It’s finally summertime, and I won’t be lighting a fire in my fireplace anytime soon. So . . .
I’m really considering cleaning out the firebox and stacking it full of books for the summer season.
Why not put my love of books on display in a creative and unexpected way? I have such a large collection, it should be fairly easy to fill.
I really, really want to do this. I’m just concerned about cleaning out my gas fireplace well enough that I don’t soot up all my tomes . . .
I guess I’ll have to store all that fake ash stuff that sits in the bottom under the grate. Where on earth will I put that?
Maybe I’ll go to a yard sale and buy a bunch of really crappy books to line the bottom and outermost sides with. Then I won’t have to worry about ruining the ones I love.
Fireplace from a Bookshop in Lark
I know I’ll love it if I do it, but what a shame they’ll have to come back out in the fall. I guess it’s not much different than the trouble of putting up and taking down a Christmas tree, right? Do you think I should???
(Just to catch you up – click here to see what I did!)
Yes, yes, yes!! I really love the idea. Pictures are great! Thanks for sharing Kristie. Are you on the beach yet?
Have a great weekend!
kelly, i’m leaving today! yahoo!!!
I love your style but I totally hate this trend. Every time I see it, it makes me think of book burning and censorship and all that, and it makes me mad. Maybe I just have an overactive mind. I do like the aesthetics of the stacked books, but I hate that they are in the fireplace. So I vote no, but I’m sure if you do it it will look fabulous … I’ll just skip that post.
(What if you stacked them under a minimalist console table or something?)
i like the idea of stacking them under the console table! i think what kinda works about the fireplace thing is that stacking them in tightly keeps them from toppling over like they would randomly stacked elsewhere. i’ll let you in on a secret: after i wrote the post the other day, i went ahead and did it myself! so it’s already done, and it looks FABULOUS! please, please take a peek when i post it! i would never burn a book
I’m TOO LATE! Was going to say, I think you should! The way you wrote this post it was so clear how much you like this look, and that is not to be denied
And even though you’ve already Kristie-ized your fireplace, I was also going to say absolutely treat it like your Christmas tree. Why not? Don’t keep us in suspense – I”m dying to see what you’ve done. Have a great weekend Kristie. Enjoy the beach!
PS – can’t wait to see if you chose spines facing in or out!!!
Wow, I had not seen this done. It’s crazy & I like it! Thanks for enlightening me.
Warmly, Michelle
Unsure about this look but I can’t wait to see how you have interpreted it!
I love this look!…too bad I have a house with a gas fireplace with a permanently installed glass front. Can’t wait to see yours!
I don’t care for it. I would rather have a stack of books by the fireplace and a chair to read them there. I have lived in some apartments along the way where the fireplace was disabled in order to retrofit a very old house with a furnace, in such a situation I can see giving the area a thorough cleaning and making use of a space that is otherwise unusable in a way that adds interest to the room, but I wouldn’t do that in a room with a functioning fireplace. It would be a hassle to clean things up enough not to worry about soot all over my books, and to have to find a place to put the books when fall comes. If I do anything to my fireplace in the summer at all, I just put a bunch of candles in there so I can still enjoy a fireside feel without as much heat.
Not sure if I’m loving the idea of books in the fireplace, Though I am challenging myself this year to think out fo the box more. But, I am loving the ‘lace edged” sisal rug and want to know where to purchase one!