BOOKS CAN BE BASICS OF DECORATION.

Byline: Gary Krino Orange County Register

I love to read. I eat it up. I buy hardback books at garage and estate sales for a dollar. I pore through discounted books at bookstores. I pick up books at the office.

There's a downside to all this, though. I do donate books to the library once I read them. But I'm the kind of guy who hates to part with a book. The catch? Where and how to store them.

Over the years, I've come up with approaches that are not only practical from a storage point of view but attractive from a decorating viewpoint.

One way I've put books to use is as a base for a coffee table. The trick is to come up with piles of books that are of exactly the same height. Instead of stacking the books all in a line, I like to skew the books at different angles.

The top of the table can be glass or wood. I prefer glass because it allows you to see the dust jacket of the book atop each pile. I also prefer a glass top because glass tends to be heavier than wood and holds the books in place better.

A stack of books on a table is the perfect literary pedestal. Top the book pedestal with a special piece of glass or pottery, or a bust of your favorite writer. If you're going to place a potted plant on top of the book pedestal, make sure you use a saucer beneath the pot so that when you water, liquid does not seep onto the books.

Many homes have a long hall that leads to bedrooms. These puppies can be difficult to decorate. Usually the lighting is not wonderful, and the space is easy to neglect. A great place for books.

Remember the board-and-brick bookcases you put together in your dorm room or first apartment? Go ahead and experiment with a similar setup in the hall.

To get the most storage for the space, use books rather than bricks as the supports between the shelves.

For a decorator look, paint the boards a color complementary to the colors in the hall or in the rooms that the hall opens onto.

One last shot: A small arrangement of books looks good on most any tabletop.

Instead of using bookends to support the books, use a small pile of - you got it - books on either end. Does the job and puts just that many more books to good use.