You are a devoted book lover and you dream of your personal home library? Guess what – you do not need to live in a palace to make that come true. With thoughtful planning, ingenuity and the right budget you may create a reading oasis for yourself and your family. Even better – you can make your personal home library reflect your inner self and the connection you have with your favourite books. Traditional, futuristic, cozy or messy – here are some ideas how to furnish your very personal book corner!
The Classical Look
We have all watched these great period dramas from the Victorian age – with the lavishing mansions or the splendid London manors of the aristocracy. Some of the most impressive interior spaces in these movies are the libraries. With their oak or chestnut shelves, mahogany desks and the cozy fireplace in the corner – you can almost feel as if you were a member of the House of Lords. Now imagine what you can achieve with the right room and an experienced carpenter, and probably the help of an interior designer – a little space of the past, where you can unburden yourself from the stress and pressure of modern daily routine.
This would be the perfect choice for readers who love academic literature – you can almost see the volumes of Encyclopaedia Britannica or The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire on the shelves of your home library.
Some of your friends might think you too snobbish if you decorate a room of your home in this way. Pay no attention to such frivolities – the only person whose opinion should matter on this issue is yourself.
However, if you do not have a whole spacious room with the measures of a dancing salon to spare, how about a reading corner? And we mean it literally! After all what do you need to relish your reading – a comfortable armchair to dive in, enough light and a good book! Voila – this decision is perfect for an urban penthouse – you can even place your library next to a staircase! We bet you have never thought of that, have you?
This might be the best home improvement you ever decide to make!
Cozy At Home
If the classic style feels a bit over the top you should rely on the more simplistic but cozy atmosphere of the 70s – with plush armchairs and a little sofa, beige and crème colours and even a little ottoman for your legs to make it extra comfortable. Or you can always bet on navy blue and a large upholstered sofa with a reading table nearby. These types of home libraries feel a bit more intimate and softer in touch than the aristocratic spirit of the Old Victorian style. They should also set the mood for something lighter and more pleasurable to read – an Agatha Christie novel perhaps.
What is even more important – you can easily integrate such personal libraries in any type of home – suburban house or a downtown penthouse. They just look like a more peculiar, specified living-room. And to make the idea even more attractive – it would not take a fortune to decorate a relatively large space with that type of furniture.
Combine Work and Pleasure
If you are a workaholic and take your job to home, the combination of a study and personal library would be the perfect choice. You can easily mix the relaxing outlook of the book shelves with a solid oak desk and an office chair. After all it doesn’t take to be the President to create a personal Oval Office, right? The armchairs for guests or colleagues are a must, combined with a small table to put your drink on after a long, hard-working day. And of course a comfortable larger-than-life sofa to enjoy a book once you finish your tasks!
If you have a larger room to work with, you can be more creative and original with your decoration ideas. How about a chess-table in the middle of the room, for a blitz sparring after the end of the day? You can create a working corner with a large angled desk and a set of office drawers to keep the documents handy. And the most important touch – a large book shelve covering a whole wall, with all your favourite books in the front!
The Modern Outlook
Space and light – these are the two main features of any modern home library. Light gray and white would be the colours to choose. It is all about efficiently using your space – forget about the heavy leather armchairs and the large reading desks. Futuristic furniture and a small table for your laptop would not feel out of touch, perhaps a lounge where you can read on your e-reader as well.
A Bit of a Creative Mess
If you intend your home reading corner to be not just a place of rest and pleasure but also creativity, studying or research, we strongly suggest you make it feel like an artist nest – messy, overstuffed with piles of books, full of colours, and that unique smell of an old library. Make it a reflection of what you are, of what you work on and what makes you feel comfortable. But most important of all – make it personal and do not care about what other people have to say about it!
Something Peculiar – For True Fans Only
And last but not least – how about you create a real-scale replica of Bilbo Baggins’ personal library? And the best thing about it – because it is hobbit size it would not require that much space! Thus you will be able to create your dream library and capture a piece of the Middle Earth magic in your home all at once!
