BOOK SHELVES
Few of us have the luxury of a library in our homes. But books are important and,
whether you read them or not, they are an attractive feature in any room.
Recently, watching news programmes on TV, I noticed lots of the interviewees are Zoomed in front of their bookshelves. Many of these people are journalists and books are tools of their trade. They don’t have the time nor the inclination to worry about how the books look on the shelf. But, very often, what sorry sights they are!
It is said “one should not judge a book by its cover”. But that shouldn’t stop one from displaying them in an attractive fashion.
The bookshelf was once a place to store your treasured volumes. Today, the trend has been reversed, partly fuelled by people working from home.
But more people, realising their bookshelves will come under intense scrutiny on video calls, are now keen to impress their colleagues or clients with a tasteful and interesting background.
I read that some charity bookshops have noticed customers are buying books with the intention of displaying according to the colour of the spines. Books with strong block colours seem to be “on trend“ at the moment. The Orange Penguin Classics are popular because clients think they will fit into, and enhance, their home decor.
Some chose natural colours, or uniform height to achieve not just as being well-read, but also to create a fashionable impression.
As we all spend more time at home, it is important to feel comfortable with your surroundings. But, since your home might also be your office, and having Zoom calls with colleagues or clients, it is important, more than ever, to create the right impression.
‘TV star Ben Fogle was mocked for his bookshelves, arranged by colour’
