Who doesn't love a well-organised Library that looks like a work of art?
Hi and welcome to my latest Project. With my continuous Gemmology education, I wanted to have as many Gemmology related books as I could to be able to create a beautiful and unique work of art Library at home.
In this blog, I will be taking you through the steps I took to create a unique feature wall full of books and ornaments so you can proudly show it off to your colleagues and friends.
This is all made and written by me
Feel free to make it as small or as big as you need it and If you have any questions, you can always drop me a message on Instagram
Materials
Bookcase: I'm using Ikea - Billy collection in Black-Brown colour. I'm using 2 x 80x28x202 cm (IKEA UK LINK)- You can purchase them separately or together. Currently, they are £65.00 each (January 2022)
Books: I'm working with just over 50 Gemmology related books, I could easily fit them all in a couple of shelves, but where is the fun in that?
Ornaments: Anything from Gemmology Art, Geodes, Bookends, Minerals, Plants, Boxes etc.
TIP: This would be a great time to make a list of all of your books - Check out mine HERE
1st Step
Start with an empty Bookcase
2nd Step
Organise your Books
Organise by Size, Category, Colour, Paperback or Hardback.
This will be your library so you will have to decide. I started to organise my books by Category, but after I did it I decided that I would prefer to have all my books organised by size. I think it just looks better.
Step 3
Decide on your middle section
The middle section in your library is the most important. It where your eyes go to - your eye level
It is okay to change it afterwards, I had to change mine several times due to being able to fit all books on different levels.
When you have decided on the middle section, work out the bottom of your bookcase.
Step 4
Work out the base of your Library
I used 4 white storage boxes from Ikea. They are called TJENA Available in different sizes and colours.
Mine is 25x35x20 cm in WHITE. made from recycled paper. I could have picked Black to match my bookcase but wanted a bit of contrast.
Tip: If you use storage boxes, you can hide whatever you don't want on display, also if you remove them it leaves you space for new books and you don't have to redo your library just because you bought another book.
Step 5
Work on the next Level up
The level above your bottom shelf is best kept for Magazines, Printouts, Educational Materials, Catalogues and any other materials that are Gemmology related but not classified as books.
TIP: Make sure you leave gaps in between with ornaments or folders so when you get more magazines you can remove the ornaments and add the new additions to the shelf.
Step 6
Make the top shelf stand out
I'm using a variety of ornaments and my very popular Emerald cut Diamond Print (HERE). Mixing art within the library is a very clever way to add a bit of uniqueness to the visual appeal.
Displaying Books in a variety of ways
The standard way to display your books is found in most libraries, but I love to display them in a way that you can see the cover. Gemmology books have one of the best covers, with beautiful jewellery, outstanding Diamonds and Gemstones, so why not show them off.
TIP: Only Display the "Cover" way with books that are Hardback or with many pages. Otherwise, they will fall and will not be able to stay upright.
You can also stack the books up with an ornament on top
Ornaments I used in my Gemmology Library
Step 7
Final Touches
Here is the perfect time to add the final touches, tweak, step back, look at every angle and if you are happy with it - congratulations. You've just created a work of ART
If you have any questions or need help with creating your library,
please let me know via Direct Message on Instagram
Have I inspired you? Have you created your Work of Art by following my steps?
Don't forget to tag me in your creations on Instagram. I would love to see your Library