House Beautiful Decorating with Books: Use Your Library to Enhance Your Decor

From House Beautiful comes a worthy addition to any decorator's library—a stylish guide on making books a part of your home

Opening the pages of a book can instantly carry you off to another world. But did you realize that, open or closed, books can also make your real world—your home—more fabulous? As legendary designer Billy Baldwin pointed out, they're "the best decoration," capable of bringing incredible warmth, color, and character to a room. From grand bookcases in home libraries to casual stacks artfully arrayed on chairs, House Beautiful presents countless eye-catching ideas for displaying and arranging your hardcovers, paperbacks, encyclopedias, and even valuable first editions. Useful tips shed light on how to organize a large collection; situate bookcases in the room for the best effect; and make the most of books' appealing visual and tactile qualities. From traditional interpretations to contemporary visions—such as putting a book on a pedestal as an objet d'art—these concepts write a new page in design.