The “Bookshelf Wealth” trend is about more than just the books. Decorative objects, travel mementos, and sculptures add to the mix, making a truly individual statement–a visual snapshot of the homeowner’s interests.

Photo by Gross & Daley

Social media influences culture, with ‘trends’ popping up on platforms like Instagram (see us at @glenngisslerdesign) or TikTok vying for our attention.

There is one recent craze with a catchy, but sorta silly name that did garner my attention: “Bookshelf Wealth,” here summarized by The New York Times, “…there has lately been much ado about people who own a great number of books and — this is critical — have managed to stage them in a pleasing manner.” 

And it is not only the Times that has written about the trend: House Beautiful, Apartment Therapy, and Architectural Digest have all weighed in! 

I mostly welcome the focus on owning books because there has been a seismic shift in reading preferences in the digital age, with more and more people choosing online content over traditional books and other printed matter.

For this client in Litchfield County, Connecticut, we lined the entire library perimeter with floor-to-ceiling shelves to accommodate their vast collection of books. The royal purple is a playful choice counterbalanced by the buttery-yellow paint.

I grew up in a home with lots of books, accumulated by my father as a newspaper journalist with curiosity about history, great books, the youth culture of the 1960s and 70s, feminism, politics, urban planning, and much more. Despite feeling ‘oppressed’ by the abundance and pervasiveness of HIS books during my rebellious teenage years, I looked at more than a few of them, expanding my worldview knowledge of history and eventually developing my own passions, including books. 

My book collection really started in high school, gaining increased momentum during the seven years I was in college, collecting seminal and influential books on architectural and design history, as well as contemporary architecture and design. As a self-described ‘perpetual student,’ I have found endless inspiration from printed matter, and unlike some people who are content with borrowing books from a library, I like to keep my books around me!  

An armless sofa with silk velvet cushions in my Brooklyn Heights living room provides the perfect spot to consider the many volumes that stand at the ready on my bookshelves.

The library in my Greek Revival home in Litchfield County, Connecticut, is populated with a collection of vessels, decorative objects, and furnishings. I encourage guests to spend time here, considering one (or more!) of the books on a pair of shelves there.

Many decades later, between my apartment in Brooklyn Heights, my weekend house in Litchfield County, and my design studio, my extensive collection includes countless (I don’t dare count!) design, architecture, cultural history, fashion, art, and photography books, modern literature, unique artist books, rare editions, and signed copies by Andy Warhol and Patti Smith.

Today, like nearly everyone, I spend too much time viewing digital technology, but I deeply appreciate printed matter and the tactile experience of reading on paper. Many of my design clients also share a love for books. People’s book collections are often a revealing and very personal history of their evolving interests and subjects they enjoy.

The physicality of books is an entirely different experience than viewing a screen; typeface and paper selection matter, well-conceived and edited printed images, double-page spreads, and detail images selected to inspire,  And so, in designing spaces, I almost always incorporate books, sometimes a LOT of books, and if space allows, I include objects or artwork and implement practical solutions like short horizontal shelves for oversized books. 

In one New York City duplex apartment, we designed curved bookshelves below a sweeping stairway, emphasizing the integration of books into living spaces. Another home I designed has 1,000 art books, and another has a vast library covering a broad range of classic literature.

Custom built-in bookshelves wrap the perimeter of this apartment on lower 5th Avenue, which holds more than 1000 books revealing the history of art. As such, the dining table doubles as a home office and research space.

For clients with a collection of rare art books and first editions, we designed elegant cases with glass fronts to protect them from dust and excess humidity.

Looking into the future, it’s hard to predict how changes in publishing will impact printed matter. Some suggest books will go the way of the dinosaur; others think they’ll be more appreciated than ever. I am in the latter camp, so here’s to gathering “Bookshelf Wealth!”