Built-in bookshelves, saturated color schemes and plump armchairs create cozy spaces made for enjoying books.
1. Books From Floor to Ceiling
The idea was to make this newly constructed home in San Antonio, Texas, feel like it had been there for decades. Bradshaw Designs and Al Jones Architects took deep green library shelves from the floor to the high ceiling.
When choosing the materials, patina was key. Chicago brick on the walls and chimney, a limestone mantel and bronze and brass lighting lend a sense of age and history. And the pièce de résistance is the rolling library ladder that provides access to the highest shelves.
3. Pink Embrace
In this book lover’s Massachusetts home, Lisa Tharp Design transformed a dark living room into a pink delight they refer to as “a literary retreat.” The coffered ceiling, fireplace and built-in bookshelves give it traditional library bones. But the lush color palette of pinks and camels makes the room feel like it’s giving out hugs. Two plush sofas and a cushy window seat provide plenty of places to curl up with a favorite book. And if one does so while reclining, the William Morris Acanthus wallpaper on the ceiling offers a special view.
These London homeowners had added on a dining room, making them wonder what the heck to do with their former dining room space. Both owners are publishers, so when Anna Auzins Interiors proposed transforming the unused space into a room that celebrated books, they were thrilled. A Moroccan rug, antiques and beautiful blue paint on the millwork make the room vibrant and welcoming.
The designers also made sure the room was set up for the whole family to enjoy. They outfitted the lower shelves with felt baskets for children’s toys and designated shelf space for board games. The opposite end of the room has a comfy velvet sofa, an armchair and a wood stove.
Elle Du Monde designers infused the home of two busy Atlanta doctors with lots of color and pattern. They chose a relaxing dark palette for this room, which was designed for enjoying time off.
The deep green color of the built-ins, the botanical wallpaper and the Turkish rug give the room a cozy feel that’s suitable for reading or enjoying the piano. Two comfortable armchairs and a long ottoman give the couple a spot to sit and put their feet up while reading or catching up with each other after a long shift.
Wallpaper: Chiraco Serandite, Romo; cabinetry paint: Laurel Woods, Sherwin WIlliams
Interior designer Ellen Nystrom created this space in a couple’s San Francisco home in a way that allows them to enjoy it together. The wife enjoys knitting and other hobbies, and the husband loves to sit with a book in his favorite chair, keeping her company while she works on her crafts.
Because the couple have an extensive book collection, the designer measured the volumes to determine the number of linear feet required to house them in built-in bookshelves. She worked the color scheme around a wallpaper the couple loved. Its botanical print nods to the home’s Victorian-era architecture.
Cabinetry paint: Newburg Green, Benjamin Moore
This 1870s Victorian home is on the coast of Marblehead, Massachusetts. I can’t decide if the theme is Edith Wharton Goes Coastal or Colonel Mustard in the Library With the Three-Light Table Lamp. The bottom line is that more is more here. More books, more art lights, more patterns and more color. The result is a dreamy spot to browse through many titles, picking one and sitting down to enjoy it. It also looks like a great spot for a small group to discuss a book over tea.
On a larger scale, Crystal Blackshaw Interiors squeezed a cushy sectional in between three walls wrapped in bookshelves. The Chicago room is full of playful energy, from the cerulean blue paint to the multicolored glass lanterns in the chandelier, the geometric patterns in the colorful rug and the flame-stitched upholstery. Topping things off, a dynamic striped wallpaper on the ceiling plays off these elements, as well as the colorful book spines.
When remodeling this 19th-century carriage house in Pennsylvania, Krieger + Associates Architects was inspired by the building’s history. A long wall of floor-to-ceiling shelves in the office has Craftsman style. The color palette and Tiffany lamp also maintain a historic feel. Shall we propose a no-digital-books-allowed rule in here to maintain the illusion that we’ve stepped back in time?