7 Homes Any Book Lover Would Give Their Library Card to Live In

Bookworms are a special breed: We’re more than content to spend hours at home lounging in bed or by the pool, devouring a good book, and ignoring reality for a while. For some people, there’s nothing better in the world.

The worst thing for a bibliophile, though, is a home that has no comfy nooks conducive to these long reading sessions and limited space to store your collection. (To borrow from Joseph Conrad: “The horror! The horror!”) And though beautiful built-ins are becoming rarer to find in newly-built homes, there is no dearth of older homes that are tailor-made for bibliophiles on the market.

Just like finding a book of essays in a public library, you just need to know where to look. And we’ve made it easy for you—no knowledge of the Dewey Decimal System required. We’ve stacked up the best homes from coast to coast that are perfect for serious readers: Think rooms filled with built-in bookshelves and custom libraries flooded with natural light. Just a warning: If you buy one of these seven properties, you might never step outside again… of course, until your to-be-read stack gets scarily short or you just want to see what’s new at the library.

Location: Edenton, North Carolina
Listing price: $476,500
Square footage: 3,846

Built-in features are hard to resist and the same goes for these bookshelves in the classic study of this North Carolina house. Originally built in 1883, the elegant abode comprises four bedrooms, two full baths, and one half bath.

Location: Manhattan, New York City
Asking price: $735,000
Square footage: ~1,350

We all know that space is a luxury in Manhattan, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your hardcovers and switch to Kindle. This apartment—with two bedrooms, two full baths, and one half bath—has an entire wall of built-in bookshelves in a spare bedroom. Also, thanks to the unit’s southern exposure, it’s full of natural light!

Location: Wilton, Connecticut
Asking price: $995,000
Square footage: 5,680

Isn’t the library of this home just begging to be filled with all your favorite reads? The mint green built-ins add a fresh touch to the custom-designed space, which is bathed in light thanks to a bank of windows. This stunning house offers five bedrooms, three baths, and two half baths.

Location: Los Angeles, California
Asking price: $1,599,000
Square footage: 2,987

Fans of modern style will swoon for this Los Angeles home—including the library, which contains two walls of honey-colored built-in wood bookshelves. Bibliophiles may take offense to the way the books are styled on the shelves—spine in—but, hey, to each their own. The house has three bedrooms, two baths, and one half bath.

Location: Delray Beach, Florida
Asking price: $2,195,000
Square footage: 3,080

Picture this: You wander into the sitting room of this four-bed, four-bath home. You choose a tome from the built-in bookshelves that line the perimeter and then decide whether to enjoy it inside on a cozy sofa, outside in the tropical backyard, or— just a block away—at the beach. Choices, choices!

Location: Manhattan, New York City
Asking price: $600,000
Square footage: ~725

You’ll fall asleep dreaming of your favorite fictional characters in the bedroom of this one-bedroom, one-bathroom East Village penthouse: It’s decked out with bookshelves on three walls. Plus, the quiet bedroom has a skylight providing plenty of natural light.

Location: Manchester, Vermont
Asking price: $425,000
Square footage: 3,184

A true bibliophile must have personalized this home because it contains a custom library with built-in floor-to-ceiling bookcases. The deep blue walls lend a serene vibe to the space—making it perfect for getting lost in a story. The Colonial-style house, which has four bedrooms, three baths, and one half bath, was built in 1864.

Ready to move into one of these storybook spaces? Don’t forget to pick up this $1.50 workhorse from IKEA. We think it makes for the easiest way to move your library!

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