Don't judge a book by its cover

by Marco Muggiano

Truth be told, it's not a new idea. Browsing around on Pinterest and Instagram reveals photos that are quite dated, and it was back in 2014 that The Interior Collective dedicated a "genius" definition to the trend of furnishing bookshelves with backwards-facing texts, completely hiding the cover.

To get an idea, just type #backwardsbooks on Instagram and the examples multiply. The visual impact is objectively very pleasing, especially for very large bookshelves: it maintains a neutral color palette and allows you to play on the nuances created by the yellowing of time.

Some of those who have tried it swear they are able to recognize books even when facing backwards. However, the real philosophical question that underlies this trend is: be honest, how often do you re-read the same book?

It's also a way to give a second chance to those books, perhaps received as gifts, that we simply know we will never read, but don't dare to throw away.

Interior designers suggest complementing "backwards" bookcases by displaying some beautiful frames. It is not specified whether there should be anything inside them.