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I Read Ugly Books: A Decorating Hack

In some other life, I will have a beautiful library filled floor-to-ceiling with rich, leatherbound classics, and stacks and stacks of gorgeous, tasteful home decor books.

Oh beautiful library, you will be mine someday! Muahaha!

Library with books arranged by color

In this life, I prefer to ogle the pretty pictures of gorgeous homes in magazines and blogs and haven’t yet justified dropping the benjamins on coffee table books, even if they’re beautiful when displayed.

So I cheat. I love the texture and color of book displays, but not all my books are pretty enough to be out for all to see.
Accessorize your house on the cheap: cover ugly books with fabric samples!


The other day I saw my little pile of fabric samples sitting there innocently, not knowing they were about to become part of a decorating hack, when a lightbulb went off. They were just the right size for my silly little scheme.
Fabric sample size
Enter hardcover books about who-knows-what with their covers removed.
Black hardcover book
Add a little tape, and ta-da!

An easy-peasy decorating hack that makes ugly books display-worthy for zero dollars…
Decorating with books: stack of books with coral
And another friendly reminder not to judge a book by its cover.

Har har. I’ll be here all week, folks.



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Comments

  1. Carol@TheDesignPages says:

    It's amazing how many beautiful books it actually takes to make up all these little vignettes around the house. Great idea. I'm stealing, I mean borrowing that idea for sure.

  2. BRILLIANT.

    also, i loved BLINK. i think about its implications on a daily basis almost.

  3. ingenious and hilarious!

  4. Oh! and thanks for your sweet words/prayers. 🙂

  5. Erin @ His & Hers says:

    Pretty fabric! My ugly books think that scrapbook paper makes a nice disguise, too. 🙂

  6. laurenjanelle says:

    beautiful library. I did the same thing with my books a while back. doesn't having beautiful books make you so much happier?

  7. Tanya @ Dans le Townhouse says:

    Such a clever idea! What a great use for leftover fabric (or paper) scraps from DIY projects.

  8. Great idea! I have just been buying old books that I will never read because they are pretty on the outside! Can’t have a funky looking vignette now can we?? I have thought about scrapbook paper, but fabric samples are a fantastic idea!

  9. GREAT idea!
    Karah

  10. Great tip! Love it!

  11. Great idea! My books are pretty ugly too. Haha. Pinned it!

  12. Thank you for the insight about fabric stores is good to know I love your website or blog so nice and neat Let me know how do I make a blog or inquire about one. Please right a note to me telling me so midios626@gmail.com Yours trully Pat Blanco

Trackbacks

  1. […] out a few more of our “hacks” here: I read ugly books: a decorating hack A thrifty, healthy black bean trick Four dollar pantry lighting solution A plate hanging […]

  2. […] and) for all of you with ugly books, Kelly can relate…and offers up an easy peasy solution here.   And she decorates with coral.  Smile! Now, after you’ve checked out all of Kelly’s […]

  3. […] and) for all of you with ugly books, Kelly can relate…and offers up an easy peasy solution here.   And she decorates with coral.  Smile! Now, after you’ve checked out all of Kelly’s […]

  4. […] objects height in a vignette, or to add texture to a room. But if you only have ugly books on hand, use a fabric sample to cover the spine, and BAM: pretty display. No one has to […]

  5. […] and) for all of you with ugly books, Kelly can relate…and offers up an easy peasy solution here.   And she decorates with coral.  Smile! Now, after you’ve checked out all of Kelly’s […]

  6. […] and) for all of you with ugly books, Kelly can relate…and offers up an easy peasy solution here.   And she decorates with coral.  Smile! Now, after you’ve checked out all of Kelly’s […]

  7. […] objects height in a vignette, or to add texture to a room. But if you only have ugly books on hand, use a fabric sample to cover the spine, and BAM: pretty display. No one has to […]

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