The dream of a home library is one many of us share. We may close our eyes and see a vast wooden maze of books, winding around the room and stretching up to the ceiling. Some may want a large stone fireplace to sit beside as they turn page after page of their latest tome. Reality often has other ideas, but if you think you can’t have a library at home you may be wrong. Just a little nook in a hallway or the space under the stairs can be turned into your literary wonderland.

 

Finding your space is the easy part; you don’t need much more than a bookcase or two and a place to sit. It is best to clear everything out of the space and give yourself a blank canvas to build from. Clean it thoroughly so it is ready for your treasured books and is a relaxing space for your reading time.

A place for your books can be pretty much anything, a single shelf or a couple of boxes, as long as you have a flat surface for the books, and it suits your space. A great idea to add some character to your reading space is to renovate or repurpose some old furniture or lumber with fresh paint. Finding a place for a cup of tea or coffee to rest is perhaps just as important as the bookcase itself.

Natural light is a must if you are going to make the most of your home library, so you can spend mornings and afternoons curled up with a good book. Night-time lighting is needed too, so find a good lamp that suits the space. You probably have one somewhere you could move to your new library, and if the light feels too bright or the wrong color, experiment with different bulbs that offer a different glow. 

Some people enjoy music while reading so add some form of music player to the area, perhaps a discrete Bluetooth speaker. Other people prefer a bit of peace and quiet while reading, so use other decorative options to add to the mood. Reading candles are growing in popularity, not just as another light source but also to offer complimentary scents. Specialist companies like Frostbeard Studio have a range of candles to read by that can provide your space and literature with an extra level of atmosphere.

This step should not be under-estimated. You may already have a candidate in mind but take the time to look around. Thrift stores and yard sales can have very characterful chairs and sofas for very little money. Consider something that lets you put your feet up like an ottoman or a chaise longue.

A dream of a grand home library can be anyone’s humble reality with the right eye for the right space.