By Jessie Mooney for GQ.
(Andrew Goble)
LEX MILL, FOUNDER OF ALEX MILL
The New York City loft of Alex Drexler, menswear designer and son of J.Crew's CEO, also houses one of the world's most impressive collections of coffee table books. But here's a tip: a bookshelf isn't only for books. Photos, spoils from travels, an old-fashioned globe--all of these knickknacks make your display (and you) more intriguing.
(Liam Goslett)
ROBERT GELLER, DESIGNER
Robert Geller, another menswear-designing legend of New York City, opts for a contemporary bookshelf design, without sides or backing, in his Brooklyn townhouse. Your takeaway is a lesson in contrast. The effect of dated and well-worn tomes piled on such a modern styling makes us feel like these pages have earned their right to stick around. Plus, alternating horizontal and vertical stacks prevents titles from getting lost and looks way more interesting.
(Ysa Perez)
MAGNUS BERGER, EDITOR OF THE LAST MAGAZINE
These bookshelves were actually hand-built by art world darling and editor of The Last Magazine, Magnus Berger for his Lower Manhattan apartment. "I think the first time around I made eight, and then eight more, and I've just kept adding," Berger tells us. "It's modular and you can, sort of, stack it however you want." In small living spaces, every square foot counts. Tractable book "boxes" that can be assembled and reassembled to create various shelf designs allow you to make room for new home purchases, or easily switch up the scene when things start to feel boring.
(Francois Goize)
ALEXANDRE MATTIUSSI, AMI DESIGNER
Ignore that peacock's peacocking and focus on the Ami designer's genius mobility hack. Books are heavy as hell. Now the Frenchman can wheel around his Pigalle apartment (or to a new destination should he ever decide to move), only breaking a mental sweat.
ROMA COHEN, OWNER OF THE ALCHEMIST
Welcome to Miami and the home of Roma Cohen, owner of the Alchemist shop. Cohen shows us that anything can serve as a bookshelf. "It's a very simple aesthetic--nothing too over the top," he says. "Very homey." Realize though, if you only have one publication on the ledge, your guests are more likely to remember it and judge you accordingly. Luckily, Cohen chose a Rick Owens collection, so he's in the clear.
(Jeremy Allen)
DEAN DI SIMONE, CREATIVE DESIGNER BEHIND TOKYOBIKE
Dean Di Simone, creative designer behind Tokyobike and owner of this swoon-worthy Soho loft, found another brilliant way to save some precious New York footage. "This combined closet and bookcase was a project designed in collaboration with Henry Built," says Di Simone. "The intention was to minimize the number of walls in the bedroom and use furniture and objects to help define it instead."
(Matt Martin)
ANDY SPADE, CO-FOUNDER OF PARTNERS & SPADE
Off to the side of the main living room is this red room, which Andy Spade describes as "our room." This is the space where Andy and wife Kate choose to spend time. This "bookshelf" is actually a coffee table supporting more than two dozen books. Avoid having your table look cluttered, by piling on enough volumes to make a statement: The Spades prefer their most treasured reads available at arm's reach, as opposed to collecting dust in a corner.
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