Jan
8
Choosing the Right Type of Bookcases
Filed Under bookcases
Peter Gitundu asked:
Virtually every home i have gone to uses some kind of bookcases, and this does not depend on whether they collect books or not. Used effectively in terms of space, orientation and utilization they can surely look like works of art. You can make them as glamorous and as unique as your imagination can allow. Bookcases have a long history and for any house, they have become such standard pieces that you barely notice them. Most people are able to blend them with the existing home decor.
Books first appeared in the world as scrolls. These scrolls were usually inscribed by hand and so their production was quite costly. Religious institutions, libraries and ancient universities prized the books highly. These necessitated the need for specialized containers or boxes which were easily accessible for easy referencing. Initially the shelved containers were much deeper and separated into many compartments for easier access. The shelving was usually hidden away in closets that blended with the home decor or in private study rooms.
The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440 made books more common. The need for their storage also become more pronounced. The oldest shelves in existence are believed to be in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University, they have been in place since the end of the 16th century. What surprises me though is the fact that the initial designs made then have remained till today, and are used as a standard for the design of the modern bookcases.
When it comes to choosing the right type of bookcases, there are various considerations that need to be made. i.e. the kind of material to be used, the type of finish, the make or the style, the vertical height, the width, depth, etc. The most common end products available in the market today includes, light, medium, dark, or even black wood.
Apart from the standard and decorative bookcases, you also find cube units, corner units, or the barrister. In fact, in terms of available finishes, you could only be limited by your imagination.
Robert
Virtually every home i have gone to uses some kind of bookcases, and this does not depend on whether they collect books or not. Used effectively in terms of space, orientation and utilization they can surely look like works of art. You can make them as glamorous and as unique as your imagination can allow. Bookcases have a long history and for any house, they have become such standard pieces that you barely notice them. Most people are able to blend them with the existing home decor.
Books first appeared in the world as scrolls. These scrolls were usually inscribed by hand and so their production was quite costly. Religious institutions, libraries and ancient universities prized the books highly. These necessitated the need for specialized containers or boxes which were easily accessible for easy referencing. Initially the shelved containers were much deeper and separated into many compartments for easier access. The shelving was usually hidden away in closets that blended with the home decor or in private study rooms.
The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440 made books more common. The need for their storage also become more pronounced. The oldest shelves in existence are believed to be in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University, they have been in place since the end of the 16th century. What surprises me though is the fact that the initial designs made then have remained till today, and are used as a standard for the design of the modern bookcases.
When it comes to choosing the right type of bookcases, there are various considerations that need to be made. i.e. the kind of material to be used, the type of finish, the make or the style, the vertical height, the width, depth, etc. The most common end products available in the market today includes, light, medium, dark, or even black wood.
Apart from the standard and decorative bookcases, you also find cube units, corner units, or the barrister. In fact, in terms of available finishes, you could only be limited by your imagination.
Robert
