bookcase styling

One of my favorite looks.  This one is by Emily Henderson

A well-styled bookcase can make all the difference in a room, and will usually be the focal point. Do you have a bookcase that's waiting for a special makeover?  Here are some great design tips from House Beautiful and HGTV: 

*Have a clean start. Remove everything from the shelves.  Discard or pack away any damaged books.

*To book or not to book. Do you want all books, some books or no books? Experiment with different ways to stack books...some vertically, some horizontally in a pleasing pattern. Horizontal books can act as bookends. 

Dimples & Tangles 

*Personalize the space. Add a favorite collection, a few shapely vases, decorative boxes or baskets & family photos. This makes the display more interesting to others and more enjoyable for you. You don't have to include all these choices.  Edit out things that don't fit in.

Stylish Bird

*Vary the height of your objects, 

and don't line things up all in a neat row.  

Niagara Novice

*Go big and bold. 

Small items get lost in the overall look.  

Flourish Design & Style

Decor Pad

*Decide whether or not you would like to add 

a special backing to your bookcase. 

The bookcase itself can be a backdrop 

with paint, fabric or wallpaper. 

Everything Fab

*Group items by theme, texture, color or shape. 

Groupings in odd numbers work best, 

and set them off-center.

Brabourne Farm

House of Jade Interiors

*Use a few stacked books as a 

pedestal for a special object.

Holly Mathis Interiors

BH&G

Solebich

*Think about the color of your books.

Do you want to sort them by color or have 

a specific color palette of only certain colors?

hgtv

*Adding a small painting is a fun option.

coastal living

centsational girl

young house love

the art of doing stuff

Lonny

cottage & vine

casa sugar

apartment therapy

*Don't over clutter. Keep in mind 

the open space around your objects

design sponge

amber interior design

 *Add a little sparkle with some glass or silver. 

A small mirror propped up does the trick too.  

habitually chic

Are you inspired yet? 

Check out some of my favorite books HERE.

ciao! fabiana

here's one for the books

A collection of books is like an old friend. Surrounding ourselves with our favorite books can be quite comforting. They take us to faraway lands and distant times and not only that, but they can enrich our lives.

Books are a beautiful thing, whether we’re reading them or just enjoying their beauty artfully displayed in our homes.

“A room without books is like a body without 

a soul.” ― Marcus Tullius Cicero

There are many little ways to enlarge your

child's world. Love of books is the best of all.

--Jackie Kennedy

“Books are the perfect entertainment: no commercials, no batteries, hours of enjoyment for each dollar spent. What I wonder is why everybody doesn't carry a book around for those inevitable dead spots in life.” 
― Stephen King

“There is no friend as loyal as a book.” 
― Ernest Hemingway

“Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: 

this is the ideal life.” ― Mark Twain

ciao! fabiana

photos via Chatelaine & Woman's Day

collecting: vintage books

Pretty and interesting vintage books are one of my favorite collectibles. I’m always on the lookout for white, blue and green books that easily fit in with my décor. Not only that, but the books have to have an interesting title or be one of my favorite novels.

A lot of times flea markets, thrift stores and public library sales offer books like these for less than a couple of dollars each. They look great on a bookcase or mingling in with your other decor. 

As you can see, Wuthering Heights is one of my faves, especially this time of the year, when the weather starts to chill and it’s comforting to curling up with a good book and a hot cup of tea. 

Hygge time!

What are some of your favorite classic books?

ciao! fabiana

P.S. Don't forget to follow me on instagram for all the latest!

book review: favorite gardening books

Summer is often the time when your garden looks its best. If you’re like me, gardening tips and advice is always welcomed, and gardening books often provide just the right dose of inspiration. This season, I discovered five gardening books that I absolutely love!

Growing Heirloom Flowers provides plenty of ideas on how to grow those pretty old-fashioned varieties that are so charming out in the garden.

Among my favorite flowers mentioned in this book are peonies, lilac, pansies and roses. They’re all quite easy to grow, and this book provides lots of helpful growing tips, flower arranging ideas and recipes. 

Look at these darling ice cubes!

Growing Heirloom Flowers is currently on sale 

on Amazon at a new super low price!

The Wellness Garden, Success with Succulents and Vegetables Love Flowers are three more of my faves. These three books encompass some of the most important things I value about gardening.

The Wellness Garden is all about surrounding yourself with plants and nature that have healing properties. Herbs for example are quite easy to grow and have many beneficial uses. 

Rosemary

I especially love the chapter on Therapeutic Gardening and growing a Healing Garden. In my garden I grow rosemary, thyme, sage and bay year round and often include these daily in my cooking. 

Not only that, but just the fragrance of these plants is beneficial even while they’re just growing in your garden. “For example, you surround a park bench with rosemary, the scent appears to a positive energy reaction.”    

Succulents are one of my most favorite things to have in the garden, and they look so great with herbs and fruit trees. And best of all, they’re pretty easy to grow. Success with Succulents offers great advice on growing these gems both outdoors and in. The book also covers the top 100 Choices in Cacti and Succulents.  

Succulents can be a little pricey and I love how this book shows you step-by–step how to root and propagate your own little menagerie of plants! 

Here’s an example of the descriptive and 

informative pages in this book.

Vegetables Love Flowers shows us how lovely companion gardening can be. And no, it doesn’t mean having a friend with you out in the yard which works beautifully, it means growing plants near each other that compliment on another.

For example, it’s a great idea to plant snapdragon next to your tomatoes to attract more pollinators like bumblebees to your tomato blossoms. More tomato blossoms mean more tomatoes!

Companion gardening is a great idea if you think about it! I love so many of the tips in this bookps which help plants grow healthier, and in turn reduces any need for pesticides, which I totally ban from my garden!

I especially think A Big Garden is a sweet book to share and read with a child. It's written and illustrated from a totally fanciful perspective. Overall, it's a very artsy book that any gardener would love.

“Landscaper Gilles Clément joins forces with illustrator Vincent Gravé to create a monthly journal for gardeners everywhere. The lush and colorful drawings contain thousands of tiny details, while poetic texts provide information on a wide range of subjects, including insects, winter, vegetable gardens and fruit." 

"The tiny figure of the gardener guides readers through this spectacular large-format book, with which these talented artists show their love for nature.”  So sweet and gorgeously illustrated!!

I hope reading about this grouping of books has inspired you in your garden, and that you’ll add one or two to your libary! 

ciao! fabiana

Here are some quick links for you...

  

Disclaimer:  I received these books as a gift and am reviewing them for free and must disclose that fact. All opinions are truly my own.