AT Europe: Paris Close-Up - The Library Loft

Véronique has exceptionally high ceilings in her house in the 15th arrondissement. So she and her husband decided to take advantage and go vertical, building a suspended library high in the sky above their spacious living room...

Now what would have been dead space is a book loft, accessible by ladder, high up enough so that it doesn't loom. If you have the ceilings, it's a smart solution for housing a substantial collection of books without visual clutter on the ground.

For the full house tour, go here.

- Kristin Hohenadel blogging from rue Vieille du Temple, Paris, France. She can be reached at kristinh @ apartmenttherapy . com

Comments (24)

That is absolutely stunning!

posted by colgankc on April 24th 2008 at 4:19am
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it looks great! i'd love to sit up there and read.

posted by Erin Lang Norris/Yellow Canoe on April 24th 2008 at 4:19am
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Brilliant! I love going up. where did they get that light? very cool too...

posted by bigcityboy2 on April 24th 2008 at 4:32am
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OMG! WANT!

posted by mdeathstar on April 24th 2008 at 4:33am
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Love it! When I lived in NYC, I had an apartment that had a sleeping loft like that, but bigger. It even had a little half-bath in it. I never would have thought of putting up a library like that.

posted by jooly on April 24th 2008 at 4:35am
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Gee I guess I am the exception. This just doesn't do it for me...

posted by sunnyshelle on April 24th 2008 at 4:57am
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this is awesome, but i'd do books all the way up if it were me.

posted by DahliaCactus on April 24th 2008 at 4:59am
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Love it, but I agree with Dahlia - imagine how cool it would look to have a great tall wall of books!

posted by kittyj on April 24th 2008 at 5:06am
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love the chairs!

posted by k in ditmas on April 24th 2008 at 5:19am
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Close... but no cigar.

This just looks awkward. That heavy appearance of a mass of books over..... blank wall.

Aesthetically, though it's undoubtedly well secured to the wall, it just looks like it could come crashing down at any moment.

If, on the other hand, the bookcase continued to the floor beneath the platform.... now that could potentially look quite nice.

posted by Daily Nuance on April 24th 2008 at 5:44am
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I agree with Daily Nuance. I love the concept, but it seems ever so slightly awkwardly executed. The light fixture is really ungainly, I think several small spots would look nicer. And maybe paint all the metalwork white so it blends into the wall.

posted by karyn on April 24th 2008 at 5:54am
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I would not be able to reach the books on the last 3 top shelves without vertigo - that chair is gorgeous, but it looks as if it would be a tad uncomfortable to sit in there (Not because of the chair, because of its location)

posted by La loca on April 24th 2008 at 6:27am
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I really like the idea, but I'm imagining myself trying to climb the ladder with three books under my arm...we'd all crash.

posted by brittanykate on April 24th 2008 at 6:28am
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love it but if you're not using the space under it then how is it really gaining space?

posted by bmorebent on April 24th 2008 at 6:39am
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That is awesome, but I agree that it would be even better with bookshelves going down to the floor.

posted by Pteetsa on April 24th 2008 at 6:46am
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I'm loving it - tho I would have continued the bookcases to the floor below...

posted by bepsf on April 24th 2008 at 7:49am
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I think it is brilliant.

posted by Gustaf on April 24th 2008 at 10:22am
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Is it just me or is there a different chair in each picture?

posted by Alana in Canada on April 24th 2008 at 10:47am
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That is absolutly gorgeous!

posted by Nevis on April 24th 2008 at 11:01am
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Is there a couch or something underneath it? Why not just have a floor to ceiling book case?

posted by MiklakMiklak on April 24th 2008 at 11:06am
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If I only had the ceilings tall enough, to imagine all of my books in one place again. What a stunning execution though.

posted by bwdesign on April 24th 2008 at 11:13am
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it just makes no sense if you've got that straight high wall available for books. and my fear of heights would keep me from reading.

looks pretentious, and expensive too.

posted by aad on April 24th 2008 at 11:53am
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In fairness, after 'touring' the place via slideshow, they sure have a lot of stuff. I like it. But I'm a library rat.

posted by Ramstone on April 24th 2008 at 12:54pm
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I'm Loving It!! I hate empty space.

posted by Sleek on April 25th 2008 at 5:43am
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