nbatash says:

Great post. I have a home office and The first thing I did was too set aside a reading nook!

Paul Anater says:

They're easy to over look but I can't help but notice that I read more when I set aside a space for reading specifically.

Richard Martin - West Coast Home Design says:

Love the quote:
"Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house." –Henry Ward Beecher
A home without a reading nook is like a home without a soul. Great post!

Paul Anater says:

Thanks! I've always loved that Beecher quote. I love going over to the home a reader. What sits on somebody's bookshelves is a real window into who they are.

Erika Ward - Erika Ward Interiors says:

These are all lovely escapes, but there is nothing like reading in bed for me. Great read, Paul!

Paul Anater says:

Thanks Erika, that's how I end every day. But every once in a while, I draw a line in the sane and retreat to my reading chair in the middle of the day. It's like going on vacation for an hour.

nbatash says:

Retreating to the reading chair isn't quite the same as reading in bed. Very different experiences, at least for me!

Paul Anater says:

I like having the option to go either way. And you're right, they are different experiences.

loboryan says:

The reading nooks could just as well double as a "contemplation" nook.

Paul Anater says:

It could. Have you ever read any of Sarah Susanka's books? One of her overriding suggestions is that people make "away" spaces in their homes. An away space is a small spot set aside specifically for contemplation, reading or meditation. It's a terrific idea and the need for quiet think time is a need that's easily overlooked.

InterDesign Studio says:

An unused stair landing with picturesque round window became a cozy reading area.

Paul Anater says:

Speaking of Sarah Susanka and her Not So Big philosophy, that's one of her fall back positions. She's not the first person to think of this of course, but it's a fantastic way to carve out some space you never knew you had.

tcufrog says:

Our house has two patios. One of them is set up for entertaining and the other one which is off the master bedroom and kitchen is much smaller and has two cozy wicker armchairs, side table, and coffee table. When the weather is nice it's the perfect place to eat breakfast and read the paper in the morning or curl up with a good book any other time.

Our living room has open, double sided fireplace. On the other side is a small room the owners had as a billards room. We currently use it as a play room and have put tall bookshelves for our books in there. When the kids get too old to need a play room we plan to transform it into a library reading room with two cozy armchairs and ottoman in front of the fireplace and library reading table under the chandelier for our kids to do their schoolwork at and for family game night.

Paul Anater says:

That sounds idyllic Tcufrog, making a family space where kids can do homework promotes intergenerational learning and that's some powerful stuff. Thanks for the description.

nbatash says:

I love the idea of tall bookshelves! Full of books and memories! Somewhere in the house! I have a friend who is an avid book collector and publisher. The bookshelves in her house is the main attraction. It is a conversation piece! Would love to see a post about bookshelves for small and big spaces!

Paul Anater says:

Hmmm. Thanks for the idea!

Roberta Philbrick says:

Just cannot imagine a home without BOOKS...our Love Shack is filled with bookcases and books are everywhere. My husband and I both work from home and we have surrounded ourselves with what we really love and do. I read every single day and the TV doesn't get turned on until DH comes out of his office at the end of the day.

Paul Anater says:

Your place look like mine! I'm out of bookshelf space and have taken to stacking them wherever I can find room.

Irene Turner says:

Great post Paul! I'm an avid reader and love my books. I love these inspirational and quiet corners for reading!

Paul Anater says:

Thanks Irene, coming from you that's high praise indeed.

nbatash says:

Years ago my great-grandmother started collecting books. In Europe after WW II books were impossible to buy! They were very expensive and just hard to come by. So year after year my great grandma and then my grandfather and then my mom bought as many books as could. Our walls were covered with books. We considered ourselves wealthy because we had books. I brought as many books as I could to this country. Then I realized that I could just go to the bookstore and buy any book I want! I really didn't have to transport all these books across the ocean. But I guess old habits die hard and I still find it hard to part with any of my books. Loved the "love shack" filled with books!

Paul Anater says:

Where did you emigrate from? Hold onto those post-war books from your grandparents and parents, what they represent is worth as much as what's written in them.

emcadorette says:

@inter design, I have a pair of those exact same club chairs/ottomans; they belonged to my grandfather. It's pretty cool to see them elsewhere!

Gloria Graham, AKBD says:

All are beautiful but not all look "curl up comfy". A big fat chair with an ottoman or a chaise lounge are a must for a serious reading session!

nbatash says:

My greatgtandparents were from Berlin, Germany and eventually ended up in Baltic republic and later on in Russia. After the devastation of ww ll the books were not top priority and many authors like bulgakov and kafka and few other were outlawed. So she has collected some very rare books and unpublished manuscripts. I brought over as many s I could.

Paul Anater says:

Wow. The lives your great-grandparents must have lived. Did anybody write down their stories while they were still alive to tell them?

nbatash says:

Well, my great grandmother was alive until I was around ten so I remember lots of stories by heart. She was educated in all girls school in Berlin and spoke seven languages and recited poems by heart at the age of 80. My grandparents were educated mainly in Russia and that is where they lived until late 80's. My dad did write a short account of his life which was published in NY based russian newspaper. I always thought of writing all these stories down but my life is pretty hectic and my job doesn't allow for much free time! i guess it has to wait but definitely one day!

Sumana Ganguli says:

how do we stuff thousands of books in 600sqft aesthetically?

Just Johnna says:

sumanaganguli: I've got thousands of books, and until recently our family lived in tight spaces. I'm sure you'd most like Paul's answer, but here's what I've found helps.

When dealing with books, it's not the number of books you need to plan for, but the linear feet of books. How many linear feet of shelving do you need?

The most inexpensive way to house books is to build in cabinets, with paint-grade wood, and paint the shelving white, black, or the color of your wall.

Most your books can be housed in shelves that are 9" or even 8" deep. When your space is small, reclaiming 3" depth back into your room makes a difference.

If you're not going to build/have built your shelves, the BILLY system at IKEA I'd recommend. It's more book-depth than most shelving, and it's simple enough not to argue with the books or with the rest of the room. Not white laminate, which looks too utilitarian to be everywhere. Once it's in place, and bolted to the wall against earthquakes, it's not that fragile (though it is when you take it down to move again and again like we have.) Definitely get the BILLY extension to add to the top, because:

Home shelving always looks better if it's not in standard 7' office height. Run your shelves to the ceiling. You need some gesture towards nonutilitarian when you have this many books at home.

Shelves in the hallway can be claustrophobic. Sometimes you have to do it anyway. If possible, try putting in counterheight bookshelves there. At least you'll have elbow room as you walk down that hall with the laundry basket--and it will feel that much more open.

When you have this many books, I give up on having an decorative stuff in the shelves. Except for maybe hanging some art over where the vertical and horizontal wood meets, assuming you don't mind swinging over moving the art to get to the books behind.

Overhead book lighting, same as you'd do overhead lighting on a painting. If you act like it's great enough to spotlight, it will be.

With thousands of books, I insist on shelving my collection by subject, and keeping all the first editions together on one high shelf. But some of my book loving friends swear by shelving by binding color, so the library looks less visually busy, more intentional. If you catalogue your books (with a scanner like from collectorz.com) you can set it up so you can still find a specific book, even if it's in the blue section.

Double shelve the paperbacks and/or stack them horizontally.

If you have a dining room, definitely line it with books. It's a natural.

If you frame out a window with books, and the room already has light coming from two sides, it seems to me you improve the quality of the light coming in, as the glare is softened. Make that bottom shelf at the window 18" deep so you can sit on it.

Remember, your library is not the Dead Sea where books go to die. A living collection means you allow yourself the possibility of passing on a few books from time to time, and new ones come in, and the collection breathes. Seriously, you will love the books more, as they loom over you everywhere, if they are not in charge of you.

You can buy bookshelves on wheels/tracks that slide full moveable bookshelves in front of stable wall bookshelves. It's an expensive and extreme and cool.

Do browse for "bookshelves" at houzz. I did before I had these built. The shelf heights actually differ by a few inches, so I could house more books filing the space. I wanted spare and modern, same white color as wall, and I made the horizontals and verticals heavier than necessary so it wouldn't look utilitarian--and to echo the built-ins in the adjoining room. I think I'm getting away with an even number of shelves too--my theory is that once you're filing a wall, you can do an even four or six or eight. The many books is statement enough.

Paul Anater says:

Justjonna: Your suggestions are about perfect. The only thing I'd add is that in my own sometimes overwhelming book collection I mix up how I stack them. What I mean is that not all of my books are standing up, only about half of them are. I alternate about a foot's length in standing books with a stack of books stacked high enough to match the heights of the standing books. It breaks up the lines a little bit and gives some interest to what would be an ordinary row of books. Westerners have an easier time reading book spines when they're stacked and that's a bonus.

Here's a quickie rendering of what I mean.