Tsundoku: decorating by showing your love for books

The passion for accumulating all kinds of books has a name: tsundoku, a Japanese term turned into a perfect idea to decorate showing your love for books.

The term tsundoku is the one that defines this need to hoard books. The word is the result of the union of two Japanese concepts: tsunde-oku (piled up) and dokusho (to read). Although many identify this practice with bibliomania, both have an essential difference. Beyond the pleasure of contemplation that bibliomania reveals, tsundoku implies the intention to read the acquired copies.

Contrary to what it may seem, practicing tsundoku gives you a perfect opportunity to decorate by showing your love for books. However, you must be very clear that it clashes head-on with the mantras promulgated, for example, by the Japanese guru of order par excellence.

For Marie Kondo, practicing detachment is one of the keys to organizing the home, and books are no exception. As opposed to the irrepressible accumulation implied by tsundoku, the Konmari method is committed to having no more than thirty copies.

Owning more books than you have read (or will ever read) is not just a matter of interior design. For many people, having a large bookcase at home is synonymous with knowledge and entertainment at hand, but it also brings a curious sense of comfort and pleasure.

In their most aesthetic dimension, books can accumulate in any corner: from a simple bookshelf to a piece of furniture, through DIY solutions.

Hallways, for example, offer tsundoku practitioners an ideal space to decorate by demonstrating their love of books. But they are not the only original scenarios. Placing the bookcase in the space under the bed, the stairwell or the steps of the stairs themselves are alternatives that exude creativity.

Any corner of the house can become an improvised or meditated library: from the space under the bed to the stairs there are many places to practice tsundoku.

When the accumulation of books borders on the scandalous, custom-made furniture can be the best solution to make the most of every available centimeter. But if you want tsundoku to nourish not only your spirit but also your body, there's nothing like putting your talent for DIY to the test.

Self-made bookshelves will give your spaces a unique personality. In addition, you can always use recycled materials to create attractive and sustainable compositions to organize your books.

Having a lot of books does not necessarily mean that they are out of order. There is nothing in tsundoku to support this. That said, once you have chosen the support that will serve as a bookcase, it is time to think about the system to organize your books.

Among the classics, alphabetical order, genre or chronological order are some of the most common alternatives.

Although the guru of order bets on not hoarding more than thirty copies, the truth is that there are some aspects of the Konmari method that you can extrapolate to your library, even if you practice tsundoku.

The idea would be to organize your books by categories, specifically, differentiating between four: general, practical, visual and magazines. In other words, books that you read for pleasure, reference books, photography books and publications.

It is also worth adding a touch of creativity to the task of organizing, especially if you are looking to decorate while showing your love for books. An organization by color or size will be very interesting.

To complete its charm you can add accessories in the same colors, paint the shelves identifying each genre with a color and even add small notes to know what reading you recommend at any given moment. Imagination will be your best ally!

Are you already clear on how tsundoku will help you decorate by showing your love for books?