Thursday, January 3, 2008

The Books on the Shelf


The eldest girl child has a subscription to Vogue magazine and in Fall/Winter 2007 special Vogue Living issue was an improving article about selected interior designer's favorite "lifestyle" books. In leafing through the paeans to E.L. Lutyens "Houses and Gardens", Brigid Keenan's "Dior in Vogue" and Diana Vreeland's "Allure", my eyes riveted to the accompanying photo of the library of one phonetically-interesting Lulu de Kwiatkowski. La Lulu is a textile designer of note and is shown to be smartly dressed, if apparently missing the heel to one of her pumps.

Now what jumps out of this photo to you?

Her shapely gams?
The interesting throw pillows in the background?
Her pretzel pose?

To me, the eyepopper is that the books are arranged on the shelf by COLOR! Not subject, not author, not something logical, but a completely visual organization. How interesting. I am just not wired that way, but it must work for her.

I now contemplate rearranging the shop by color. I have done window displays of books of one hue and they seem to attract sidewalk attention. Most notable was the orange books window strewn with navel oranges. But maybe a front table display of books stacked by color would be just the ticket.

Another tidbit from the Vogue article: A private-library consultant, Kinsey Marable, states her conviction that bricks and mortar bookstores are not on the endangered list because book lovers will always seek out browsing and communing opportunities in the flesh. Bravo Kinsey! And bravo for being a private-library consultant! I'm going to have to add that to my business card.

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