After – Styling by Maria Killam Colour & DesignBecause the millwork was already dark I chose silver as the overall theme. The gorgeous vases that look like lamps because I positioned them directly underneath the lights were $39.99/each. The large ornate silver frames (which still need photos), $12.99, the bookends, $19.99, the Zebra $39.99, the silver apple and pear $9.99/each, the cylinder vases $9.99 and $12.99 and the Ginko leaf $12.99.
My clients are dentists, so their textbooks (which were bright red and blue) were reversed to keep this vignette sophisticated! Total cost $232.00. All from Homesense.
BeforeMy client has tons of books (which will go into the library) but we wanted these shelves to be more decorative since they are right next to the kitchen dining area.
Related posts:
Happiness is. . . a Styled Bookshelf
How to Create a Vignette or Tablescape (Washington Post Blog Watch)
When should you buy a book for its cover?
Those vases do like like lamps! Very clever, Maria! I've been pulling books out of the donate box to raise some things up and I'm covering them in scrap book papers that coordinate.
ReplyDeleteIt looks so nice. I'm excited because my Dad is going to build me a bookcase in my LR.
ReplyDeleteVery pretty, Maria. So clever of you to position those vases so that they glow so beautifully. And I think your sculpture might be a gingko leaf.
ReplyDeleteVery pretty and very clever to put the books backwards. I always admire styled bookshelves but to me bookshelves are for books and I never have enough shelves for the books in my house. That would be my own fault since I love books even more than shoes. My point, obviously, is that you won't find any styled bookshelves at my place.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of the backwards book too.
ReplyDeleteLooks fantastic, Maria... thanks for sharing!! Looking forward to seeing how you pull together the library's bookshelves ;-)
ReplyDeleteVictoria
Love the play of light on the vases!
ReplyDeleteNICE!
ReplyDeleteLove the balance of things, and those vases and pretty objects, so cool!
By the way, the leaf looks like a GINKO leaf (Ginko biloba)to me....
These trees line many streets in New York!
I have that zebra -- he's so cute :-) And I've seen the Book Lover bookends at HS too -- I would have bought them for my office if I didn't already have bookends :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat way to showcase the vases by placing them directly under the lights. They look great!!
Kelly
What a great idea to reverse the books.
ReplyDeleteVery clever!
Looks great--I especially love the silver leaf. As a book lover, I'm always amazed when I go to style a client's bookcase, and when I ask "okay where are the books?" all they can come up with are a couple of recent bestsellers, a yearbook or two, and a battered textbook. But I do envy people without a book addiction who can maintain impeccably styled shelves instead of the crammed ones of my own bookcases. I weed my book collection ruthlessly twice a year or so and they are always overflowing again in a couple of months.
ReplyDeleteMK, it looks fantastic! Love the affect with the vases -- too cool.
ReplyDeleteWow, beautiful Maria! Very sophisticated, and The lighting is key, I would love some in my bookshelves. I would never have thought of turning the books around!
ReplyDeleteHi Maria
ReplyDeleteI particularly like the idea of turning the books backwards. Very clever.
I was once challenged to fill a wall of shelves in the dining room...with a very small budget (none. A wise woman suggested that I pull out everything I had in storage...all those wedding/birthday gifts that were never used...and use them on the shelves. It worked, beautifully! Now that I have flipped the dining room and living room, I have added books, artwork, and even simple florals. The effect is interesting...and ever-changing.
Hugs,
Jane (Artfully Graced)
Looks easy! It makes me feel like "I could do that"!!! I really like the way the vases look like little lamps or as if votives are inside...clever!
ReplyDeleteI am with TBF and DJ above that with our passion, addiction for book, Having open shelves like these is pure book rush. I don't understand why anyone would want their home to look like a sanitized show house. The irony in this bookcase: book ends of "book lover" with the paltry books cased here turned backwards. My greatest hope about my bookcases is that I can find the book I am looking for.
ReplyDeleteOff topic: thank you for sending Janice Lindsay's book to my attention. All About Color has become one of my favorites. Her writing style is amazing. And like a true book lover, her autodidact style appeals to me. Charming, intelligent, funny, wise. Thanks for the heads up for another book on my shelf!
Wow! Just to reply to many of the comments above. We ARE big readers, and that is why we are turning one of our rooms into a reading room/library that Maria was talking about. This bookshelf is in a highly visible area close to the kitchen. It just would not make sense to have books that you refer to often in this particular bookshelf. Maria, you've done a fabulous job and I look forward to seeing the rest of the transformation.
ReplyDeletethe vases are stunning under the lights like that!!! love it all!! the reversed textbooks are perfect!
ReplyDeletexoxoxo
I always love seeing your bookshelves Maria.
ReplyDeleteThe silver really pops against the dark cabinetry.
It was a great idea to reverse textbooks. I've also covered books with white paper in order to have a cleaner look.
Great job.
xo
Brooke
My pearl necklaces are from the shopping channel...I love the Jackie Kennedy Collection because they are copies of her mothers chanel pearls from the 20's. I just checked and there is one set left @ #569-578 3 strand faux pearl with crystal clasp (chanel pearls were always faux!)
ReplyDeleteThese are cool, you can chanel them...Next time they are on will be Feb 2010 I think, I will keep you upto date if you want...
Regards, Carol Ann
Very pretty! I also like to add fun plates propped up on a small easel.
ReplyDeleteHi Home Before Dark,
ReplyDeleteMy cient has 3 more very tall bookcases that will be filled up with all her books when we get to her library. This one is in her dining room so we wanted it to be more decorative. Thanks for your opinion!
Maria
well 200 for three small shelves is not exactly cheap - imagine you had 20 shelves to fill. i stand by what i said - filling shelves is expensive. it always amazes me how much stuff it takes to fill a number of shelves and that stuff starts to add up. but i must say = your shelves look wonderful. those vases are amazing. they DO look like lamps. can't wait to see the rest of the room.
ReplyDeleteoh VERY helpful. Thank you so much!!
ReplyDeleteIt's stunning! I love how you styled it and I can't believe you found all these items at HomeSense.
ReplyDeleteI spend hours at HomeSense looking for accessories and I'm lucky if I find one item that I like. How do you do it? :)
The reversed books look great too and I'd prefer to do that than to cover them with decorative paper.
Nice work Maria - your clients must be thrilled.
I can't do this at my home. There's not enough space even for the books! I am curious as to why people have bookshelves when they don't have many books? Shouldn't they just have display cabinets for the fancy stuffs?
ReplyDelete