Judge a Person by Their Bookcase, Not Their Books

It sounds funny, but you can tell more about someone from what they keep their books in than from the books themselves. It sounds mad until you actually think about it. A stack of paperbacks on a plank shelf says one thing; the same books sitting inside a glazed French bookcase with proper mouldings and a bit of age to the glass say something else entirely.

French bookcases have always had a bit more ambition than the average bookshelf. They weren’t just built to hold things upright—they were built to be looked at, with glazed doors to keep dust off, carved detailing that didn’t need to be there but is anyway, and proportions that assume the room around them matters too. That’s the difference between storage and furniture, really. One disappears into the wall; the other becomes the reason people stop and look when they walk in.

We’ve currently got quite a few in the collection, ranging in style and period: some more restrained, and some doing a lot more with their carving and glazing than others. Whether you’re filling one with actual books, glassware, or just things you like looking at, the bookcase itself tends to end up being the most interesting part of the room, regardless of what’s inside it.

There’s also something quietly satisfying about a two-hundred-year-old piece of furniture still doing exactly the job it was built for. Books haven’t changed that much, and neither has the need for somewhere decent to put them.

If your books have been living in something that doesn’t deserve them, it might be time for an upgrade.

Have a browse through our French bookcase collection here.