cheaper than movers.  I know people who ship their books by USPS book rate. 

[Mominohio]

There are probably thousands of books in my house, some in book cases, some used as risers in home decor, antique family Bibles on display, but many packed up and put away.

The most of our books are children's. I don't care how advanced technology gets, physical books belong in the hands of children. My son read ( or was read to) every day, sometimes for hours. I've saved those kids books for his children (some are even mine, my dads, and my great uncle's childhood books).

My son has interest/career/and hobbies in machining and gunsmithing. So over the course of several years, I built him a library of technical books and manuals for those things, and those books have to number in the one hundrend range, easily.

My husband and I enjoy history (especially American history) and we have a small collection of books based on that interest. We also live in an area where a local author (Louis Bromfield) is very popular, and his home and farm made into a state park. We have all his books as well.

I will say I struggle with the storage of books, and because of that, I don't keep or buy novels. If I pick one up at a thrift store or library sale I read it and back out it goes, as I never re read fiction books. I don't care for cookbooks either, and have only a handful of those. 

I don't ever see myself going to any kind of electronic reader, as I love the smell of books (new ones, old ones), and the feel of books. I firmly believe that people with interests or hobbies or careers that they wish reference material for, should build libraries in the areas they need. I think that as time passes, the cost of books will rise, because they will print less and less of them as people access everything electronically. I also think that many obscure and outdated titles will all but disappear as well, because there won't be a market for them to be printed.

I love to go to book sales, and always manage to take home some, but I've gotten pretty good at moving some out when some come in.  

[insomniac2]

Around a thousand. (I used to have more, but now live in an apartment.)

[AnikaBrodie]

We have bookcases full of books in our den, living room, family room and even the dining room.  We love books and I have no idea how many we have.  It could be hundreds or perhaps more.  I never count them; I just enjoy them.  I also collect cookbooks (yes, I use them) and have upwards of 60 to 70 in my collection.  We also donate books on occasion.  DH has a number of old books from his childhood.

We also purchase books twice a year at our public library sale.  When we arrive we're given an oversized shopping bag, and fill it for $20.00 with as many books as we can fit in the bag.  We usually come home with over 20 books in a variety of topics.

Books are a source of fun, knowledge, education and, of course, travel, among other things.  I would never consider books clutter!

Just leave room for the cat.