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DESIGN INSPIRATION: Bookshelves

March 1, 2011

After taking advantage of the massive Aksara Bookstore sale last month we can now safely say that we NEED bookshelves. Since my priority right now is the monstrous L-shaped buffet table/china cabinet, then the liquor cabinet I am thinking of ordering vertical bookshelves first as a quick short-term solution. Then when we are able to save up for it, I want to have floor to ceiling modular bookshelves. Here are some design inspirations I found on the net. Pictures after the jump! 

A vertical bookcase is ideal for our tiny guest bedroom/study which has so little space!  This is the metal version which I wish I could replicate but unfortunately my furniture maker specializes in wood. 

The only problem of my furniture maker with the above is the stability. Do you know why they can make it so high with wood? So here are other options I am looking into. It will definitely be more expensive because more wood is required.

vertical bookshelf option

Other less expensive ideas that I can do sooner than later are floating bookshelves…

Some ideas for the floor to ceiling bookshelves. I want it modular so I can reconfigure when we relocate to a new apartment or post. (Ah, the joys of diplo-living!)

For floor to ceiling bookcases we need stairs or a ladder that is easy to store but also stable to use.

Okay this has nothing to do with shelving but I just stumbled on it along the way… how cute is that  BE MY GUEST cutout on the wall??? I want one for my guest room!

So many inspiring ideas! Will keep you posted on what I come up with. Enjoy your week everyone!

6 Comments · Diplo Home

Comments

  1. Chuzai Living says

    March 5, 2011 at 2:01 PM

    So many great ideas, Diplowife!! As always you’re doing research well for your new items to be added in your room. Good for you! I love the first book shelf you posted. I like that “be my guest’ sign on the wall, too!!

    Reply
  2. diplomaticwife says

    March 5, 2011 at 7:20 PM

    Thanks Kaho! So many great ideas! Now just have to save up for them hehe!

    Reply
  3. Sassa says

    June 13, 2011 at 4:11 PM

    nice! the vertical bookshelf looks good. was checking out the ‘invisible’ bookshelf ledge at the mall the other day. but i don’t have the heart to drill holes in the wall.
    keep posting those ideas =)

    Reply
    • diplomaticwife says

      June 14, 2011 at 3:56 PM

      Hi Sassa,

      Thanks for dropping by and commenting. Glad you love the ideas! At first I was that way too, so I was buying a lot of those 3M command strips for paintings, etc. But they didn’t stick to my wall because of the water soluble paint that our cheapo landlord used. We asked for better quality paint, but no go and he told us we had no choice but to drill on the wall if we wanted to hang anything as long as we cover it up with plaster after =O so I’ve been happily drilling! In fact I just ordered a desk that folds up flat on the wall when it’s not in use. Oh and I got the floating shelves! Weee! Pics soon!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. DIPLO HOME ♖ Media Wall Teaser | The Diplomatic Wife says:
    October 8, 2013 at 11:18 PM

    […] Click here to see the cool bookshelf ideas that I found on the net I posted on March1, 2011. I wasn’t really sold on any of it so I decided to create my own design. I communicate it to my furniture maker Danni and he advises me on stability and the more technical aspects. He then creates a drawing on the computer so I can approve it before he starts making it. […]

    Reply
  2. DIPLO HOME: Modular Bookshelf Prototype | The Diplomatic Wife says:
    October 28, 2013 at 6:09 PM

    […] my post on bookshelf ideas? I finally came up with a design that suited me. it’s a combination of several designs. I […]

    Reply

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Welcome

Hello! I’m Ayessa, trailing spouse to a diplomat, mama to DiploBaby and DiploDog and founder of Declutter MNL. I love talking about how to achieve a minimaluxe lifestyle one step at a time.

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DISCLOSURE

I am an Amazon affiliate, but all opinions are my own. The content of all my blog and social media posts are products and experiences that I truly enjoy and I only work with brands that fit my life and style.

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SANTA CLAUS MAIN POST OFFICE So one really meanin SANTA CLAUS MAIN POST OFFICE

So one really meaningful part of our trip was @santaclausmainpostoffice which is right outside of @santaclausoffice.

🎄 @diplobaby wrote a postcard for Santa

🎄 He also wrote some postcards to his friends

🎄 I wrote a postcard to @diplobaby to remember our many firsts in this trip.

For the last 2 we were lucky that our hotel @glass_resort  had many FREE POSTCARDS  and STAMPS and we didn’t have to go to the post office. They conveniently sent it for us.

His close friends were happy to receive them and I also loved getting our own post. So cool!

Please don’t forget to LIKE this post to see more family adventures & travel tips!

If Finland is on your bucket list then definitely SAVE THIS!

#udwinfinland #udwinsantaclausvillage #diplobaby #diilofamily
SEEING SANTA Everyday is Christmas Day in @santac SEEING SANTA

Everyday is Christmas Day in @santaclausvillage_rovaniemi! 

While we were walking back to our hotel @glass_resort guess who passed by and was sweet enough to roll down his window to say high.

Roll down for the quick conversation. I’m glad I caught it on camera.

TD was pretty impressed that his car is also red. 😂

Mind you his facial hair looked totally real!

#udwinfinland #udwinsantaclausvillage
NIGHT OF THE MUSEUMS 2: For the 2nd Museum we cho NIGHT OF THE MUSEUMS 2:

For the 2nd Museum we chose
SAINT PETER’S CATHEDRAL ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE

🤍 Impressive cathedral even from the outside. If you are interested in the Church’s history, or even just history, this place is a must!

🤍 Off to the right is the stairs to go to another time, to see the ruins underneath the current cathedral. 

🤍 You get to see what was built here before the cathedral even up to the years before Christ.

🤍 I was really impressed with the mosaic tile flooring

🤍 You can see how Christianity evolved in Geneva over millenia 

🤍 There were a lot of deep wells. I wonder how they dug them out during simpler times? Some people even dropped credit cards. Be careful because once something falls out of your wallet, it’s gone. 

🤍 If you have fear of heights there are parts on the floor where there is a bigger distance from the ruin to the flooring. I got a bit scared in those parts.

🤍 We explained what we learned to @diplobaby and he was very fascinated with it. From the coins of the old days, the combs, how baptisms were done and how old these things were… he soaked it all up.

🤍 It’s so important not to underestimate our kids. If we share what we read and explain things to them even a museum like this is interesting. 

🤍 When we got out at 11, we walked back to the shuttle to get back to TD’s office. We saw some things like canons that made us realize how little we have explored of @ville_de_geneve! Must come back for more!

🤍 shuttle was like a private bus coz there were only 2 other people with us!

Night at the Museums is a great way to explore the city on a budget!
#UDWinGeneva #diplobaby #diplofamily #undiplomaticwife
NIGHT OF THE MUSEUMS 1: Last 13 May we went with NIGHT OF THE MUSEUMS 1:

Last 13 May we went with some colleagues & their families to check out Night in the Museums for the first time!

A FEW TIPS:

🤍 Doing the “Nuit des musées” is another way to see more museums in Geneva on a budget.

🤍 To avoid long lines, you can buy tickets online for chf10/adult. Kids are FREE.

🤍 BUT you might not get the pink lanyard/ID if the museums run out. No worries, nobody checked us.

🤍 Included in your ticket are FREE shuttle buses to take you from different points to another. So no need to buy regular train/tram tickets.

🤍 There are less people in the shuttles too, so this is good if you don’t like crowds. 

🤍 It starts at 5pm & ends at 12mn. But some museums close earlier

🤍 This year we started at 7pm and only got 2 museums done. If you get 2 in one night, it’s already worth it. 

🤍 Next year we will definitely start at 5 to see more museums.

🤍 And it’s better to schedule & book where you will have dinner, otherwise everything is totally full. 

🤍 For our group of about 20 (coz we were with 2 other families) we were able to get tables at McDonalds. 

🤍 If it’s rainy, use a lightweight hooded down jacket that can easily be folded like our favorite @uniqlo UltraLightDown Jacket. The cool thing about it is if you have not time to go to a coat check, you can roll it into it’s own bag.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM @museum.geneve 

✨ We prioritized this because we knew the kids would love learning about the animals, the environment and even the crystals.

✨ It’s interesting because it’s also interactive. 

✨ It’s small but packs a punch and has several floors so the kids didn’t even want to leave. 

So happy we are exploring @ville_de_geneve more!

#UDWinGeneva #diplobaby #diplofamily #undiplomaticwife
TRUFFLE TIPS When buying truffle products, it’s TRUFFLE TIPS

When buying truffle products, it’s important to know what you are buying. I’m not an expert but I’d like to share with you what I’ve learned over the years. 

Did you know that many TRUFFLE OILS only contain faux truffle flavoring?

⚡️Try to buy oils that contain small truffle bits to know that it’s a genuine truffle infusion. 

⚡️If the oil is clear (or even if it’s not), it’s important to read the ingredients list & make sure that it lists truffle/truffle infusion as an ingredient. 

⚡️Truffle flavor(ing) is not real truffle.

⚡️Black truffle is more common & cheaper than white truffle.

⚡️TRUFFLE SALT is cheaper but less flavorful than truffle oil. It’s great to layer on top of truffle oil when making truffle popcorn, eggs or pasta. But used alone the flavor isn’t as strong as time goes by. It’s good bang for buck though!

⚡️TRUFFLE POWDER is nice to have to give that truffle color, but not a must. It’s also more expensive coz it’s pure dried truffle.

Swipe to see how much we get them for at @tkmaxxat. We always go to @tkmaxxde when we go to Germany to get fancy things to fit within our limited budget.

As for the @turci_firenze traditionally infused truffle oil, we get them at an affordable price in @elcorteingles when we are in Madrid.

We don’t have it all the time, but when we want to treat ourselves at home we make our favorites:

1. Truffle popcorn for movie nights
2. Truffle scrambled eggs for weekends
3. Truffle cream pasta for special meals

What are your other truffle tips?

What are your favorite truffle dishes? #diplotummy
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