Home Libraries

Luckily you don't need a degree in library sciences to have a library in your home. Who here doesn't fondly remember the bookshop or the castle library in Beauty and the Beast? Sadly, not all of us have a few extra hundreds of square feet to achieve this dream. Fortunately it's possible to throw up some bookshelves in any of your current spaces (guest rooms, living rooms, dining rooms, offices) and have it work double time. I'm working on incorporating a library space in this way for a current project.  Here's proof that this works beautifully: 

Home office, guest space or library? I love the built-in reading nook/guest bed!

I'm willing to bet that this occasional table and chairs is a disguised dining area... 

 Living room or library? You decide. The combination of the chartreuse sofa and the black bookshelves is divinely swoon-worthy.

This tiny space seems to do it all - dining, office, living, library...

Have to say that I'm a fan of having some smaller artwork hang off the bookshelves...perhaps this means i'm not a library purist...

I snuck this image in there even though you can't tell what type of room it is just because I loved the turquoise bookshelves. 

 I love the use of black lacquered paint on the bookcases. Gives a modern twist to the space. 

 Lovely little libraries created as part of large living spaces. 

Hello fantastic sconces atop the bookcases...where can I purchase you? 

{Images via Pinterest}