I’m happy to be participating in Bookending Spring 2020 hosted by Fictionally Sam and Cuppa Clo! Today’s prompt is:

Smile for the Shelfie!

Take a picture of your bookshelves and/or stacks and explain how you organize your books!

Hello Readers! My new shelving system is finally done and ready to be seen! We recently had new flooring done throughout the house. We’ve lived in our current home for almost 18 years, and our kids (okay, teens and a young adult) still had the original carpeting in their rooms. Yuck! It was time for something better!

We had been told getting new floors was pretty much like moving, but we really had no idea. Everything had to be packed up and taken off the walls. (Whatever was left out ended up with a thick coat of dust.) But as I was packing up my books, shelf by shelf, I was already thinking of how much fun it would be when I got to unpack them. Fellow book lovers know what I’m talking about! 😉

My books used to be spread out across the house. Three Ikea bookshelves were in the living room, two Ikea bookshelves were in a small office, and one large bookshelf in our bedroom, which we would keep. I’ve dreampt about how great it would be to have all my books in one room! My own personal library!! My husband conceded that they do take up a lot of room in the living room. 😉 But we put those thoughts on hold until after the floors were done.

A few weeks later, the floors were done (and yes, yes, they turned out great, but we’re here for the bookshelves, right??), Covid-19 was closing in, and we realized shopping for bookshelves would mean online shopping. Until my husband decided to build me some shelves instead. Because he did have time to fill anyway, right?

I was a little nervous about this idea. He’s pretty handy, but he’s never built shelves. And my books are my babies!! But he sketched out what he was thinking (even leaving space for a desk), and I could finally see his vision–and was on board!

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While he was working on my shelving system, I did get to unpack a few boxes of books and put them on the larger shelf we were keeping in our room, which helped the room start to feel like home again. I was happy to finally display all my favorite series together on one shelf. And I reserved one shelf as a kind of TBR library; as I read a book, I can move it off of the shelf and add another one on. Because I know I’ll never run out of new books to read. 😉 The blank space in the middle is reserved for Bookstagram pics!

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We ordered everything we needed for the shelving system online except the wood and stain. While my husband planned and built these himself, there are many DIY plans on Pinterest, too. Or you can simply google “DIY Shelving System”.

Once the shelves were attached to the wall, I let them sit overnight to make sure they were dry and acclimated. The next day felt a little bit like Christmas morning because I knew I had a blank slate for my books! I will admit I was overwhelmed at first. Where do I even start?? I decided to start with my collections and favorite books first, then work from there. I separated my books by genre and author before I started placing them on my shelves.

It took me all day and part of a second day, but I was finally happy with the result!

I left spaces to add more books, of course, and a few plants, plus I was able to display some of my kids’ art work and some of my favorite bookish items.

Next, we were waiting on the hairpin legs we ordered to attach to the desk. (We found some online at DIY Hairpin Legs and they shipped super fast!) We decided not to attach the desk to the wall or shelving system so it could be moved. The desk fits perfectly!

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Now, we just need a chair and a rug! 😉 Thank you for stopping by and indulging me!

Happy Wandering!