Awesome Home Library Ideas

If you love to read and have a nice collection of books you value, why not create a home library or study where you can stylishly house your books? It doesn’t require as much space as you think, so check out these home library ideas to create a smart space in your home.

You don’t need a lot of space to create an awesome home library, although taking a room over would be ideal. Besides your favorite collection of books, here’s what you’ll need:

• Bookcases or wall shelves: This is the key item in your home library. Choose the bookcase or wall shelves of your choice. For a sleeker, built-in look, choose closet cabinetry that also features doors, drawers and other storage options.
• Lighting: For a high-end look, add lighting for different purposes. A reading lamp is a must. But don’t forget to add accent lighting that lights up the shelves or washes the bookcase wall with illumination. If installing recessed lights isn’t possible, consider using battery-operated LED lights and light strips.
• Seating: A comfortable reading chair and footstool, a bench or a built-in reading nook are all great home library ideas. If you’re converting a guest room, a sofa or futon with a pullout bed could work as seating and a guest bed.
• A desk (optional): If you want your home library to double as a study or workspace, consider adding a desk, if space allows.
• A ladder (optional): Depending on the height of your shelving, a library ladder is an awesome design feature that’s also functional.
• Accessories: Don’t forget to add wall art, flowers or plants that personalize the space. Special objects like vases or small sculptures can also be placed in the shelving to break up all the books.

The Seating – the most important part of the library

The most important part of enjoying your library isn’t the books—it’s the seating. Comfort is king when you’re slipping away into the world of words, so if you’ve got the space, building a reading nook into your shelving is a natural choice and a great way to save space. Best of all, you’ll have no trouble at all breezing through your reading list when all of your books are right there at your fingertips.

To give your home office or book area that real library feel will take more than stacks and rows of books. Give your space a little extra personality by always being sure to have some art in the mix. In this space, the artwork is hung directly on the bookshelf, making everything part of the same display.

Don’t forget about the storage

Storage is always an important part of keeping every room in your home looking its best. If your book collection isn’t quite enough to take up every inch of shelf space that you have allocated, it’s OK to donate space to other items you have that are in need of a permanent home.

The key to keeping it all looking good is to keep clear divisions between the types of things that you have on your shelves. A stack of bowls in the middle of your collection of biographies is not going to give you a curated look. Keep things in separate areas and keep each area neat and tidy. Other good ideas include finding ways to link your bookshelves to the rest of the room via color as this room does with its use of red on the shelves and in the seating. Also, note the built-in nook for the love seat.

Home office library

A home office is a perfect spot to pick for a home library. Even if every book on the shelf isn’t dedicated to business, it’s a wonderful place for a bit of peace while you’re reading. Also, when break times eventually do come around, you won’t have to go far to find a way to pass the time.