20 Book Lover’s Spaces That Will Make You Want to Read
Borrow these ideas from spaces designed around a love of books
Becky Harris
March 26, 2016
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
An entire room dedicated to books is a true luxury. While many of us simply don’t have the space for a dedicated library, designers are finding ways to install them in different rooms around the house. Houzz’s Room of the Day and Houzz Tour stories showcase a wide variety of library spaces, from stair-landing libraries to libraries in multifunctional rooms, and from dedicated library rooms to entire homes designed around book collections and reading.
This quote from homeowner Holly Kretschmar regarding her family’s library is a great way to kick off this roundup:
“The library feels like such a luxury; it humbles me. Obviously there’s incredible value in books; we treasure them, we lugged them across the country, and we want to pass that appreciation for old-fashioned, printed stories along to our sons.”
See more of this home
“The library feels like such a luxury; it humbles me. Obviously there’s incredible value in books; we treasure them, we lugged them across the country, and we want to pass that appreciation for old-fashioned, printed stories along to our sons.”
See more of this home
In this New York beach house, interior designer Heide Hendricks carved a cozy library out of a space in the upstairs hallway. Comfortable armchairs and great lighting make the little library an inviting reading nook.
See more of this library
See more of this library
Converting this house from a two-family back to a one-family resulted in an M.C. Escher kind of moment — a staircase that dead-ended at a wall. Architect Michael Poris made the most of the unusual area, adding a wall of shelves and a library ladder to create a book repository around the landing.
From the hallway below, you can look up and admire the books though the tempered glass floor.
See more of this home
See more of this home
Architect Don Welch approached this renovation with thoughtfulness toward his client’s love of woodworking, craftsmanship and books. Contractor Dan Clar was thoughtful as well, figuring out the best way to construct Welch’s design, crafting the wraparound shelves with attention to the fine details. The book sections are broken up by spaces for displaying artwork and the interesting design at the corner.
See more of this library
See more of this library
You can get a great feeling for the craftsmanship from this close-up of the custom desk Clar built as part of the project.
See more of this renovation | See more of this library
See more of this renovation | See more of this library
As I trawled through my mental card catalog of libraries on Houzz, one of the functions of this one stood out the most. A big part of the design was providing a proper habitat for Princess the snake within the millwork. Here you can see her habitat and the grilles that allow for proper ventilation.
Glass-front bookshelves keep dust off the homeowner’s beloved books and favorite objects. The homeowner’s favorite aubergine rules the color scheme. The walls are painted in Chinchilla 6011, and the cabinetry is painted in Marooned 6020, both by Sherwin-Williams.
See more of this library
Glass-front bookshelves keep dust off the homeowner’s beloved books and favorite objects. The homeowner’s favorite aubergine rules the color scheme. The walls are painted in Chinchilla 6011, and the cabinetry is painted in Marooned 6020, both by Sherwin-Williams.
See more of this library
These homeowners, who work in publishing, wanted to go bold in their library, which provides a warm contrast to the starkness of the surrounding snow-covered Vermont landscape in the winter. In addition, the cushy furniture was covered in a distinctly Vermont-inspired toile designed by their interior designer, Ramsay Gourd. The dynamic patterns and bold color choice energize the room, which has a wallpapered ceiling, antique portraits and artwork collected over the years.
See more of this library
See more of this library
This remarkable home has three libraries, each with a different purpose. This one is for everyday reading, though the homeowner, a voracious reader, has unusual everyday literary tastes. As architect Chuck Swartz reported to Mary Jo Bowling, the homeowner “thumbs through everything from newspapers to art books to medical books from the 1700s.” The angled shelves were specifically designed for the size of the books in the homeowner’s vast collection.
Wall paint: Drawing Room Blue, Farrow & Ball
See more of this home
Wall paint: Drawing Room Blue, Farrow & Ball
See more of this home
Here you can see why the everyday reading library has been dubbed “the garden library.” To check out the conversation library and the rare-and-fragile-books library (complete with secret door), click over and see more of this home.
Interior designer Harmony Weihs carved a library space out of an unused corner in this Seattle home. The space is multifunctional, with custom-designed built-ins to accommodate books, albums and even the string bass of one of the homeowners.
See more of this library
See more of this library
This table even serves several functions. At this height it serves as a dining table and game table. When screwed down to a lower height, it serves as a side table for coffee and reading materials.
This entire house once served as a public library branch, so it certainly makes sense that books are prominently displayed.
See more of this home
See more of this home
Architect Patrick Michell’s clients wanted their books to play a prominent role in their home’s design. In response, he designed a double-height white oak staircase filled with books in the heart of their London home.
See more of this home
See more of this home
The view from the top can be enjoyed from this cantilevered desk, an aerie reached after climbing past all of the wonderful books.
When renovating their Seattle bungalow, having ample and accessible space for their books was paramount to homeowners Tom and Liz Sharp. Transforming it into a hardworking, energy-efficient home meant architect architect Lathrop Douglass had to design multipurpose spaces. This family room also serves as the library and office.
See more of this library
See more of this library
The homeowner of this Victorian-era Narragansett, Rhode Island, cottage had always dreamed of a library. Interior designer Lone Carlson was able to carve one out of a former dead space — a hallway that led to nowhere. An overstuffed chair and ottoman, and shelves custom-fitted to the space, transformed the hallway into a snug little library and reading nook.
This little library is a repurposed ice house that the owners of Green Bend Farm saved from demolition at a nearby camp and moved to their property in the 1970s.
Inside, books on cedar shelves line the space. It’s a snug little getaway for reading.
See more of this Ohio farm
See more of this Ohio farm
Homeowner Reed Kingsley put the dining room in his San Francisco Victorian to work — with the help of interior designer Ian Stallings, he lined two walls with bookshelves. The room now serves double duty as a library-office. The beautiful wood table serves as a desk and a dining table.
See more of this library
See more of this library
During the renovation of this charming cottage in the Cotswolds, England, the designers at absolute abode design relocated the dining room to the stables. This made the original dining room available for a cozy library space, complete with a wood stove for extra warmth.
See the rest of this home
See the rest of this home
A 300-square-foot addition to this home was a large part of the renovation, which included a stairway relocated to the second floor. Architect Margaret Griffin made the most of a backyard view. She described the space to Lawrence Karol as being “part of the main house but distinct within the main area — basically a room within a room.” The dark ceiling and stepped-up white floor delineate the space in the wide-open plan.
Brazilian artist Vik Muniz is a big book collector. So architect Brenda Bello gave him full run of this entire expansive wall for shelving, transforming this part of his Brooklyn, New York, warehouse-turned-home and studio into a library. The length and height of the space make a dramatic impact.
See more of this library
See more of this library
Architect John DeForest planned this entire home around the homeowner’s vast collection of books. Here you can see how shelves serve as room dividers between the front hallway and living room.
DeForest took a thorough inventory of all of the homeowners’ books, figuring out exactly how many linear feet they needed to store them properly. Extensive built-ins provide storage for the books in many rooms in the house. In addition, much thought was given to creating comfortable places to read throughout the home.
See more of this reading-driven design
See more of this reading-driven design
This antique Cape Cod home in Vermont is another one that was designed around a love of books and reading. Architect Pi Smith used a thick-wall strategy throughout the home to accommodate the large collection. Here in the living room, multiple bookshelves create a cozy library feel.
Smith found spots for books everywhere, including a wall along the staircase and in this powder room.
See more of this book-filled home
See more of this book-filled home
This room was previously an unused one where unloved furniture sat empty. But interior designer Cory Connor saw the potential, using a sea of blue punctuated by pumpkin orange to make it inviting. Extensive bookshelves with a window seat tucked between them create a library within a family room.
See more of this library
More
How to Care for Your Home Library
World of Design: 11 Book Lovers and Where They Like to Read
See more of this library
More
How to Care for Your Home Library
World of Design: 11 Book Lovers and Where They Like to Read
Our talented staff can plan and manage projects anywhere, of any size, from interior design and space planning to... Read More
What are you working on?
Related Products
Related Stories
Dens and Libraries
3 Homes Designed Around Book Collections
By Becky Harris
These book-centric rooms include a study lined in books, a basement library and a renovation that honors words
Full Story
Room of the Day
Room of the Day: Stunning Fireplace Anchors a Must-See Library
By Jess McBride
Burnished steel and quartzite — offset by an elegant stained-glass wall — star in a truly original Idaho space
Full Story
Room of the Day
Room of the Day: From Dead End to Cozy Nook
By Becky Harris
An interior designer turns a small space off a hallway into one of her family’s favorite spots in the house
Full Story
Dens and Libraries
7 Libraries That Tell a Story About the People Who Read There
Book lovers show off their collections in rooms with a range of colors, styles and seating spots
Full Story
Decorating Guides
These Rooms Put the Allure of Books Front and Center
Immerse yourself in a collection of book-filled rooms that indulge a passion for the printed page
Full Story
More Rooms
How to Care for Your Home Library
Increase your enjoyment of books with these ideas for storing, stacking and displaying them
Full Story
Feel-Good Home
15 Cozy Book Nooks and What They Want You to Read
By Becky Harris
Put the beach reads away; these comfy spaces are creating a fall reading list. What books do they suggest to you?
Full Story
Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A House as Individual as Its Owner
Architects create a home like no other for a collector who’s passionate about books, art, literature, science and design
Full Story
The Hardworking Home
From Awkward Corner to Multipurpose Lounge
By Becky Harris
The Hardworking Home: See how an empty corner becomes home to a library, an LP collection, a seating area and a beloved string bass
Full Story
Could work on an interior wall. I've seen it done in kitchens and hallways, especially in 1920's bungalows. Since the drywall in the back of the niche would have its bottom side exposed, you might want to consider a very thin sheet of plywood (I have seen them at home improvement stores, often in sheets approx 2-3 ft and less than 1/4" thick) to finish it and to preserve the depth as much as possible. So many books could fit that depth! You could also think about framing it out with just slightly protruding sides, shelves for a little extra for that bigger book or object.
Would not recommend on an exterior wall where you might run into sheathing and insulation issues. Also, if you take this on: careful for possible wires and ducts.
Loved this article. What a nice change from all the pretentious and impractically oversized kitchens and bathrooms. The character, warmth and soul which real books give to a home shines through in these creative solutions. A few Kindles loaded with hundreds of books just 'ain't' going to be the same!