Home Library
August 18, 2010 1:04 PM Subscribe
I would like to establish a home library. What do I need to know?
I am planning on having a house built (with a few friends moving in as roommates) and I would like to include a very nice study / home library as part of the design. I love the idea of having a quiet, dedicated room for reading and working, and I'm open to all kinds of designs. I particularly like two general looks: the 'old' dark wood and leather chairs style and the ultra-modern appearance.
I've been looking for some pictures and ideas on the web, but I haven't really come across much in my cursory searches. Are there any great resources that I should be aware of, in print or online? Has anyone gone through the process of creating a home library?
Thanks!
I am planning on having a house built (with a few friends moving in as roommates) and I would like to include a very nice study / home library as part of the design. I love the idea of having a quiet, dedicated room for reading and working, and I'm open to all kinds of designs. I particularly like two general looks: the 'old' dark wood and leather chairs style and the ultra-modern appearance.
I've been looking for some pictures and ideas on the web, but I haven't really come across much in my cursory searches. Are there any great resources that I should be aware of, in print or online? Has anyone gone through the process of creating a home library?
Thanks!
Humidity control! (Suggests the guy who is going to have to trash hundreds of mildewed old books negligently stored in a damp basement.)
posted by BitterOldPunk at 1:23 PM on August 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by BitterOldPunk at 1:23 PM on August 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
You need a big table!
Every house needs a big table in a quiet room for spreading out projects, doing homework together, playing board games, etc. Books on the walls and a big table in the center. Comfy easy chairs are nice, but a lot of times you just need a table. And a big table is the best kind of table.
posted by phunniemee at 1:24 PM on August 18, 2010 [4 favorites]
Every house needs a big table in a quiet room for spreading out projects, doing homework together, playing board games, etc. Books on the walls and a big table in the center. Comfy easy chairs are nice, but a lot of times you just need a table. And a big table is the best kind of table.
posted by phunniemee at 1:24 PM on August 18, 2010 [4 favorites]
Humidity control! (Suggests the woman just trashed hundreds of dry-rotted old books negligently stored in a steam heated apartment for decades.)
posted by kimdog at 1:29 PM on August 18, 2010
posted by kimdog at 1:29 PM on August 18, 2010
Here's a link to some tips/images that look pretty awesome.
TLC's Home Library guide
posted by KogeLiz at 1:34 PM on August 18, 2010
TLC's Home Library guide
posted by KogeLiz at 1:34 PM on August 18, 2010
As an architect, I'll mention a couple of things from that perspective.
The most important thing is that it be a comfortable room to be in. Some people like quiet solitude. That same silence drives others to distraction. These people often prefer a more coffee-house type atmosphere. Make sure you think about what is emotionally comfortable for you and what feel fits your reading habits.
Light is very important, so make sure it ends up being placed in an area of your house that gets its fair share. At night, widows are black holes, so don't forget to leave room in your budget for warm window coverings. Something that adds to the feel of the room at night, whichever feel you are going for.
Don't skimp on the quality of the casework. Inexpensive (and often inferior) materials don't age well and tend to sag under any sustained load. Allow way more time than you now think is necessary for the paint/stain to dry before putting books on them. The casework is often one of the last things to be completed on a project (so it doesn't get ding-ed up). Your books will stick to paint or stain that is not fully cured. Not good for either the books or the casework.
If you like a quiet space, place the shelves in the room so the books impart additional sound insulation. They are great for this, so use it to your advantage if possible.
This is important...if you have a lot of books, make sure you have adequate structural support in the framing beneath them. Libraries have their own structural requirements. You may not have that kind of weight a community library would have, but standard residential framing specifications are not up to a whole wall of books running parallel to typical floor joist framing. Make sure your architect/engineer takes your situation into account.
I have designed small, several private libraries and it's a lot of fun! Good luck with yours.
posted by nickjadlowe at 1:40 PM on August 18, 2010 [3 favorites]
The most important thing is that it be a comfortable room to be in. Some people like quiet solitude. That same silence drives others to distraction. These people often prefer a more coffee-house type atmosphere. Make sure you think about what is emotionally comfortable for you and what feel fits your reading habits.
Light is very important, so make sure it ends up being placed in an area of your house that gets its fair share. At night, widows are black holes, so don't forget to leave room in your budget for warm window coverings. Something that adds to the feel of the room at night, whichever feel you are going for.
Don't skimp on the quality of the casework. Inexpensive (and often inferior) materials don't age well and tend to sag under any sustained load. Allow way more time than you now think is necessary for the paint/stain to dry before putting books on them. The casework is often one of the last things to be completed on a project (so it doesn't get ding-ed up). Your books will stick to paint or stain that is not fully cured. Not good for either the books or the casework.
If you like a quiet space, place the shelves in the room so the books impart additional sound insulation. They are great for this, so use it to your advantage if possible.
This is important...if you have a lot of books, make sure you have adequate structural support in the framing beneath them. Libraries have their own structural requirements. You may not have that kind of weight a community library would have, but standard residential framing specifications are not up to a whole wall of books running parallel to typical floor joist framing. Make sure your architect/engineer takes your situation into account.
I have designed small, several private libraries and it's a lot of fun! Good luck with yours.
posted by nickjadlowe at 1:40 PM on August 18, 2010 [3 favorites]
The cool rolling ladder?? I got mine with all the hardware from an Old Thom Mccans.
posted by beccaj at 1:42 PM on August 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by beccaj at 1:42 PM on August 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
First make sure you are never, ever going to move again in your entire life....
posted by Leah at 2:25 PM on August 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Leah at 2:25 PM on August 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
This may sound silly but organizing will become much more important when you have a ton of books. Software can help: I use this this but there are tons of good alternatives if you google 'home library software'
posted by maize at 2:53 PM on August 18, 2010
posted by maize at 2:53 PM on August 18, 2010
Figure out the amount of space you are going to have to work with (once the shelves are installed), are the books just going to be on the walls, or are you going to have free standing shelves on the floor as well? From there figure out what furniture you are going to need; a couple of wingback chairs? Something modern? A big table? Then work out where your light will come from: windows? skylights, indirect lighting in the room itself? How many people will use the room at once, will there be enough room to accommodate everyone? How will you deal with climate and humidity control?
The design/ structural part is all very important, but as with most things, the form will probably end up following the function, so figure this other stuff out so you know how much room you'll need to work with.
posted by quin at 3:02 PM on August 18, 2010
The design/ structural part is all very important, but as with most things, the form will probably end up following the function, so figure this other stuff out so you know how much room you'll need to work with.
posted by quin at 3:02 PM on August 18, 2010
Bookshelf Porn is a fairly new Tumblr account that may provide you with some inspiration.
posted by andrewcilento at 3:56 PM on August 18, 2010
posted by andrewcilento at 3:56 PM on August 18, 2010
I think it would be cool as hell to have some kind of lounge-around furniture, like say a chaise longue or therapist couch type thing, but up on a platform or something where beneath it there's a bunch of books shelved. It's hard to describe what I mean...vaguely like those ladder bed things in lofts, but maybe not that crazy or high or ladder-involved, but where it's like you're on some kind of center-of-the-room Roman throne thing floating above a lot of books. Yeah, just a fantasy...
And we don't have anything like a dream library (I'd have the wall to wall, and the rolling ladder OH YES) but the room we've gradually turned into ours also happens to be the sunniest room in the house. I know that's probably not actually good for books maybe? But if you can work around it--with the right window panes or something?--I have to say it makes it a much, much more inviting place to read. It's full of light and therefore houseplants and a big comfy armchair and it's lovely. No matter how well organized and preservation-y the room is, or showpiece-y, make sure it's also inviting and comfortable or you'll never actually use it to read in.
posted by ifjuly at 8:37 AM on August 19, 2010
And we don't have anything like a dream library (I'd have the wall to wall, and the rolling ladder OH YES) but the room we've gradually turned into ours also happens to be the sunniest room in the house. I know that's probably not actually good for books maybe? But if you can work around it--with the right window panes or something?--I have to say it makes it a much, much more inviting place to read. It's full of light and therefore houseplants and a big comfy armchair and it's lovely. No matter how well organized and preservation-y the room is, or showpiece-y, make sure it's also inviting and comfortable or you'll never actually use it to read in.
posted by ifjuly at 8:37 AM on August 19, 2010
ours also happens to be the sunniest room in the house. I know that's probably not actually good for books maybe...
Try arranging your books so that direct sunlight falls only on the cheaper and more replaceable of your paperbacks. Keep the shades down when no one's using the library.
posted by Iridic at 9:46 AM on August 19, 2010
Try arranging your books so that direct sunlight falls only on the cheaper and more replaceable of your paperbacks. Keep the shades down when no one's using the library.
posted by Iridic at 9:46 AM on August 19, 2010
I'm late on replying to this one - but you may want to look at this book.
posted by jeri at 4:52 PM on September 5, 2010
posted by jeri at 4:52 PM on September 5, 2010
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Good luck!
posted by Paquda at 1:09 PM on August 18, 2010