Love, love, love the idea of a library, and we had one when we lived in Michigan. Now we live at the beach in Florida, and for me, the 'best' place to read is on a chaise at the beach! :)

I've always loved the 'clubby' atmosphere of a well-appointed home library... low-lit, smell of rich leather and cold drink in hand... I'm there!

A Life Designed
www.randysloan.com

Keith Richards library:
http://ourlibrary.mornpen.vic.gov.au/Page/PagePrint.asp?Page_Id=198

Um, two of those pictures feature "bookshelf" wallpaper. The left wall in the first picture, and the entire second picture, are not really bookshelves. Super tacky, IMO.

I'm pretty sure that the second one is actually wallpaper. Not that it's any less cool for just being wallpaper, I'm just sayin'. Actually, I would prefer the wallpaper. Dusting all those shelves in the real libraries would be such torture.

At least two of these have wallpaper of books rather than books (1 & 2), but nonetheless...ahh. So pretty.

yeah-
I think I'd still have allergy issues with the rooms that have the bookshelf wallpaper- just looking at them makes me rub my eyes and want to sneeze. Also- I think that a flat bookshelf wallpaper would look a LOT better in a picture than in real-life.

never understood why Belle would like a Lib so much, and Beast could use a Lib to woo her... but I guess some people just like books. That was 1991... has much changed? Do pple still dream bout Libraries in their own hse? Me? I dream bout a small, funky place, a chest of cash and wardrobe.. to paint the town red everynight, he he he

I would love a library...nothing like a cup of tea and cozying up on the leather sofa- one day...

I love libraries, I'm fortunate to have one myself. And Kristen, owning a home is not a prerequsite to having a library. I have 200 linear feet of shelving in a rented apartment.

I wish I had a wall I could fill entirely with shelves. I'm going to prowl my apartment later to see if I could do that. Hmm...

would awesome if it some of those "libraries" actually HAD books. Okay, there's a few, but geez that's so tacky.

Got my own! We have an odd little room which is where the stairs to the upper floor starts. I guess the architect of the floorplan we redesigned imagined it as a TV room. Anyhow, as a professional librarian, I have enough of a book collection (with my partner) to need the space, and now it's a library.

We have black-brown IKEA Billy shelves with toppers so they go nearly to the ceiling. One corner of the almost square room is chopped off as the archway to the front foyer, so obviously no shelves there, and another corner is the stairwell. Between them are shelves, and shelves wrap the other walls (including diagonal corner units) up to and between the two large windows. In front of the windows are walnut stained trunks that act as window seats -- one stores files and paperwork, one is a hidden litter box container for the cats (with a cat flap on the front.)

I like lots of light, so the walls (what you can see around the shelves) are white, the berber carpet is "wheat". Still the overall effect is relatively dark and cozy, especially at night.

The drapes and cushions for the window seats are an autumn colors stripe from Pier One. (I used their matching round fringed tablecloth to make two valances.) Black reading chair and ottoman, brown-black IKEA table serving as a computer desk with a black Pier One desk chair. White IKEA Knappa lamps in front of the valences...

A little folk art and voila! I get compliments, but more importantly, WE like it!

I'm surprised I didn't notice the wallpaper. Maybe I didn't look hard enough. I really don't like the wallpaper at all.

Our home library also has a toilet in it.

Where are the lights from in picture 3? Love em.

I rent and cannot live without my library, hence the library/dining room. Bookcases line every wall, and the not too often used for eating dining table does double duty when reading passages from multiple books. my favorite armchair also fits in the corner so there are seating options. Libraries are always a possibility, you just have to make the room.

Some commenters' home libraries sound lovely. A library is one of those elements that makes a space a home, and it doesn't have to be immense or expensive. I'd much rather give up my oven and dishwasher than my modest, well-used library.

where do you keep the books that don't go with the colour scheme?? ;)

I don't have a room just for a library, but three walls in my living room/dining room are floor-to-almost-ceiling bookshelves, plus one wall in my study/workroom. I used to have unfinished Ikea Ivar pine shelving, but during this move I stained the uprights rosewood and the shelves golden oak. Looks fantastic! In the study I painted them black. You'd think a librarian might get tired of being surrounded by walls of books all day, but no. There's nothing cozier.

Multipurpose rooms are the standard these days. My library is a wall of my living room. Books, seating, lighting, table, you have a library!

Beautiful home library designs. I have been seeking some inspiration for my own office/library. A unique centerpiece bookshelf can be used to partition a small study when space is limited. I just wrote a post titled 25 Inspirational Home Library Ideas which includes a cool video slide show.

My response is on my blog, interior design blog...

Home Library Design Ideas

I love books!
I love libraries!
I love wallpapers like that on the second photo!
But most of all I love Jay Walker’s library! http://decoholic.org/category/libraries/