i would wrap the room in bookshelves, starting at the door frame, going all the way around to the window.

The layouts aren't loading for me, so I'm flying a little blind... but I think you need to be realistic about what you want, and CAN do.

I'd focus on the elements of those rooms you like that you *can* match... dark walls, brass elements, good seating, patina'd finishes, lamp lighting.

If you are on a TRUE budget, I'd try to replicate the wall-to-wall look with off-the-shelf (pun intended) bookcases for now. Yes, IKEA comes to mind... but you can indeed use there product to achieve a more formal, more aged appearance.

Or, hire a designer. I get to DC occasionally. :)

Don't get Ikea -- it will never look right. You can buy solid wood shelves at places like Home Depot, and paint them in an appropriate Victorian color, ideally the same color as the wall, so they look like built-ins. Even better, check out architectural salvage places. They may have shelving units with a nice patina that wouldn't need to be painted.

An old oriental rug is easy to get these days, since they're sort of out of fashion (me, I still love them). You can get them for around $100 at thrift stores like Housing Works.

I think, in general, the more old, used things you have in this room, the more it will look like your dream room. Think patina.

Install shelves yourself on an entire wall (cheap). Add some crown molding to the walls and ceiling. Add a decorative ceiling medallion (can get for $50 at http://www.crown-molding.com/). Then $pend your money on a standalone fireplace, a comfy brown leather sofa with large pillows, add some slippers and a nice robe and you're all set.

Could you buy mouldings and attach them with a staple gun to ikea bookshelves? Then prime and paint the whole thing for a built in and more traditional look? I like the above cabinetry lighting in the picture.

How inexpensive do you need to be? I'm saving up for white version of the Tuscan bookcases at Ballard Designs:

http://www.ballarddesigns.com/By-Room/Tuscan-Collection/Popular-Designs/Tuscan-Bookcase-Set-4-Piece/p/9960?path=1%2C2%2C1752%2C2411%2C2426&iProductID=9960

I don't think it's so much more than Ikea and hope the quality is better. It's real wood.

Consider losing the french/double doors at the entry.

This could give you a little more floor space (or install them so they open into the other room/hall.

If you were going for white bookcases-it would make sense to do the ikea thing and add molding-but for dark and sherlockian look (is that a word?) I'd go with darker wood like everyone else recommended with molding at the floor and crown at the ceiling.

Actually, I rather disagree with Lisa Hunter. I am in academia and have tons of books that live in about a dozen Billy bookcases. They do look quite nice but more important they have done a fairly good job of carrying the weight. Everyone in academia that I know uses Billy because they are inexpensive and relatively sturdy. Although I am now planning to have a custom built book shelf, Billy is a good, inexpensive and customizable solution for the short (or longer) term. The problem that they may pose is that their look is not exactly Victorian, and that they cannot be painted.

I enjoy daily a blog dedicated to bookshelves, for inspiration:

http://isuwannee.blogspot.com/2007/05/photo-sharing_23.html

and another one, whose name escapes me at the moment. I will post it for you later when I get to my computer.

Also, AT did a thing on bookshelves a whilte ago, you should seach it for resources, depending on where you are. I do have some NY places if you're interested.

Good luck.

I would start by removing the doors (or having them open into the hallway!) and then adding floor to ceiling shelves around the window and floor to ceiling shelves around the door frame. I think this would create a nice balance in the room and really create a beautiful space to look in on. As your budget allows it, then you can add in a built in desk on one wall. If your budget is limited, do one wall at a time - it's worth the investment!

Ah, layout is loading.

I'd flank the windows with the bookcases. A formal library look will be helped by a formality of arrangement and any opportunity for symmetry.

Also think about wall sconces, picture lighting over paintings... you'll need mood lighting in addition to task/reading light.

But YES, you could indeed get the look you want from IKEA. Not the only source, of course, but very few places will stretch your bookcase budget. And you can alsways embellish them with top crown molding (like you could with pieces from anywhere) for a more formal, integrated look.

I used to have a 7X6 library and I loved it !
Whatever you get, matching bookshelves are key to the library look. You can find tons of Billy bookshelves and overstuffed old chairs in need or DIY recovering for your library chair for cheap or free on craigslist. If you paint the room a dark warm color and the shelves the same or contrasting color you're 90% there. In addition to or instead of tall shelves against 2 walls, I'd also think about low shelves wrapping all the way around the room up to nearly hip level. These will feel elegant and built in without the perhaps claustrophobic feeling of tall shelves in a big room.
Patterned/ textured walls really give that old english library look, so a great cheap wall option is getting tapestries and corn -starch pasting them to the walls. I just did this in a bathroom, mixing my own starch paste from the recipe on the Argo website. It was a bit messy but I got a great result.Urban Outfitters is ending their tapestry line completely and they are currently selling them off at a loss, maybe you can use them. I did and the glue cost $2.50 to make and the tapestries cost $25.00.
I must add a vote for the klippan sofa in this scheme- you can lie down and read mmmm.

Finally, on the rug front, I got great, cheap, wool, handmade new oriental rugs on ebay from here: thttp://www.ecarpetgallery.com/SmallRugs.aspx. They were a much better deal than the secondhand rugs I browsed, and of course I had choice and control over colors and sizes...
Have fun!

At least where I am, you can get really solid unpainted pine shelves for about $110 (6 feet tall, 3 feet wide). Custom usually isn't much more. I would like to see tall bookcases on each side of the window, floor to ceiling, right up to the edge of the window, if there's molding. Then when you walk in, you'll see what appear to be built-ins filling one wall. If you like, you can then place a bench in between, preferably one solid beneath, as a sort of windowseat. Move your chair out. If you can find yourself a stand-alone fireplace (sometimes up on craigslist), stick it against the righthand wall. A rug is a must for the look, and a few Asian items - a pot here or there. And yes, mood lighting, deep rich colors, and crown molding would all help.

I would place floor to ceiling shelves on opposite walls (with deeper shelves hip-height if possible). Staying away from corner units will be less expensive and easier to integrate molding and make it look more built in. I'd place a small desk or book stand near the window. Used stuff chair, rug and lamps will help add coziness and charm.

Given the size of your room, I would recommend against placing bookshelves against all four walls, unless you have a serious shortage of shelving. Hanging shelves on all four walls could result in a room of this size feeling very closed in. Indeed, given the depth of just 12" deep shelves deducted from the floorspace would give you an effective floor area of 7'8"x6'10". Having done this with a similarly small room, I would suggest placing any desk you are considering beneath or in front of the window, while hanging shelves on the adjacent left or right wall, running them floor to ceiling and on the entry wall floor to ceiling. Leaving one wall shelf free, will permit you to freely place your furniture against or near it.

Good luck

I'm a librarian at the library of congress - so this question got me very excited! At home I've got 15 of the narrow Billy variety and three of the cd holding (perfect for trade paperbacks) which I've built into a large freestanding book alcove.

In the past I've built huge wall shelves by hand and did one enormous built-in with a drop down desk before, but as carrefour_ny says above, the Billy will support the incredible weight of books at a lower cost than any DIY. I haven't seen any thrift store finds that work as well for the same price either.

A few tricks: I put flathead bolts through the billy walls to lock them together. It makes the shelves extra stable and eliminates the gaps that appear if you have an uneven floor. I painted the backs of the shelves with behr's "nostalgic" which is a perfect match for IKEA white. You can fill the peg holes for the shelves with wood putty and dab some paint on, and the holes disappear. It's also very easy to put trim around the front edge of the shelves to conceal the joints - It will look just like a large single custom bookshelf.

Also, there's a great Billy corner piece which would really feel intimate in your study. I also think you could use more shelves even if you don't have more books - just to give your books room to breathe.

Check out this ikea hacker post on a gorgeous floating Billy:
http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2008/12/floating-billies.html

Do you own your space and plan to stay there awhile?
If so, I'd probably spend more on good bookcases.

In the DC area there are some great consignment furniture stores that are defintiely up the academic/traditional alley...

And I'd agree with Patrick on symmetry symmetry symmetry in your layout. I see bookcases along the two windowless walls. A small secretary desk diagonally positioned by the window closer to the left wall. And two compact but comfy upholstered chairs facing each other with a small cocktail table in between - along the right wall.

I think you also need at least 3 small table lamps for the space. Have fun, good luck.

Ikea has other bookcases besides Billy that are a bit more traditional looking... like these for example:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90117388

add some crown molding and maybe take the legs off and i think they would look great. ooh and paint them (and the walls) a dark color.

good luck!

How about a window seat? With heavy drapery around, and deep shelves for oversized books? Definitely some intelligentsia quirk scattered around too, like mounted butterflies, little terrariums, and a globe. Mismatched English antiques (like some barley-twist legged side tables) would help too. This sounds like a fun project!

Thank you, everyone, for all the great ideas!

Are you really in need of tons of book storage - or are you more or less after the cozy look?

I'd prowl Craigslist for a big old Traditionally-styled Mahogany or Cherry china cabinet with glass doors and use that for book storage on one wall - and on the opposite wall place a nice desk where you could have an ornate Chinese Ginger-Jar Lamp, stacks of books and an ornate mirror hung above.

As others have said - don't neglect the layering of old oriental carpets, heavy floor-to-ceiling velvet draperies on big rods, dark colors for the walls (Dark Teal? Burgundy?)

For seating - Find a big old faded tapestry-covered or leather Wing Chair, and get a mis-matched foot stool. An old dining chair at the desk would be really good too. Don't forget to place a small round table at the arm of your wingchair - and place a lamp there too.

Lots of old faded prints in ornate frames on the walls will help fill out the space - Specifically look for Architectural, Botanical, Maritime, Dogs, Horses and Exotic-Animal themed pieces.

Finally - I'd find at least one pedestal - and put a big fern in a Chinese Cachepot on top.

I don't suggest mixing and matching. but, i do love these two seperately...

this one belongs in the center of two outer pieces

and this is a stand alone piece

I used the billy from ikea with the extensions and they look quite nice (I was going for a similar look). Next year, I hope to add mouldings and details to give it a built in/high end look. Good luck!

First get the rug (for color basis). Tall bookshelves (go with Billy, then add trim/crown with construction adhesive and staples) on window wall, with some semblance of window seat between.

Take down French doors completely and hang heavy curtains over doorway and window. Maybe with an elaborate cornice over both, to replicate that Chinese Chippendale look over bookcases in your photo.

Add hip or chest height cases to side walls. Consider lining the backs of bookcases with fabric or painting them a contrasting color.

In tall bookcases, leave equal spaces between shelves on either side to display good size collectibles or pictures--say about 2'. Leave space between books, but add collectibles on shelves.

Put hip or chest high shelves on sides (depending on ceiling height) that are shallowest Billy. Add moldings as needed.

I also like the fireplace idea, with an elaborate mirror over it, on one side. If you do this maybe you only need bookcases on the window wall and the fireplace wall, or window wall and opposite the fireplace wall. If you have a wall without bookcases, consider extending crown molding around the room, and add a chair rail or picture rail around the room. This is so easy and cheap. Then you can do things like paint below the chair rail the color or the shelves, and upholster the area between the chair rail and the picture rail, or wallpaper, or paint a different color.

This is not a minimalist room, but be careful with your accessories. It's easy to kitsch it up. You can find lots of good stuff that will enhance this room on Craigslist, and some cheap but good Chinese things at pearlriver.com.

I love the uplights above the cases that make the ceiling glow. You can get these, or some that shine down on your cases, at Ikea.

Great project! Be sure and show us some after pictures!

Spend on the bookcases...they make the library!

I'd go for a solid wall of bookshelves rather than a corner unit, I've never seen one that I liked unless they were built in (which, $$$).

However, since you like the English/Victorian style, I'd shy away from Ikea. You want dark wood with details, and not mod Skandinavian lines. One of the Ballard Furniture 3-piece bookshelves would be great, it's at a mid-range price (about $1600) so if you can swing that it would make a great impact in the room, and you can get the comfy chair and ottoman and maybe some side tables on the cheap from Craig's list or an auction (Quinn's Auction House in Vienna is good).

Another fantastic resource in Virginia is Greenfront Furniture http://www.greenfront.com. If you can take a day trip (they're in Farmville VA, about 3.5 hours from Washington) they have 9 warehouses chock-full of quality woodfurniture, upholstered furniture, rugs. I got a lot of my furniture there at a fraction of what it would cost in a store. Dress for the weather, this is a no-frills operation and it can be very hot and very cold, and be prepared to dig and wander.

I'd keep the french doors. I'm a sucker for traditional details and I think they add such a nice feel. Don't forget vintage needlepoint pillows from ebay, tall vases from Pearl River, a warm throw blanket and a few cats.

Don't forget to check Craigslist or antique stores for an old bust or two. My brother's library has busts of classical composers and Napoleon. Brass music stands are nice if you have the space (or if you actually play something!) and can double as a stand for lighter books.

An old globe is a must - the bigger, the better (old maps hung on the wall will do in a pinch). Also, consider a fabulous old Asian vase for some flowers; there was a big craze for Japanese goods in the 1890s and flowers will add a fresh touch.

- tloconnor,
$1600 for a bookshelf is mid price point? That's crazyland. Crazy Crazyland. You're better off buying amazing books for the extra $1500 and getting a simple bookshelf for $100 than vice versa!

Personally, I would go to the Home Depot, buy some wall shelf brackets and shelves, and then build a simple wood frame to go around them, attaching it to the wall also. We have a VERY small room in our house, which is a library/home office/craft storage room, and we did this and they look just like built in bookcases. This way, you could customize the sizes and wood stain or paint, and put whatever trim around them that you want, and they will look as nice as custom, built in shelves.
Good luck! Don't forget to send "after" photos!

-Easyenough,

Actually, yeah, $1600 is pretty mid-range for a large piece of solid wood furniture, which are often $5-6K in funiture stores. Note I suggested "if you can swing it". Spending that much on a piece of furniture is a big investment for me, too, but if you do it once and get a quality piece you can enjoy it for the rest of your life and pass it down to someone else. Often we run to Ikea for somethign cheap, which we then throw away 2 years later (so it ends up in a landfill) rather than slowly filling our homes with pieces, as we can afford them, that are worth holding onto.

No reason to get hostile with someone because you disagree with their opinion, by the way. Incidently, I probably have more books than anything else in my home, but this is a blog about home design, not litteracy.

Given the space, and the goal, and the picture you submitted as an example, I would suggest a few iconic pieces which represents the whole. Not quite so much emphasis on the bookshelves.

If you look at the pic you submitted, the bookshelves add to the tone of the room, but they don't dominate it. The bookshelves should be proportional to the room. Nice art on the wall is equally important, as is light from the window and doors (definitely keep the doors!). If you have ceiling molding, then perhaps a low bookshelf along one entire wall, with art above, would give the room a better sense of space and proportion; also, more surface area.

There are furniture makers that make beautiful bookshelves of all sizes and woods. You can find reasonably priced shelves from up and coming cabinet makers (really). If you were to buy one set of shelves, either low or high, instead of an entire wall, or two walls, the cost would be comparable, and the quality better (and they would last forever), while leaving the room with more floor space, and feeling spacious.

If the cabinet maker idea sounds too expensive, the shelves recommended by the others would be great—it's just a thought.

That, with a pretty rug, and a comfy chair and you'll get there. More ideas to come, this is just brainstorming.

i'd go with the billy's. in their dark brown/black. with extra shelves. i have the medium brown my Victorian house, but i went for a different look. i love them.

to hack the billy's nicely, build a riser with 2x4's and add nice thick baseboard molding.

adding brackets to the top will allow for the placement of crown moldings too. take it to the ceiling.

you can space each unit with narrow vertical strips of MDF ( with hidden bracing 2x4s) and add decorative touches from decorators supply. you could match the shelves in the photo. these you could add later as the budget allows.....

i'd do a map/ aged fresco thing on the ceiling( but thats the kind of thing i do.....). maybe a celestial map. or even a faux pantheon dome.

good luck!

and damn, that room in the photo is awesome.

tloconnor--Great tips! I've never heard of those places!

Most bookshelves are a bit deeper than is needed. Virtually no book is deeper than 9 inches. The advantage of custom made is that you can save a little space in a small room. Otherwise Billy is a good bet.

Unfinished furniture places usually have a terrific selection of more traditional book case designs. The Door Store comes to mind. You might also consider wood paneling for the bottom half of the room and stain it the same color as the unfished bookshelves. Put period wallpaper on the top part of the walls. I agree about a leather sofa or big comfy chair with ottoman. An oriental rug is a must - maybe a bit threadbare to add to the effect. And yes, a gas fireplace.
Voila.

carrefour -- that was my point, that Ikea shelves will never look Victorian, no matter how much you mess with them. You need shelves that can be painted or have their own patina.

Synchronicity!---last night I kind of watched Gosford Park but couldn't tell you one bit of the story line because I was wallowing in the gorgeousness of the manor interiors. Wish I'd read your post first, as I would have taken notes! Watch Gosford Park for ideas?

I think your french doors are a godsend for this project! I'd think about framing them and the windows with wall-to-ceiling bookcases and do one of the other 2 walls all bookcases. I think your proposed layout needs more bookcases for the proposed look. They could be shallower than standard bookcases, you know, if you DIY.

I work at a Borders bookstore and about a year ago we had a renovation. We (and our customers) were allowed to take anything we wanted that was being replaced. I took 15 (!) - 8' tall 3' wide 8" deep bookshelves, all solid wood.

Borders are being renovated all across the country right now, and I would check to see if there is one anywhere near you. If so, take a trip in and talk to the manager, you might be able to walk away with a rooms worth of shelves. Those bookshelves would have cost anywhere from 500 to 1200 a piece if I'd paid for them. They look like built ins in my apartment too. :)

If you don't have an option like that, make sure you pay attention to the depth of the bookshelves you pick. 8 to 10 inches is about ideal imo because its deep enough to hold 95% of books, but not so deep that it attracts dust and clutter, and it takes up less floor space than most bookshelves out there. Most bookshelves I see are around 12 to 18 inches deep, and end up with half of the shelf being used as a dust catcher.

I'm aware that this is a VERY late post, and that perhaps Sarah is already basking in her completed space...But I just wanted to say a big 'thank you' to everyone. I am doing a very similar project in the same sized space! You've all been very helpful.