I think they look fine.

What it's lacking is definition to the actual bookcases.
Perhaps some decorative moulding added to both the bookcases and around the wall above the f/p. It would also help frame your art.

I would not put anything on top as the line of sight is already much higher than the moulding on the windows, and makes the windows look dwarfed. If you feel you must have something, some very low trailing ivy.

One other thing you could do is paint the back of the bookcases. It could be a shade like the f/p which would help connect the f/p to the cases. Or any shade that blends with your surroundings.

tryin2grow, thanks. Seems like the molding you describe would make the room look more traditional, do you think? I'm totally not a decorator, so I'm not at all sure. We're trying to make it look more on the contemporary or maybe it's transitional side.

If I can figure a way to get the ivy watered, I think that's a great idea. Thanks again.

I would paint the inside backs of the bookcases in a color that is similar to the stone. I think it would give some depth and also connect the bookcases to the fireplace area.

I would paint the fireplace screen flat black.

I would look for a few accessories in red to add a bit of pizzaz and also pull the red from the art.

As for the top shelves, I would box that in so there is no shelf space up there any more. It would end up being kind of a soffit effect, but would step back from the fireplace nicely to the back wall. It is too small a space to be that useful, and with it not having the divided middle, or a piece on the end, it doesn't look like a part of the bookcases anyway. I think closing that in will give a cleaner feel, a more modern, built-in look as well.

I like Les's ideas, and agree with tryin2grow that the bookshelves need the trim. They do not look built-in to my eye, and appear somewhat unsubstantial. Enclosing the empty top 9" area is good idea. If not, I'd suggest small sets of books in an agreeable color. More books vs. more decor items is what I'd like.

Thank you, all. Would it make the bookcases look more" built-in" if we continued them up to the ceiling? The builder was supposed to do that, and didn't get it right. Instead of the soffit effect, I mean.

tryin2grow and leahcate, what kind of molding are you thinking would look good, and where? Just on the outside edges and across the top?

les917, what do you think about extending the bookcase to the ceiling as a bookcase? DH would faint dead away if I painted the fireplace screen -- it's new, 24-carat gold, and the fireplace cost more than $4000 (not the marble, just the screen, firebox, etc.)

Like your idea about bringing out the red.

Thanks again, everyone.

Susanka - this is a good looking room! You have a lot of nice things.

I feel like I keep reading articles on this topic, but I just googled for it and didn't really find any. (I think Domino Mag did something recently on this? I'll check their website and get back to you.) Ok, here's what I can share... I heard from a professional that we're suppose to have symmetry. Place things of similar size in the same sections on either side of the fireplace. Can you move the shelves up and down? If so, maybe place the similar horse carving on the right in the same position as the one of the left. And, maybe with the upper shelves on either side of the fireplace, place that nice blue plate and another blue plate on the other side? Does that make any sense?

I'll keep looking an article. Good Luck!

Very good point kiki.

Here's a link that might help.

Here is a link that might be useful: how to arrnage book shelves

Stand books up, lay a couple horizontal, add a decorative object (shelf #1).
Add a decorative object, stand books up, pile books up, small decorative object on those books. (shelf #2)
Lay books on their sides, stand books up, add object, stand up more books, etc (shelf #3).
Repeat #1 but add some greenery (shelf #4).

Vary this arrangement until you have what appears to be a zigarat (spelling probably wrong)in appearance.

24K fireplace screen? Wow! I would think the heat would damage that over time. 24K gold is pretty soft. But obviously painting it black is out, LOL!

I stand by the idea of boxing in the top - try printing out a pix of the bookcases and covering the top shelf with white paper strips so that it is boxed, versus adding side and center moulding to extend the shelves. It isn't the same as real life, but visually will give you a hint of what it might be like. Or maybe one of our talented photoshoppers could do that for you.

Here's a pic I just ran across. If I find another, I'll post.

*I* would use the same moulding feature that is above the curtains (assuming it's wood-but even if not) to enclose the top of the bookcase. See how it's done in this pic. You can have a contemporary style home and still use moulding. I still say the prob is with the cases themselves. They look wimpy instead of being part of a cohesive flowing wall.

{{!gwi}}

Let me just add a note that I'm not convinced that adding something at the top is the way to go. My concern about that would be the windows on either side will look dwarfed as I mentioned earlier.

This is a good candidate for a photoshopper to tackle. Paint on the backs and a little embellishing on the edges of the cases.

You guys are amazingly generous with your help. Thank you so much.

kiki, I can move the shelves. I'll try the symmetry, or some variation on it.

brutuses, thank you for the link -- lots of ideas (one was to put the books backwards with the pages showing--won't work for me!)but very helpful.

patricia43, thank you for your ziggarat (I don't know how to spell it either for sure) idea. It's beginning to sound like fun.

les917, we lost our minds on the fireplace. It's great, heats the whole house if we need it to, but who needs 24K hand rubbed gold? That just came with the whole package. I guess if I ever want to collect DH's life insurance I could paint it black before he gets home at night.

tryin2grow and les917, I finally get the idea of boxing in the top. We can match the cornice boards above the windows, as you say. Trying it out with paper first seems the way to go because I can't even begin to picture whether it will make the windows seem dwarfed. We have big windows on the adjoining wall that are higher than these small ones also -- an odd arrangement because the builder misunderstood what we were wanting and we agreed to making the back windows higher without realizing what it would look like.

Thank you all again. I love rearranging my books, this will be a great day (or week!) for me.

Okay, this will seem bizarre, and spatial judgement is involved here, but could you take down the cornices from the side windows and use them to box in the tops of the bookcases? They really don't work all that well on the windows as they are, because they make the windows actually feel shorter and crowded in.

Once you move the cornices, I would get some decorative rods and rings and hang those drapery panels a bit higher, to lessen the distance between the window and the ceiling.

I couldn't find a closeup of our cornice boxes, but it's just a molding from HD with a tracing of vines, very subtle,with plain wood underneath. I think they make the vine edging in a narrower width also, so that if we figure out putting a matching "cornice board" over the bookcases works we could perhaps put the narrower vine molding down the outside edges of the bookcases. It's getting exciting!

I think that whole wall and bookcase needs to be a darker color. Maybe the color of your new sofa. I also think if you want a more modern look you need to eleminate alot of the traditional peices in your bookcase. This room might be of inspiration to you.

If you want that space to look ultra 'upwardly', put ONLY books on shelves that you have books on, and save the other stuff for somewhere else entirely (or else 1-2 shelves of their own with no books on those). It's an old 'trick', but a good one, as the consistency of just books gives them a more serious look (and therefore you too), while interspersing objects is like buying art just to match the decor - not classy at all.

What lucy said is true. Here are a couple more pics.

Here's my 2 cents... and keep in mind that these are just my preferences & are what I have done w/ all my cases.......

Get rid of the plant altogether. Doesn't matter if it is real or silk because IMHO plants belong on tables in front of windows and not on bookshelves. If you want to add the color green, do it w/ pottery or art.

Move the plate up to eye level or higher. It is too low for comfortable viewing while standing.

However you place the horses, always have them facing in towards the fireplace. If you keep the 2 together, they can continue to face each other.

Put larger items on the bottom shelves where they can add weight to the unit. (Exceptions are the horses that should remain higher. They have lots or air around them and so "read" lighter than they are).

I like to arrange my books by height in a shelving section from tallest to shortest. I realize that you can't adhear to this since you arrange alpha. Coffee table size books stack one on top of the other w/ a decorative item on top.

You have a couple of units w/ too much headroom (the shelf w/ the whale to the right). Arrange the shelves so that sections don't have small books in a overly large space.

Bring in some gold/brass items to reflect the beautiful screen. This will also keep your eye traveling around the cases.

I like the idea of enclosing the top of the units. Whether you remove the cornices or not is your choice... but they do bring the windows down. Decorative rods would be much more contempory along w/ the closed in units and your new leather furniture.

I don't like the additional little case under the window to the right. It's more shelves in a differnt feeling piece. I feel it detracts from the larger units. A chest of drawers or a table would be better suited for under that window. Is it possible to move the small casegood elsewhere in the room? That corner looks like a good place for a reading nook consisting of a small chair, table & lamp.

I can see painting the back of the cases in a lighter shade of the tile surround. This would actually make the cases look more pulled together. The sections where the horses eventually go could be painted one or 2 shades darker (or backed w/ a subtle patteren paper such as grasscloth) than the rest & would hilight these wonderful pieces.

To test the paint theory, try backing a couple of the units w/ foam board that has been painted.

One question. Are you going to keep the room walls the current color? If you are thinking of painting them, you may want to hold off on painting the back of the units until then.

les917, I didn't see your post before I posted the last time.

Here's the story on the whole LR. The back windows don't suit us -- we wanted virtually a window wall but GC talked us out of it (and maybe he's right), we had 75+ mph winds here Saturday. GC said bigger windows won't hold up. We're thinking we want to redo the back windows and maybe that side window next to the bookcase. We could lower the back windows to give us a closer-to-the-floor window (but that would cut off some of the mountains) or put in a window that's the same height as now but longer, if it will structurally hold. We're unsure what to do about the smaller windows on the side -- the back one has a view of the lake and we'd like to make that longer and maybe taller, but we'd have windows of so many varying heights and sizes I think it might look weird. The little window on the side front has no view, and the front window does but we'd like to leave it as is.

Here are pix of the small side window and the back windows, and a view of the back of the house so you can see what the general arrangement is. The window and door on the far right of the house as you look at it are in our bedroom; the middle window is the dining area, which is open to the LR.

You know, I think we need an architect or a structural engineer to advise us about the windows, or ?? This is becoming a really big situation, seems like. Maybe I'm not through feeling overwhelmed. We're long past our budget for this house.

caminnc, I love the room you posted. If we'd had the money to have a separate library it would have looked something like this, but what we're working with here is our LR/DR/K, which are all one big area, and I want to keep it very light-filled.

Again, thanks all. Hope I can keep my sanity! You guys are a big help.

wow, more ideas. lucy and camininc, thanks. I'll have to try the book-and-object separation idea; totally new to me.

syllabus, we have a "gallery" wall in a soft medium green on a stairwell wall across the room. Plan is currently to paint the LR two shades lighter green, SW "sagey". My thought had been to keep the bookcases all in the Aspen white they are now, which matches the moldings and doors, thinking that that would make them seem more built-in. But I'm no decorator. The foam board idea as a trial sounds great.

I'm glad you liked the horses -- they're Chinese tomb figures.

The little case under the window to the right is gone. So is the lamp to the left of the bookcase, and the stereo stuff under the back window soon will be.

I'd built them up to the ceiling and over the windows and under the windows, so the whole wall looks built in. I like molding so they don't look just like IKEA Billy bookcases.

And while I arrange my books by subject, I'm ruthless about height gradations. Alpha isn't as important to me, but I do put all books by one author together. And big books, like art books or photo books belong in the tallest spaces, so those spaces are nearly filled--short paper backs are sort of lost in the larger shelves.

Ha,ha,ha. I finally find the bookcase thread and what do I see ... "I love my books ... and don't want to change them." !

Well, you had asked somewhere that I take a look. Here are a few ideas, but I have moved your books and covered them in neutral jackets :>

I remember your room from some time back, and that maybe you had said you didn't want to add mouldings because you want them contemporary. I did add some mouldings, but they are sleek and contemporary and match the window cornice mouldings (what they look like from here anyway :)

You might be able to raise the window cornice too, to bring height to the windows.

I really liked the blue in your curtains, so tried a very serene pale, gray blue-green type color which is pretty in there.

Is this too contemporary?

{{!gwi}}

And the sofa changes too!

btw, I was most concerned with the accent pieces and just casually placed the books around. Kind of sketchy and didn't really look that closely at that part :)

Still didn't manage to get your book covers back in! but did change the cover color :)

Last pic has a crown header on the fp, painted as the drywall there. Gives it a little more height and weight/focus.

I don't have anything to add except that I have loved reading everyone's tips -- what an incredibly resourceful and clever group. I am trying to absorb everyone's good ideas ....

squirrelheaven, are you just the most thoughtful, generous person ever? It's not even my space but I am so touched by all your photoshop renderings!

I've really loved reading everyone's great ideas -- I am saving this whole thread for when I'm ready to unpack and figure our bookshelves out.

This is probably way too late, but if not....I was flipping the channels the other night (be so glad when the writer's strike is over) and came upon the last few minutes of HGTV's Color Splash, with that David guy. (He's very talented, but can only take so much of him.) The segment was "Dramatic Den Makeover" - (the number for the episode is HCLRS.304 and it will be aired again on January 28 at 8:30 ET.

Anyhow, he transformed this space to a gorgeous libary setting. Took prefab bookcases and added crown molding and it was phenomenal! You might find it interesting.

Relaxing the shelving a bit by staggering and lowering the valances back to their current position. Doodling around with the colors, trying something bold and dramatic (that's supposed to be a soft chocolatey light brown and a soft green which now look quite grayed).

Supposed to be a lighter brown in the cases with the blue -- but it looks gray again!

{{!gwi}}

Bookcases with the dark brown are more dramatic and give it that disappearing background look. I like the dark-backed bookshelves. Lynette Jennings also liked that and I want to be her in my second life. (She reminds me of my sister!).

>>Lynette Jennings also liked that and I want to be her in my second lifelol, Patricia!

I do hope Susan comes back. She asked me to stop by.

Forgot the striking gold!

I'm going to bump this up in case Susan ever comes back. Maybe the number of views will keep it around longer, too.

Pleaaase, if you ask for ps help -- come back! Sometimes it's not even possible to do things right away :) (Thanks)

I sometimes put my books in baskets and make a lining to coordinate with the room, with the lining extending a couple of inches over the top of the basket. I also have taken fabric and made covers for books. I'll take a group of three and stack them together.

{{!gwi}}