A book is meant for reading or to look for information. I like books and I should read them more than I do. I’ve said before that the way we experience a book is changing. In this day and age there are many ebooks, but holding and yes, smelling old books is an experience in itself. And too bad more and more young people don’t know what I mean. Another thing is that the traditional book industrie is under pressure in this digital age. And people are getting rid of old books. So I can imagine used book stores end up with an enormous amount of books. Throwing away books is not what one wants to do. But what can you do besides letting them gather dust on a bookshelf?
Furniture not just decorated with books
If you’re a regular visitor of upcycleDZINE you may have noticed upcycle design made out of old books. Some examples are Light Book, Atlas Book Lamp, Stacked Books Table Lamp or Hardback Book Lamp. All fantastic and amazing ideas for upcycling old books.
A few days ago I found upcycle design that doesn’t use the entire book, but focuses on those fantastic and old colorful hardback covers. The furniture collection is called ‘BOOKED‘ and is created by Dutch designer Jacqueline le Bleu as a tribute to books.
BOOKED benches and side tables are sustainably produced. “All characteristic parts, like the beautiful linen covers, bract and ribbon markers are being re-used in avery detailed way. The paper inside of the book is recycled and replaced by a plywood frame, whereby the designs looklike optical illusions. Each object is a handmade unique piece named after the most striking book title.”
Photos © Jacqueline le Bleu
When I saw BOOKED for the first I liked the strangeness of the design. Because there’s no way books could be stacked upon each other in this way or could replace a table top. And that’s why this upcycle design collection is so fascinating. You keep looking at how it’s constructed and at all the playful details. BOOKED is so much more than just furniture decorated with books.
Design by Jacqueline le Bleu | Facebook