Eye on Design | Vancouver | A Novel Idea

2 September 2013 ♦

In the center of a small clothing boutique, in the Gastown neighborhood of Vancouver, is a massive column…and it’s constructed entirely of paperback books.

Designed by Vancouver architect, Michael Green, the floor-to-ceiling cylinder in the center of fashion-forward clothing store, LYNNsteven, is not just for decoration. It serves as a fitting room, and, at night, becomes a massive, glowing lantern.

The lower part is lined inside to provide privacy for the fitting room, and light fixtures are mounted above, providing light that shines through the spaces between the books.

Proving my own philosophy that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to create good design, the inexpensive paperback books were found on craigslist and arranged into the cylindrical form that provides this trendy clothing boutique with a show-stopping centerpiece. You can’t walk by this store without going inside to confirm that the structure is, indeed, made of books.

When I wrote a piece for Huffington Post about decorating your home with books, I couldn’t believe how controversial the subject became, receiving dozens of angry comments. Many people assumed the books had never been read, and there was a strong objection to them being used as decoration.

I feel somewhat vindicated in that, in 2010, this small Gastown boutique was awarded “Best Interior Design” in a competition held by the International Interior Design Association.

Now that’s what I call a best seller!