I meet with a young couple in the chic Central West End last night. I've been advising them for a few months on taking their townhouse from young college student to grown up. We are rearranging a long, narrow family room that leads to the kitchen. I flipped around some furniture and freed up a wall that is perfect now for floor to ceiling bookshelves. Every home needs floor to ceiling bookshelves somewhere. First, it encourages reading! But well designed and placed shelves give a room weight and substance and can really add a lot of storage. Besides books, they can hold magazines, baskets for storage of DVDs and CDs, wedding gifts that otherwise might sit in a cabinet or closet waiting for a special occasion. Bookshelves really don't need to be an deeper than 10" and if space is an issue, 8" will hold most books just fine. One of my favorite architects, Hugh Newell Jacobsen, does bookshelves better than anyone. His work almost always features what we refer to as "egg crate" shelves. Very simple, square shelves with no detail. Very simple, elegant and practical. Here is a picture of one of his rooms with bookcases. Look for a space in your home for some!