5 Jul 2013

bookshelf organisation

My bookshelf of choice was the 4x4 Expedit unit from, you guessed it, IKEA. It was a toss-up between the white high gloss and the standard white one but in the end, my pursestrings won out and the standard white was chosen.

Here is high it looked before I sorted out how everything was organised:


I chose the Expedit bookshelf because I could have different boxes for different things and the 'box' design means that the shelves won't sag in the middle if I were to have a particularly heavy shelf. Well, here's hoping with this one! I also love how much storage space it presents me with - it doesn't seem particularly big in-store but once set up at home, the depth of it means I can fit a lot into each box.

One feature I particularly liked was the possibility of buying 'inserts' for each box. This means I can chop and change how it looks as I please :)

For me, I wouldn't just be putting books in it; notebooks, toiletries and other miscellaneous items need a place on this bookshelf too. At first, I designated a box (or three) to toiletries - these are mainly at the bottom, a few boxes for notebooks, two boxes for A4 folders and lever arch files, one box holding plastic bags that I use as refuse bags for my waste paper bin and there are a few empty boxes - ready for September where there will, undoubtedly, be an influx of textbooks and whatnot.

This is how it currently looks now:


You can see that almost all of it has changed. Originally, I was intending on getting some of the inserts from IKEA for the bottom four boxes but I didn't like the look of them when I saw them instore. So, at the moment, the toiletries are on show and it's really quite ugly! Do any of you have any suggestions for alternatives to the IKEA inserts on offer?

In terms of organisation of the bookshelf, on the top are more 'personal' things, such as my current handbag that is in use (the Mulberry), my jewellery box and microwavable heat-pack (the 'teddy'), a mini-tower storage system that holds pens, make-up and hair accessories and on the far right, perfumes and a mini Rilakkuma bin.

The second shelf holds notebooks in two of the boxes, a drawer and a glasses and sunglasses box. The third shelf consists of folders, more notebooks and spare inserts for my Smythson in the far right box and finally, on the bottom shelf are more folders and all of my spare toiletries.

I've tried to put the heavier items on the bottom and the lighter ones at the top. This layout will surely change in the next few weeks as I'm still not happy with how everything is arranged. Basically, I'm waiting for that lightbulb moment with regards to how to make everything look neat and pretty! Any ideas? :)

In other news, I've got Instagram! :) Join me at @paperl0vestory :)

12 comments

  1. Ooh I love how it looks!
    I could do with something like this...

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    1. Thank you! I don't like how messy it looks though; am still trying to find a solution to it all! x

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  2. I need more storage! ♥ You seem to have got everything organised perfectly.

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    1. Thank you! :) I still think it looks messy though :( x

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  3. A great favourite in the Ikea Hackers community too ! http://www.ikeahackers.net/search/label/Expedit

    Steve

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    1. Haha, already scoured that site looking for alternatives to the inserts IKEA do :) I love how many different uses the Expedit can be used for - it's not just a bookshelf :D x

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  4. I love this, my mom have the smaller ones stacked on top of each other as it was the same price but she thought it would be easier to move around if she wanted too as it was for clothes. I am looking to get this but was wondering is this the plain or high gloss white?

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    1. It was more expensive to get two smaller ones than to get this one for me unfortunately; otherwise, I would have probably done the same thing :)

      This one is the white version - I'd have had to pay about £40 - £50 extra for the high gloss version. Having seen both instore numerous times, I can say that the high gloss is more of a bright white whereas the white one (the one I have) is a slight creamy white :) x

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  5. Angela, I think your bookshelf looks very neat, but if you feel like it looks too cluttered, why not buy bins and store your loose items inside of them, like Jen from Organized Like Jen? I don't know if the Container Store exists in the UK, but I'm sure you can find bins or baskets and emulate her style of organization. That way, instead of seeing 50 different toiletries, you only see 2 or 3 different bins. (It'd be slightly more of a hassle to get to your stuff, but it might be worth it if it bothers you to see your stuff out in the open.) http://www.organizedjen.com/home-office-wall-storage-organization/

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    1. It definitely looks too cluttered to me :) I've been looking for bins and boxes everywhere but none are of the right size (or of a similar size) to the boxes in the bookshelf. It's not finding the boxes that are the issue, it's finding boxes of the right size that is :(

      Will keep looking though! Thanks for the suggestion :) x

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  6. OH MY GOD THIS IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR A NEW SHELF, I'VE GOT TO GO TO IKEA ASAP!

    Okay, okay, initial shock and amazement over, but yeah this is gorgeous dude! So happy I scrolled through your archives! I'm going back to school at the end of August and having a set up like this will definitely be enough to replace my poor little dresser/bookshelf/side table.

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    1. Haha, that's how I felt when I first saw the Expedit bookshelf :) It can hold a lot compared to bookshelves of a similar price. Good luck with school - I'm heading back to uni in early September so not long after you start :) x

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