Check out my home libraries inspiration board on Pinterest
I posted a comment on the Facebook group for ShelterPop the other day in response to a discussion over the whole E-book Vs real books debate. I am proudly sitting on the fence refusing to make a choice between the two. In fact, I’m selfishly indulging in both, and sometimes at the same time. And I’m quite happy to admit that I am able to do this guilt-free.
Since I was given my Ebook reader for Christmas a few years ago (one of the best presents I have ever received – thank you Artur) I have become a huge fan of something that I never thought I would be able to accept on account of my overwhelming love of paperbacks and the inimitable effect that they can have on your senses.
But from day one I was hooked and I haven’t looked back since. My Ebook reader now comes practically everywhere with me along with over a hundred books I have stored on it.
However, my love of real books has inspired in me since childhood an overbearing desire to one day own a house big enough to have my own personal home library – a whole room dedicated to books. Not a bookshelf in the hallway or the kitchen or even in the living room. No, it must be a whole room.
I’ve already spent hours on Pinterest looking for home libraries inspiration for when I can finally make this dream a reality.
I haven’t quite decided yet what kind of room it would be but I would definitely like to have floor-to-ceiling books so that I would need to use one of those sliding ladders that you used to get in old public libraries and maybe still do although I haven’t seen one in years, probably another victim of health and safety gone mad.
I often think that a mezzanine library overlooking the living room would be a nice idea although there could be too many distractions. Perhaps a nice loft room with a circular window that allows you to take in the fabulous view? Or maybe a basement library with a large roaring fire, perfect for curling up with a good book on those cold winter evenings.
I love the way that some people arrange their book collections by colour. I personally tend to organise mine by name if I have a few books by the same author, otherwise it is usually by size. But I must say the colour option can look very striking and somehow makes it seem more organised and less cluttered. It also seems to add more warmth to a room.
Whilst I do like the traditional-looking libraries and bookshelves in dark wood I don’t think it is really my style. I prefer my reading space to be light and bright and airy so I think I will more than likely opt for something along the lines of the white libraries that I have pictured here. I think they somehow give more attention to the books, making them the focal point of the room.
But what will be in this library of mine apart from the books? Well, of course, the choice of furniture is extremely important. There has to be a good balance between comfort and practicality. Any chairs or sofas that are too comfortable may well induce that sleepy feeling that I must try so hard to battle through when I settle down for a good read. But then again the furniture has to be comfortable enough to be inviting.
And then of course there is the lighting. Extremely important again as we don’t want eyestrain, but it has to create the right atmosphere for a cosy reading room.
Apart from that, there is not much else I would put in my library. Apart from perhaps a desk so I could do my writing in there too. And maybe a tea station and a tin of biscuits…it will be an English library after all so there absolutely has to be tea, and journeying to the kitchen for this again provides far too many distractions. So I will probably need a mini fridge in there too for the milk. And I may have some kind of music system set up in there too for the odd moment when I do want to just relax and close my eyes for a little nap after a hard day of reading.
Ah, it sounds divine! Best get saving up for that house!
Check out my Pinterest board for more home libraries inspiration.