Bookcases, file cabinets, other furniture

[Opti]

My downstairs neighbor is moving and she's packing away some stuff and giving away others.

I'm not sure if it was always like this, but when she had me come down to check things out,

I was struck how much space she had for other things that I did not because I had bookcases.

So I was wondering how many bookcases do people have? Are they tall, short, large?

Do you keep books in them, knick knacks, other stuff?

What's enough? What's too much?

File cabinets?

Wardrobes?

[ArchietheDragon]

All you need is one wardrobe, assuming, of course, that it allows you access to a fantastical world of talking animals and witches.

[Jaguar]

I have tons of bookcases here, one in the kitchen to hold all my dry goods cause there's no extra cupboard space. I have 3 others in my livingroom. I love bookcases cause they hold all my books and CDs.

[msventoux]

I have 4 tall bookcases in the spare room/office that holds mostly books with a couple of shelves of pictures.  I inherited a bunch of books from my mother, so I'm thinking of building some shelves to hold those books.  No wardrobe.  1 tiny filing cabinet that's empty since I've been scanning and shredding my important papers.  One sideboard that I use as a TV stand that houses all of my DVD's and spare electrical/AV cords.  Another sideboard in the kitchen that I use as a baking center. 

[Opti]

Sugi, that sounds like me. Not much cabinet space here, so one of my bookcases holds

things I'd usually put in a pantry.

Another sideboard in the kitchen that I use as a baking center.

This sounds intriguing. How does that work?

[Malarky]

Before kids, I had seven bookcases.  Now I have two small ones in the public spaces of the house.

The living room and dining room are joined with large double doors which I always leave  open, so it's one large living space.  I discarded the dining table years ago, now the dining room is an extension of the living room. 

Over the years I've incorporated more comfy places (three couches, a chair and a multitude of pillows and blankets)  to sit and read or watch TV.  I display photos and tchotchkes rather than the hundreds of books I used to have everywhere.  

I have one low cherry furniture quality file cabinet that holds a reading lamp next to one of the couches.
I have an couple of antique bureaus scattered around that house the junk drawer, cameras and old photos, office supplies, puzzles, craft supplies.  All the stuff you would put in a closet if you had one. I don't.  You have to love old houses.

I have an desk that I no longer use (I have another in my bedroom.)  It's one of the decluttering projects I haven't gotten to yet.   

Plus more stuff.  Now that I look around and think about it, I have a crapload.    It works and although it certainly isn't minimalist, it isn't especially crowded either.

[haapai]

I think that there are at least a half a dozen bookcases in the garage and two in the house.  We also have at least three filing cabinets.

The house is only 900 SF and there isn't room for them on the main floor.  Putting particle board or metal furniture in our basement would also be a bad idea.  We're basically holding onto them in hopes of having a nice, organized garage sale. 

If you've ever lived in rented rooms without furniture, it's really difficult to convince yourself to part with even the most ratty, obsolete, or mismatched stuff.  I've known for years that I need to get rid of some of this crap and I've had some success at getting rid of some of the smaller and sillier pieces.  The stuff that takes two people to horse to the curb is a different story. 

The books are still packed in boxes which are stuffed in the shelves of some of the units.  I know that I have more crap than will fit on the shelves, so I refuse to unpack any of it. 

There are better ways to live. 

[msventoux]

Aug 5, 2014 21:51:15 GMT -5 Opti said:

Sugi, that sounds like me. Not much cabinet space here, so one of my bookcases holds

things I'd usually put in a pantry.

Another sideboard in the kitchen that I use as a baking center.

This sounds intriguing. How does that work?

There's four drawers underneath the top that hold utensils and spices.  The doors below that on one side hold bins of flours, sugars, baking chips, etc.; the other has baking pans/cookie sheets.  I have an old marble slab that fits on part of the top for rolling out dough.  The rest of the top holds the KitchenAid mixer and sometimes a toaster oven.  Way too convenient for making cookies. 

[ZaireinHD]

before the split with GF - we had a total of 4 bookcases, 4 CD towers. CD towers held CD and games. the book cases held DVDs, books, ornaments from gift shops and stuffed animals.

after split I kept one book case and 2 CD towers
her move didn't go so well. 1 CD tower was trashed and 1 bookcase was trashed

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

 Not anymore. DH is incredibly anti clutter. There is one in my younger daughter's room. What's left of the tangible books are in the garage. 

Whats funny IMO is that DH has three large new ones in his office.  75% of the shelves are empty. 

[Sunnyday]

Aug 5, 2014 22:08:00 GMT -5 msventoux said:

Aug 5, 2014 21:51:15 GMT -5 Opti said:

Sugi, that sounds like me. Not much cabinet space here, so one of my bookcases holds

things I'd usually put in a pantry.

This sounds intriguing. How does that work?

There's four drawers underneath the top that hold utensils and spices.  The doors below that on one side hold bins of flours, sugars, baking chips, etc.; the other has baking pans/cookie sheets.  I have an old marble slab that fits on part of the top for rolling out dough.  The rest of the top holds the KitchenAid mixer and sometimes a toaster oven.  Way too convenient for making cookies. 

your baking station made me think of the Cosby show, when Claire's MIL comes to visit, and she tries to upstage Claire by baking homemade treats, and she opens up a travel baking kit that opens up with all the tools and ingredients to bake like a traveling doctor! That's the image that popped up when you described your baking station.

[Gardening Grandma]

I have three tall bookcases in my sewing room alone. One holds books, the other two hold fabric and part of my antique sewing maching collection.
We have one small bookcase in the bedroom. It holds books. Our night stands also hold books.
In the basement area there is a bookcase in the guest bedroom (holds books). The TV room has one built in (ceiling height) bookcase and 2 free standing bookcases. They hold an assortment of books, framed photos, souveniers from trips and games.

So the total is eight. I don't think you can have too many bookcases.

In addition, I have a 4 drawer file cabinet next to my computer desk. It is just about the right size for us.

[sheilaincali]

We've been decluttering so if you asked this a year ago:

1 filing cabinet

8 bookcases (tall ones)

one cabinet full of dvds of movies and tv series

Now:

One filing basket thingy from Thirty One

2 bookcases-

One drawer in our built in entertainment center with movies in it.

In the past 18 months we've donated/sold/etc. over 3,000 items.  I've made 5 trips so far this year to the thrift store dropping off donations.

We've made a conscious effort to not buy anything physical beyond clothes (out of necessity) and food.  All books, movies, music has been purchased in an electronic format.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

We have built ins, 3 bookcases in the LR that hold books, and another in one of the bedrooms downstairs.  Aside from these, we have 2 stand alone bookcases.

The cases in the LR contain more reference books and stained glass.  The ones downstairs is the overflow from reading material that is stacked on night stands.

[DagnyT]

Aug 5, 2014 21:38:14 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

All you need is one wardrobe, assuming, of course, that it allows you access to a fantastical world of talking animals and witches.

I want this one!! Yay, Archie.

[wyouser]

My office at home has floor to ceiling built in bookcases.....24x11 ft room......and I'm out of space.....Because you can never have enough books

[Opti]

All books, movies, music has been purchased in an electronic format.

Maybe this should be a different thread, but how will you and other posters feel

about losing access to books when electronic formats change? We already deal with

that I think for music and movies from the physical format changes.

[wyouser]

Never, never never never will I replace a book with any type of electronic format!

[Wisconsin Beth]

Aug 6, 2014 12:48:15 GMT -5 Opti said:

All books, movies, music has been purchased in an electronic format.

Maybe this should be a different thread, but how will you and other posters feel

about losing access to books when electronic formats change? We already deal with

that I think for music and movies from the physical format changes.

Part of my issue with e-books is that I like to open certain author's books at random (Terry Pratchett, Jennifer Crusie and some Nora Roberts to name a few) and start reading.  It's harder to do on my Kindle. 

[sheilaincali]

Honestly- I think they will continue to evolve electronic formats and that as a medium they will be around for quite a while now. With your other examples- 8 track to cassette tape to CD- those things changed as technology changed.  "E" technology will likely continue to evolve but I think the electronic versions of books/movies/music will continue to evolve with them.

That's my take on it anyway. I seriously doubt they will drop the electronic version of things all together and go back to only having physical options.

It's to the point, in my own life, that the clutter just weighs on me. I hate it. I've been actively campaigning to get DH and DS to agree to 30 items max in their closets.  Every week we come across one more thing that can go in the box for donation. I just want it all gone.

I love my books and I read every single day- I read at breakfast, I read at my lunch, I read while dinner is in the oven, I read before bed, I read if I have 10 minutes waiting for the dentist, the list goes on.  I figure on average I probably spend about 3 hours a day reading.  As much as I love reading I don't need to be buried under a mountain of physical books.  I've learned to prefer the kindle over the actual book.  Maybe that's odd but DH and DS are the same way.

[Mardi Gras Audrey]

We have bookshelves everywhere! In the living room, have a 6 shelf unit holding pictures, candles and books.
Bedroom 1- 5 shelf unit holding knickknacks and books + a small 2 shelf unit holding the TV (want to get rid of this and get a small desk for the TV).
Bedroom 2- one small 2 shelf units (books and knick knacks) and 1 HUGE (like 9 feet tall) 5 shelf unit (knickknacks). Bedroom 3- one small 2 shelf unit (books) and one 5 shelf unit (knickknacks).
Hallway- short & wide shelf system with books.

Wow, we have too much crap! Most of these units were accumulated over years of apartment living and are the cheap Target-type bookshelves. We have another one that was dismantled for our last move and when the mover was going to put it together, told him not to bother. Need to get rid of the wood from that one and maybe some of the books + knickknacks taking up room in the others...

[Deleted]

I'm trying to declutter too and I hate, hate, HATE dusting, so furniture just to store stuff is being minimized. 

There is one bookcase with doors in the four season room with kids books.  One two shelf bookcase in my bedroom for books waiting to be read.  And my son's each have some books in their room.  Youngest has a couple milk crates full (easier for him to flip through) and older son has a bookshelf built into his headboard.  All other books that have been read or aren't reference are boxed up and moved to the basement. 

Oh, there's a kitchen cupboard filled with cookbooks that never get read. 

[resolution]

I have three book cases full of books in our enclosed front porch. DH has a fourth book case full of DVD's and video games.

I am tempted to de-clutter and replace most of the books with a kindle, but I am just too cheap to buy all the books again. And some of them are very old, which it is kind of neat to read a super old book with the fancy cover.

[Deleted]

We have a lot of bookcases.

Built ins on each side of the fireplace with books in them.

An old round turning one in the dining room with photos and stupid little things on it.

In the den downstairs we have a little one door bookcase that was my grandmas.

Upstairs in a spare bedroom we have a long 3 door bookcase and a stacked one.

On the landing going upstairs we have a little narrow painted one.

Also a four drawer filing cabinet.

There are some books I will never give up, but we have more than just books in most of these.

[thyme4change]

We have two tall and one short bookshelf.  They are all together against one wall in the office.  They hold books, board games, magazine, DVDs, our xBox and all the games that go with that.  My husband insists he needs to have books in his house.  He never reads.  The last 5 books he read were on the Nook.  But, I also have a bunch of useless stuff, so until I'm ready to check the log in my own eye...

[sesfw]

We have a 10' floor to ceiling entertainment center in front room that holds LP, CD, DVD, VHS, sheet music, stereo components.

Family room has 16' built-in bookcase that holds DHs collection of art books and a 41" TV. Sewing room has a 30" regular bookcase with just for fun reading books ..... and a smaller bookcase holding my sewing stuff. Train room has 4 tall bookcases and one large display case. 3 of the bookcases has a variety of books and our Christmas Bethlehem Village in it .. and the 4th bookcase has knick-knacks in it.

Now I only buy used books ....... and all paperbacks unless it's something very special like another art book. Paperbacks I read and re-donate.

I have a small 2 drawer file cabinet and DH has a larger 2 drawer file cabinet.  I keep my cabinet cleaned out each year and DH cleans his out when he can't get anything else in it.

He likes to be surrounded by 'stuff'.  I don't dare touch any of it so the layer of dust is getting deep. 

[tallguy]

So I was wondering how many bookcases do people have? Are they tall, short, large?


What's enough? What's too much?

Around 20.  Is that a lot?

[JustLurkin]

Aug 6, 2014 12:54:24 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

Aug 6, 2014 12:48:15 GMT -5 Opti said:

Maybe this should be a different thread, but how will you and other posters feel

about losing access to books when electronic formats change? We already deal with

that I think for music and movies from the physical format changes.

Part of my issue with e-books is that I like to open certain author's books at random (Terry Pratchett, Jennifer Crusie and some Nora Roberts to name a few) and start reading.  It's harder to do on my Kindle. 

I'm starting to have a problem with clutter, so am really working on that.  Shelia is my hero!  Every day I have a look at Amazon's top 100 free books, so still have a large variety of books and have been introduced to all sorts of authors I probably never would have "met" in a bookstore.  Not only do I view the amazon top 100 free, I view amazon.uk, amazon.ca and amazon.au

I'm 40 and worry the clutter problem I have now will get progressively worse.  There's only one book I regret getting rid of, it was really good and is not in electronic from.  But, truth be told, I'm not a real "re-reader" so am on the fence about whether or not to get another copy.

[Deleted]

Unless they are for an occasional reference, we no longer keep books. Once they are read, they are gone. So, no more tall, dusty, book shelves for us.

[truthbound]

Aug 5, 2014 21:38:14 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

All you need is one wardrobe, assuming, of course, that it allows you access to a fantastical world of talking animals and witches.

Lol this is the answer of the year!