What to do with all your DVDs, CDs and books

My husband and I own so many books, CDs and DVDs that we’ll likely never read, listen to or watch ever again. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean we want to throw them away or shove them all in boxes in our basement. Sometimes we like keeping these things accessible in case we feel like getting through The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, reliving our middle school years with some Stone Temple Pilot jams, or watching Napoleon Dynamite for the hundredth time. But with a tight economy and the already high price of solid wood furniture, it’s not easy finding wallet-friendly bookcases and media storage solutions that don’t look too cheap.

My solution to this dilemma is a little store called Ikea. While I don’t recommend their frames, I am a big fan of their Markör bookcases and storage cabinets.
Any book collection would look fabulous on this cube-like bookcase (above), which has a casual modern feel. I would accent our hardcovers with these cute, squat vases.

We personally own this glass-door cabinet (above), which we’ve filled with our top DVDs and CDs. I like the fact that our collection is discreetly showcased; we can still see and access the discs we want, but the titles don’t look cluttered or blatantly displayed.

If you’re willing to refinish furniture, some good places for bookshelves and cabinets are flea markets and tag sales. Additionally, you can sometimes luck out in the clearance area of some national and local furniture stores. Otherwise, Ikea might be your best bet.