DISCUSSION THREADS REVISITED
Books versus eBooks: Which wins?
I know that everything is better on an Apple product. I’m sure eReaders will make inroads. They serve a useful purpose. But only to a point. Old books are like old friends. They love to be revisited. They stick around to give advice. They remind you of days gone by. Books, like friends, hang around.
Never let anyone tell you that organization can't be beautiful. In order to maximize your storage space, I recommend getting wall to wall bookcases or shelves. You will be able to find some that fit standard rooms, but anything higher than the norm will most probably require something custom-made. This featured workspace, makes an entire wall of shelving its centerpiece. Filled with colorful books and decorative items, it makes for both a practical and attractive home office. The random wall-based bookcase was designed by Dutch architect Huib van Wijk.
BSSR Library Workspace was seen in several lifestyle magazines and E-zines.
Below - without censorship - 'discussion threads and replies" from lifehacker.com/
# Discussion thread from person A
"That is hideous. I cannot imagine a person selecting any one of those items, much less the combination, for use in their home. New acts of Modernism pretty reliably trigger my gag reflex, though. It was ridiculous enough when it was current, over half a century ago. I mean, imagine humans in that space: can you?"
Reply from person B to person A
"It looks like a study room in a library. But with a shelf. A terrible, terrible shelf."
Reply from person C to person A
"I can imagine myself being very comfortable in that room actually. I can also imagine my grandfather who was an architect during the modern era being equally comfortable in there. BTW - be careful about decrying modernism, look at any photo or painting of an old Japanese interior and compare it which much of Frank Lloyd-Wright."
Reply from person A to person C
"While FLW was a Modern in terms of timing and in the sense that he was breaking from tradition, the underlying principles of his work were far removed from the sterile, faux-utilitarianism of the space above. While the designer borrowed some letters from FLW's alphabet in the lines of the shelving and the lighting, the language s/he's speaking is clearly more akin to the 'stacked boxes' school of Modern architecture, which couldn't be less in touch with FLW's focus on localization and landscape. I may well be out of my depth here, as my knowledge of architecture hasn't progressed much since middle school, except where it intersects with literature and film. The above space just strikes me as one of many examples of Modernism-for-modernity's-sake. It's an unconsciously ironic futurism that has repeated itself for the better part of the last century, built upon a minimalism grown baroque with self-reference and arbitrary flourishes-by-subtraction. It's a matter of personal taste, I know. I tend to state my case in strong terms, but it should go without saying that I'm only presenting my response to the above scene and the context in which it is presented."
Reply from person X to person A
"I think that there's "good" modernism and "housing project" modernism. This manages to straddle both somehow."
Reply from person C to person X
"I know what you ar getting at, but think that 'housing project' modernism might better be described as utilitarianism or even brutalism."
# Discussion thread from person B
"Below is a rant of why I don't like this and how it is both a failure of form and function, but you don't have to read it. Also, I wish I had as much money as it took to build this. First, why are there panels against the wall for the bookcase? That seems like a waste of space. Second, what's with all the useless trinkets in the ridiculously varying sizes of the bookcase? Third, it's not even symmetrical, and not in a good way. Fourth, why so many light sources? Fifth, I'm not too fond of the aesthetic of the table or floors."
Reply from person C to person B
"Panels against the wall being a waste of space - they probably take up two inches, and allow something for the shelves to attach to. Wow - people have to like the same types of trinkets as you huh. How do you know they are useless? Maybe they are memories from holidays/places/people gone by? Why the desperate need for symmetry."
Reply from person B to person C
"...allow something for the shelves to attach to. You mean like a wall? I can see how it makes sense to have them if the shelves are not permanent, though. I don't like trinkets. A physical manifestation of a memory isn't useless I'll admit, but these trinkets, which happen to match the decor, seem like they are there to fill in space (i.e. be pointless). Symmetry is the one aesthetic that nearly every human appreciates at least on a subconscious level. However, I understand that asymmetry has its advantages and aesthetic qualities but I don't believe this particular asymmetrical shelf is good-looking. I say that my thoughts on the aesthetic are just an opinion, but I also think it impacts the function of the space negatively, objectively speaking."
Reply from person Y to person B
"For my part, I also tend to have lots of light sources, just not typically all on at the same time. For me, it's about options... Read, Work, Evening, etc..."
Reply from person B to person Y
"That makes sense. I suppose all the lights were on for photographing purposes. At least, I hope that's why."
# Remaining discussion threads
"I had to do a double take on this picture because of the many negative reviews. My first thought was, 'This is great!' I guess I had tunnel vision because all I saw was the wall of shelves for books and art and maybe a few trinkets here or there. After looking at the rest of the picture, I can see why people may not like anything else in it, but everybody responds differently to work spaces and we have to find out what works for us. I'd love to have a wall of shelves. I've got a lot of books. But, for my office space... I'd choose different colors and furniture. I do like the lighting on the book shelves, though. It gives me ideas..."
"Organized chaos! = good"
"Beautiful.. but can u imagine having to clean that shelf…"
"I love it. My office had a modernistic look with a lot of books. Some people consider books warm and comforting, while others are put off by a wall of nothing but books. My shelves are mostly full of books, and while I look at my shelves, I am not attracted by the arrangement, but by what I know the books contain. They are all tech books. But, the arrangement in this article is a very interesting and attractive combination of books, shelves, objects, and light. This makes me want to rearrange my office, or at the very least tidy this up. Well done! I don't want to make anybody gag, but I happen to like modern, high tech design. However, the rest of my house is very traditional, so this room is a nice oasis for me."
More comments and critics are welcome!
Explore BSSR House
DISCUSSION THREADS REVISITED
Books versus eBooks: Which wins?
I know that everything is better on an Apple product. I’m sure eReaders will make inroads. They serve a useful purpose. But only to a point. Old books are like old friends. They love to be revisited. They stick around to give advice. They remind you of days gone by. Books, like friends, hang around.
Never let anyone tell you that organization can't be beautiful. In order to maximize your storage space, I recommend getting wall to wall bookcases or shelves. You will be able to find some that fit standard rooms, but anything higher than the norm will most probably require something custom-made. This featured workspace, makes an entire wall of shelving its centerpiece. Filled with colorful books and decorative items, it makes for both a practical and attractive home office. The random wall-based bookcase was designed by Dutch architect Huib van Wijk.
BSSR Library Workspace was seen in several lifestyle magazines and E-zines.
Below - without censorship - 'discussion threads and replies" from lifehacker.com/
# Discussion thread from person A
"That is hideous. I cannot imagine a person selecting any one of those items, much less the combination, for use in their home. New acts of Modernism pretty reliably trigger my gag reflex, though. It was ridiculous enough when it was current, over half a century ago. I mean, imagine humans in that space: can you?"
Reply from person B to person A
"It looks like a study room in a library. But with a shelf. A terrible, terrible shelf."
Reply from person C to person A
"I can imagine myself being very comfortable in that room actually. I can also imagine my grandfather who was an architect during the modern era being equally comfortable in there. BTW - be careful about decrying modernism, look at any photo or painting of an old Japanese interior and compare it which much of Frank Lloyd-Wright."
Reply from person A to person C
"While FLW was a Modern in terms of timing and in the sense that he was breaking from tradition, the underlying principles of his work were far removed from the sterile, faux-utilitarianism of the space above. While the designer borrowed some letters from FLW's alphabet in the lines of the shelving and the lighting, the language s/he's speaking is clearly more akin to the 'stacked boxes' school of Modern architecture, which couldn't be less in touch with FLW's focus on localization and landscape. I may well be out of my depth here, as my knowledge of architecture hasn't progressed much since middle school, except where it intersects with literature and film. The above space just strikes me as one of many examples of Modernism-for-modernity's-sake. It's an unconsciously ironic futurism that has repeated itself for the better part of the last century, built upon a minimalism grown baroque with self-reference and arbitrary flourishes-by-subtraction. It's a matter of personal taste, I know. I tend to state my case in strong terms, but it should go without saying that I'm only presenting my response to the above scene and the context in which it is presented."
Reply from person X to person A
"I think that there's "good" modernism and "housing project" modernism. This manages to straddle both somehow."
Reply from person C to person X
"I know what you ar getting at, but think that 'housing project' modernism might better be described as utilitarianism or even brutalism."
# Discussion thread from person B
"Below is a rant of why I don't like this and how it is both a failure of form and function, but you don't have to read it. Also, I wish I had as much money as it took to build this. First, why are there panels against the wall for the bookcase? That seems like a waste of space. Second, what's with all the useless trinkets in the ridiculously varying sizes of the bookcase? Third, it's not even symmetrical, and not in a good way. Fourth, why so many light sources? Fifth, I'm not too fond of the aesthetic of the table or floors."
Reply from person C to person B
"Panels against the wall being a waste of space - they probably take up two inches, and allow something for the shelves to attach to. Wow - people have to like the same types of trinkets as you huh. How do you know they are useless? Maybe they are memories from holidays/places/people gone by? Why the desperate need for symmetry."
Reply from person B to person C
"...allow something for the shelves to attach to. You mean like a wall? I can see how it makes sense to have them if the shelves are not permanent, though. I don't like trinkets. A physical manifestation of a memory isn't useless I'll admit, but these trinkets, which happen to match the decor, seem like they are there to fill in space (i.e. be pointless). Symmetry is the one aesthetic that nearly every human appreciates at least on a subconscious level. However, I understand that asymmetry has its advantages and aesthetic qualities but I don't believe this particular asymmetrical shelf is good-looking. I say that my thoughts on the aesthetic are just an opinion, but I also think it impacts the function of the space negatively, objectively speaking."
Reply from person Y to person B
"For my part, I also tend to have lots of light sources, just not typically all on at the same time. For me, it's about options... Read, Work, Evening, etc..."
Reply from person B to person Y
"That makes sense. I suppose all the lights were on for photographing purposes. At least, I hope that's why."
# Remaining discussion threads
"I had to do a double take on this picture because of the many negative reviews. My first thought was, 'This is great!' I guess I had tunnel vision because all I saw was the wall of shelves for books and art and maybe a few trinkets here or there. After looking at the rest of the picture, I can see why people may not like anything else in it, but everybody responds differently to work spaces and we have to find out what works for us. I'd love to have a wall of shelves. I've got a lot of books. But, for my office space... I'd choose different colors and furniture. I do like the lighting on the book shelves, though. It gives me ideas..."
"Organized chaos! = good"
"Beautiful.. but can u imagine having to clean that shelf…"
"I love it. My office had a modernistic look with a lot of books. Some people consider books warm and comforting, while others are put off by a wall of nothing but books. My shelves are mostly full of books, and while I look at my shelves, I am not attracted by the arrangement, but by what I know the books contain. They are all tech books. But, the arrangement in this article is a very interesting and attractive combination of books, shelves, objects, and light. This makes me want to rearrange my office, or at the very least tidy this up. Well done! I don't want to make anybody gag, but I happen to like modern, high tech design. However, the rest of my house is very traditional, so this room is a nice oasis for me."
More comments and critics are welcome!
Explore BSSR House