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AT Europe: Paris Close-Up - The Library Loft

suspended-library.jpgVéronique 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...

 
 

suspended-library-2.jpg

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

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Comments (24)

That is absolutely stunning!

posted by colgankc on 2008-04-24 09:19:10
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it looks great! i'd love to sit up there and read.

posted by Erin Lang Norris/Yellow Canoe on 2008-04-24 09:19:35
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Brilliant! I love going up. where did they get that light? very cool too...

posted by bigcityboy2 on 2008-04-24 09:32:29
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OMG! WANT!

posted by mdeathstar on 2008-04-24 09:33:59
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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 2008-04-24 09:35:47
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Gee I guess I am the exception. This just doesn't do it for me...

posted by sunnyshelle on 2008-04-24 09:57:16
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this is awesome, but i'd do books all the way up if it were me.

posted by DahliaCactus on 2008-04-24 09:59:57
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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 2008-04-24 10:06:49
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love the chairs!

posted by k in ditmas on 2008-04-24 10:19:51
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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 2008-04-24 10:44:53
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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 2008-04-24 10:54:08
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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 2008-04-24 11:27:10
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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 2008-04-24 11:28:58
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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 2008-04-24 11:39:57
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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 2008-04-24 11:46:04
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I'm loving it - tho I would have continued the bookcases to the floor below...

posted by bepsf on 2008-04-24 12:49:33
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I think it is brilliant.

posted by Gustaf on 2008-04-24 15:22:20
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Is it just me or is there a different chair in each picture?

posted by Alana in Canada on 2008-04-24 15:47:44
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That is absolutly gorgeous!

posted by Nevis on 2008-04-24 16:01:25
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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 2008-04-24 16:06:34
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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 2008-04-24 16:13:39
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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 2008-04-24 16:53:42
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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 2008-04-24 17:54:29
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I'm Loving It!! I hate empty space.

posted by Sleek on 2008-04-25 10:43:10
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