Backwards Bookshelves: Love It or Hate It?
Backwards bookshelves are controversial, here in the book world.
You know the concept: you take all your pretty, well-loved books and just… turn them the wrong way out.
J. Crew did it a few years ago as part of the display in their stores. Joanna Gaines does it sometimes on Fixer Upper. It’s been cropping up lately…like the ubiquitous color-coded bookshelves that are so popular right now…and readers have kind of strong feelings about the whole idea.
Some readers love it… some readers hate it… some readers just don’t get it. (“Why would you…How do you find the book you want…Why?!!”)
I myself am a fan…I had my books turned backward for the whole summer and I kind of loved it. It was simple and clean and pretty.
Maybe someday I’ll return to the traditional alphabetical…or even the elusive autobiographical. But I loved the simplicity of turning all my books backward, at least for a little while.
What do you think? Are backwards bookshelves beautiful or crazy-making? Do you love it or hate it?
More about bookshelf organizational systems:
Would You Organize Your Books By Color?
7 Ways to Organize Your Books (Other than Alphabetically)
