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Just when we thought they went out of fashion, books are making their big comeback on the public scene with the launch of new publishing trade shows and the rebirth of small independent bookstores. The debut of the new exhibition Testo [how to become a book], to be held from 20 to 22 March 2020 at the Stazione Leopolda in Florence, is a striking example. But everywhere in the world one can see transformed bookshops now including coworking spaces, putting together cultural programs, food and wine tastings, and much more.
This new wave of interest in books is reflected in interior design and in the decor of our homes where the book becomes an essential element. Magazine racks, for example, are having a cooming back moment: from the design pieces like the colourful ones designed by Giotto Stoppino for Kartell to the Mid-century ones attached to side tables. Self standing bookcases have never known a more fortunate moment and with their versatility they become the main element of the modern home, spacing the largest rooms and organizing the smallest ones.
Social networks are, as always, a source of inspiration for book decor addicted: they promote hashtags such as the #shelfie - the photo of the design of its own shelf - and images of rainbow bookcases where vintage volumes are organized by scale and color to decor entire walls in lively chromatic blocks.
You might not be an avid reader, or maybe you read only on your Kindle, but hardcopies of books cannot be missing from your home. In fact how you display your books can make your home much more personal: let's don't give their use for granted and have fun with their different placement. Why not display a book on a lectern in the hallway, on the coffee table in the living room, or use a pile of them as a bedside table at the edge of the bed. Niches, fireplaces and windows are other unconventional places to arrange your volumes and don't forget to use them as a support for glasstops or paintings that you don't yet know where to hang.
There is only one rule: don't be afraid to dare, and both your books and your home will be enhanced.
