The big question
Should you arrange your books by colour?
Yes “It’s a fun way to brighten your home”
Mel Carruthers, 46, lives in a four-bedroom, 18th-century farmhouse near Dumfries with her husband Chris and their eight-year-old son Finn. Mel is a professional organiser at More Organised (moreorganised.com).
‘One of my greatest joys is “rainbowtising” my books to give little pops of colour around the house. I first started doing it when I was at university nearly 30 years ago. Why? Because it looked nice. I’m not surprised the trend is finally catching on.
Arranging books by colour is attractive, fun and a really simple way to brighten up an otherwise blank space. It’s something you can do with stuff you already have. Plus, it makes it easier to put things back in the right place, and teaches children to be tidy and respectful. Kids’ books are mainly brightly coloured, so it’s particularly easy to see where they should go.
There is some logic to it. I don’t just put all the red books together. My bookshelves are themed by category and then arranged by colour within that genre. Chris isn’t so keen on the look. He arranges his books alphabetically by author, and I wouldn’t dream of touching them! I do recommend rainbowtising to my clients, and some are more keen than others. Obviously, I wouldn’t just start arranging their books by colour if they hadn’t agreed – but I’ve had quite a few converts. It can be addictive.
Admittedly, I have bought a couple of books purely because of their colour. It’s very difficult to find green or turquoise recipe books for some reason, so I was really pleased when I stumbled across two in a charity shop. One was a book of cupcake recipes and the other was about cake-decorating. I wouldn’t have picked either of them up if they hadn’t been the colour I was after, but I have actually used them both.’
No It’s reducing books to mere props”
Esther Beadle, 30, lives in a two-bedroom
1920s flat in Newcastle. Esther is a freelance journalist and university tutor, and owns vintage clothing business Nana Sylvia’s Wardrobe, sold through Flea Circus (wearefleacircus.com). ‘The idea of arranging books according to the colour of their spine makes me shudder. My heart sinks every time I see it, and it’s so ubiquitous nowadays – in shops, bars, restaurants and on Instagram, as well as people’s homes.
My dad was an English and drama teacher, so my childhood home was practically held up by books!
I now have a massive, overflowing bookcase in my living room – and the books aren’t arranged in any particular order. I’ve also got books stacked in piles all over my flat. I want to be able to pick up a book and put it back wherever, not worry about whether it fits the colour scheme. Yes, it can make it difficult to find a particular title – but then again, I often stumble across something I’d completely forgotten about while I’m searching. It keeps books fun and helps me rediscover old favourites. I find it unbelievable that people buy books in a particular colour just to fit their decor. People have poured their hearts and souls into writing these books. You can’t just view them as a commodity. It’s reducing books to mere “Instagrammable” props. People should spend less time organising their books and more time reading them!’
“It’s crazy! People should spend less time organising their books and more time reading them