Weave Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 (edited) Beautiful, Pontalba! I love the way your shelves go around the window. OK, I have a question. I've noticed that you (both Paula and Pontalba) don't have cornices on your ceilings (the bit that covers the join between the ceiling and the wall). Is this common in the UK and the US? They come standard in all houses here, but I'm finding them rather annoying of late. I can't buy the height extensions for my Billy bookcases because the cornices are in the way. I can only imagine my Dad's face if I tell him I want them removed so I can fit in more books! Here's a pic of what I mean (these are the bookcases in my lounge room; the one on the right is the new one): (Excuse the blurriness!) Speaking for myself Kylie, I don't have cornices and they weren't there when I moved in and every house I've lived in doesn't have, so yeah its common in the UK (I know that was quite a long winded answer), my sister has them but she put them in herself. I am sorry your cornices are bugging you, will it be a hassle to remove them? It is for books we all understand I love your bookshelves Kylie Edited February 21, 2012 by Weave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 (edited) First off, Kylie, those bookcases are gorgeous. Great lines! I see what you mean about the cornices, they are rather large. No, there are none in this house, but it was built in the mid 1980's, and they'd been phased out. In my old house, built by by grandfather in 1929, there were cornices, picture rails [or moldings], and chair rails on all the walls! Ain't dere no mo'! I don't know when they were phased out to tell the truth, in my father's house we had cornices at least, and that was built in the 1940's or so. So, to answer your question, at least as far as the U.S. is concerned [to my knowledge], no, for the most part houses are not ordinarily built with them. Ah, but I just remembered the house across the street from us, built in the late 1990's does have them, but the guy that built the house was a sort of contractor that built it for himself, and liked the extra touches. /phew/ sorry to be so long winded! And, I'll post more pictures tomorrow. lol Edited February 21, 2012 by pontalba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 (edited) Thanks Paula. That wasn't a long-winded answer at all. It had exactly the amount of information I was looking for. I think I'll only ask my Dad to remove the cornices when I seriously start running out of space (that will be years yet, believe it or not!) They may be inconvenient, but I do rather like the look of them, and it would be weird not to have cornices when I've lived with them my entire life! The Billy height extensions would probably look out of place anyway. I add two extra shelves to every bookcase I buy so I can pack my books in nice and close, and the height extension would make a shelf that is way taller than my other shelves (but too short to make into two shelves). Oh, the dilemmas involved in shelving books! /melodramatics ETA: Thanks Pontalba! So it seems they're maybe more decorative in the US, then. Actually, I can't imagine why they'd be used for anything other than decoration, really. It's not like the wall/ceiling would leak if they weren't there (if the house had been built properly, anyway! ) My place was built around 2000, I think. Edited February 21, 2012 by Kylie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Sorry for being OT, but I just rang my Dad to ask about cornices. It looks like Australia is the opposite of the US. Dad says he didn't have any cornices in his childhood home (probably built in the 30s or 40s, or earlier). But nowadays most or all houses have them. Dad said builders use them to finish off the job rather than filling in the gap between the gyprock and the ceiling (lazy sods!). He said it's a lot of work to remove cornices because they're stuck on pretty good, and it could open up a gap of about 25mm. Then he said I might have trouble selling my property at a later date because it wouldn't be easy for new owners to replace the cornices (unless they're book lovers and have Billys with height extensions!) There goes that idea, then! I'm glad I didn't have my heart set on those height extensions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sofia Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 (edited) I was under the impression crown molding was the norm...most houses I've been in (including mine) have them Edited February 21, 2012 by Sofia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Everybody's bookcases look so lovely and full! I feel like I want to go home immediately and stare at my books Kylie, omg omg, is that your new bookcases in your livingroom?? Goodness gracious how long have I been off? I'm now immediately going to go to your reading blog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Frankie, the one on the right is new, but the one on the left is the one I had laying on its side behind my lounge. I've just put it upright again. There is room for two more bookcases of the same size next to these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 (edited) Frankie, the one on the right is new, but the one on the left is the one I had laying on its side behind my lounge. I've just put it upright again. There is room for two more bookcases of the same size next to these. ah, so the one in the lounge was on it's side Hehe! Clever!! There's room for two more, next to those?? Holy hell I love your lounge <3 I miss your sofa, badly!!!! Edit: Did I say sofa? Bad frankie, bad! I meant couch, of course! Edited February 21, 2012 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Kylie, the reason the very old houses had picture rails and chair rails was to protect the walls. They didn't have sheet rock back then, the walls were plaster over some sort of horizontal slats. Can't think what to call them. Anyhow, you shouldn't put holes in those walls, or damage them with chairs and such banging up against them, as they are difficult to repair properly. I don't know why cornices were so popular. But it did balance the other two I suppose, if nothing else. Decoration. Sophia, I wonder if it's an area thing? Maybe contractors up there just do things differently. I do love cornices, they really add something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sofia Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Sophia, I wonder if it's an area thing? Maybe contractors up there just do things differently. I do love cornices, they really add something. I wondered that too about the area...some are really beautiful, they can make or break the entire room Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Edit: Did I say sofa? Bad frankie, bad! I meant couch, of course! No, you mean lounge! We call 'em lounges! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 No, you mean lounge! We call 'em lounges! But I call 'em couches!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 No you don't. Apparently you call them sofas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 No you don't. Apparently you call them sofas! You meanie!! I edited! I EDITED!! cOUCHHHH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 If you wanted to hide your 'error', you should have deleted it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 If you wanted to hide your 'error', you should have deleted it! I am not afraid to let people see I've made a mistake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 As long as you don't mind them (me) mocking you for it afterwards! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 These are my shelves! This one contains all my fantasy, plus John Marsdens books, the gap on the second shelf near the middle, is the place for a book my bf is currently reading. The only person I lend my books out to. and this one contains the rest, it's a mantel piece above a fire that was bricked before we moved in sadly: I've tried to keep them sorted within fiction and non fiction, I actually think Brent weeks needs to be on the fantasy shelf, if only I could fit them. I actually got rid of a lot of books not long before I joined on here. I can't wait to place my 5 new books on here when they arrive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abcinthia Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 This is the bookcase I share with my boyfriend. Most of the books are mine even though he's a Literature Student The history books are the only ones in any real order. But they are about to overflow to the next shelf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Looking at all these wonderful pictures makes me wish even more for my own place and book room! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmo Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 These are my shelves! This one contains all my fantasy, plus John Marsdens books, the gap on the second shelf near the middle, is the place for a book my bf is currently reading. The only person I lend my books out to. What are the Robin Hobb Liveship Traders books like? I have them but have never read them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 What are the Robin Hobb Liveship Traders books like? I have them but have never read them. Neither have I I started to read the first, but didn't make it past chapter 1. I was just too excited and skipped them to continue on with the tawny man, I wanted to know more about the fool! He/she (I can't remember if they ever estashblished that in the end) is one of my favourite characters. I think I will get to them eventually though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 What are the Robin Hobb Liveship Traders books like? I have them but have never read them. I read the first one a couple of years ago. It was okay. I still have the next two on the shelf unread, which means I wasn't overly impressed, I guess, but I do intend to read them. I did post these in my book thread but, seeing as I'm posting here anyway, these are my shelves: The books are two deep on the shelves in the second picture (the Liveship ones are hidden at the back ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 You meanie!! I edited! I EDITED!! cOUCHHHH. We call them sofas too ... lounges are what we put them in As for couch .. we only use that word when sticking potato on the end Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sofia Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 (edited) I see big empty spaces that no doubt need filling Edited March 2, 2012 by Sofia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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