“I can’t live in a Tiny House. Where the hell am I supposed to put my collection of books?” Oh, I understand the great love that many people share for books; I am quite a book junky myself. And yes, if you have three bookcases full right now, I can promise you that they will not all fit in a 25 m2 Tiny House — if you want to have a bit of living space, that is. But there is no reason to put aside your dream of living in a Tiny House; there are solutions for everything! Even for the seasoned book addict.
Photo made by Ester Gebuis
If you look honestly at your bookcase(s), you will probably see quite a few books that you haven’t touched in years. Could you do without them? Can you make someone else happy with them? Isn’t it a shame that they are gathering dust? If you dare to take up the challenge, you will find yourself much happier with a small bookcase full of books that have real value for you and that you pick up time and time again with pleasure. You won’t even miss those other books, I promise. It gives you a sense of calm and oversight. It’s wonderful! You may even read more often… ;)
My Tiny bookcase
I downsized two full bookcases to just two small shelves. And they both fit very well in one of the two deep cupboards that I have above my sitting area (see photo below this text). This is now my bookcase, with the advantage that the books no longer get dusty since they are behind doors. It is not even all that full really, and I try to keep it that way. Even though new books will be added every now and then. Buying new books remains one of my great temptations. Therefore, once every two years I go through it again and decide using the KonMari method which books are allowed to stay and which ones get a second life with another crazy booklover.
My e-reader is also a great tool for keeping my bookcase organized. I never buy narrative books without photos, like novels, on paper, but always as e-books. I love reading on the e-reader in my bed or outside on my terrace. The books that are still in my cupboard are mostly practical books with many photos about: gardening, cooking, self-sufficient living and much more.
Prominent in your Tiny living room
If books are very important to you and you are happy with a well-stocked bookcase, don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot put a bookcase in your Tiny House. There are already Tiny Houses with bookcases in all shapes and sizes. You can find enough inspiration on the internet! A characteristic of a well thought out Tiny House is that you just have to look at the house to see who the owner is, what kind of person he or she is. A house that fully meets your wishes and needs and contains only that which is important to you. Do you love the idea of having a bookcase in your Tiny House? I say just go for it.
You can even consider decorating your Tiny House entirely in the theme of books. Create a library or bookshop/coffee shop atmosphere with a nice armchair and several bookshelves on the walls.
Little free library
Finally, a tip for what to do with the books which you don’t want to keep: put a few in mini-libraries or “Little Free Libraries”. Here in the Netherlands you can find more and more of them every year, but if there is not yet one in your area, you can of course make one yourself. If you live or are going to live in a Tiny House neighbourhood, it might be a nice project to do with your neighbours!
See? Being a book addict and living in a Tiny House is very much doable. You can, if you want!
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