Bookshelves in the age of e-books - The Washington Post

Unfortunately, bookshelves are suffering from the same fate as the television armoire — some of us just don’t need them. Instead of housing our libraries, bookshelves have become the dumping ground for tchotchkes, mail, papers, picture frames, empty vases and, on occasion, an actual book. The empty cavities attract only chaos and disorder. Of course, there are things you can do to improve your shelves’ appearance in the absence of books: Fill them with smart-looking storage boxes (check out colored and patterned varieties at www.containerstore.com or www.ikea.com, but make sure you measure the shelves before you buy), display a well-edited collection of ceramics or other objects, or use pictures, either leaning or hung over the shelf, to fill voids. Just keep in mind that unlike closets and closed cabinets, open shelves reveal everything, which means one needs to take more care in their styling.

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