Profile of a Bookworm

I have always loved books. I once read that you burn more calories reading a book than watching television. Perhaps because your brain is so active imagining all the possibilities while you are reading. Or maybe your brain is just busy digesting information, whether it is fiction or not. I love to read and I cannot get rid of a book.

When I walk into a home full of books, I know that I will connect with the inhabitants. I love to see what people have on their bookshelves or on their coffee table. It is a glimpse into their world and gives me an idea of who they are. Maybe I am prejudging them, casing the joint, performing some sort of bookworm profiling. Books say a lot about people, and I am fascinated by this.

This presents a practical issue when decorating. Where do you put all of those books?  I have books tucked away in every nook and cranny of this house. They are stuffed in cabinets, stacked under the coffee table and piled up on nightstands. Inside of the closets you are more likely to find books than clothes.

I recently found this incredible poster from Charles Scribner publishing. It combines several things I love: peacocks, books, and art, all in one. I decided to hang it over my bookshelves in the foyer. I love the uncluttered look of the poster above the clutter of all those books. It is perfect and inspires me.

There is a movement afoot in the decorating world to fill shelves with knick-knacks, pottery, art, or anything else but books. I have even seen them covering the spines with paper so they all match. I find this offends my inner intellectual. I think books should have a place in the world of design and it should be a place of honor. Add other things with the books to create interest on your shelves, paint the back of the shelf a fabulous color, and let the books tell the story about who you are, for the nosy bookworms out there like me.

© copyright 2012 Mariam d’Eustachio. All rights reserved.