Amazing Private Libraries...

3600 Square Feet of Book Storage Envy...

We've discussed book storage here before... but look at this man's shelves! Wow! This is the library of Priceline.com's founder Jay Walker. Beautiful Etched glass, special lighting and look at those beautiful book shelves!

Jay Walker's New England house was designed specifically for his massive collection of books and other wonders (including original Sputnik 1 satellite! mounted from the ceiling)... " To create the space, which was constructed in 2002, Walker and architect Mark Finlay first built a 7-foot-long model. Then they used miniature cameras to help visualize what it would be like to move around inside. In a conscious nod to M. C. Escher (whose graphics are echoed in the wood tiling), the labyrinthine platforms seem to float in space, an illusion amplified by the glass-paneled bridges connecting the platforms"

To see more amazing photos of Jay Walker's library, follow this link to Wired, where you can learn more about what's in the library too! P.S. this was the first time the press was allowed inside his library, usually reserved by invitation only!

To Shelf or Not to Shelf...That is the Question!

Le Bal Des Ardents

This is the entrance to the book store Le Bal Des Ardents (the dance of the burning ones) in Lyons, France! This archway is amazing and is typical of keystone arches popular in medieval architecture. The keystone is the actual piece at the crown of the arch that holds all the other pieces together. Can someone tell me if these books are actually stacked this perfect on their own?! I thought it was a great photo and it made me think of my own "stacks" of books....

I wish I could make an archway like this! But it raises the question, how do you 'store' your books? I love libraries & old bookstores and wish I had some of those beautiful wooden shelves I've seen in some of these places.

For now, I have shelves overflowing into stacks of books. Stacks of books in various rooms of the house! (OK... in all the rooms of the house!)I dream of built-in bookcases....

So, how do YOU store your books? Stacks, shelves, something else? I know you have a LOT of books! Where do you put them all? Share your strategies here! And if you know of any other beautiful bookish places, you can share those here too! Happy reading....