Are you wondering how to design your dream library? Follow these steps for the perfect reading area in your home.
- Consider the context
- Pick a style
- Decide between built-ins and furniture
- Organization
Most rooms in our homes serve a practical purpose for life’s daily routines, but a cozy home library can be a space for those rare moments of peace. Whether your home is traditional, modern, or somewhere in between, bookshelves can be arranged in any way possible!
For a simple but chic look, turn books on their sides and stack them up. Space the stacks on your shelves, leaving air around them for photographs and collectibles. Then, use the piles as risers and top each one with a unique item. Be sure to mix it up! This is where you add all of your pretty things – your objects, sculptures, vessels, collections, and even lighting. Mix up the textures, sizes, styles, and tones!
While layering accessories works well in traditional or eclectic settings, a streamlined approach is fitting for contemporary and modern spaces. Follow the style of your home when accessorizing! Try a mix of vertical and horizontal arrangements. Do this both within the same shelf and then also try mixing up the way entire shelves are arranged so that one shelf is all horizontal and another is entirely vertical.
Depending on the size of your home library room, multiple seating options are available. A popular sofa choice for a traditional home library is the Chesterfield, with its luxurious leather and tufted texture. However, if you are seeking to lighten the look, opt for a lighter textile version such as French linen. Besides a traditional sofa and two club chair configurations, another seating arrangement can be a set of four club chairs, and a round cocktail table ottoman.
Adding glass accents in a dark wood in a traditionally styled library space can help reflect more light in an otherwise dark room, bringing a sense of balance to the area.