Our Library
Our books are out of control. Mike and I have the trappings of two college degrees each, rampant hobbies, and a juris doctorate in progress. We bought three, slim, but tall, bookcases in Japan to house our library, but it outgrew the shelving. We began stacking books on the floor. I spread my collection out among the den, living room, and bedroom while Mike kept a veritable reading library in the bathroom. My ideal solution was a wall of built-in bookshelves in our den, complete with a window seat. It would (hopefully) house all of our books in one location and be an investment in the house to boot.
In the true do-it-yourself spirit, I was planning on developing my carpentry skills to the point where I could build the bookshelves myself. However, at my current pace (only one major project completed), I wouldn’t be ready to attempt such an undertaking until 2015. Instead, we used our income tax refund and some nice men from Vision Home Enterprises to build the bookshelves nine years sooner. Here are the before and after pics:
Although I don’t yet have a photo of the filled shelves, you can trust me when I say that ALL of our tomes fit, with room to spare! I could double my gardening book collection before feeling bad about hogging the space.
The bookshelves have inspired me to edit the décor in the rest of the room make it a more inviting place. I rearranged some of the existing furniture to make the room seem bigger. The very ugly Homedics massage chair and the cat tree have been exiled to the basement. Two reclining, chenille, wingback chairs will be delivered later this month. Gold paint chips are currently auditioning for a spot on the wall. (The gold paint will also be applied in the hallway, to replace the pumpkin puke.) By April, we should have a cozy library in which to spend days too rainy to garden. And to think, it all started with the problem of too many books…
In the true do-it-yourself spirit, I was planning on developing my carpentry skills to the point where I could build the bookshelves myself. However, at my current pace (only one major project completed), I wouldn’t be ready to attempt such an undertaking until 2015. Instead, we used our income tax refund and some nice men from Vision Home Enterprises to build the bookshelves nine years sooner. Here are the before and after pics:
Although I don’t yet have a photo of the filled shelves, you can trust me when I say that ALL of our tomes fit, with room to spare! I could double my gardening book collection before feeling bad about hogging the space.
The bookshelves have inspired me to edit the décor in the rest of the room make it a more inviting place. I rearranged some of the existing furniture to make the room seem bigger. The very ugly Homedics massage chair and the cat tree have been exiled to the basement. Two reclining, chenille, wingback chairs will be delivered later this month. Gold paint chips are currently auditioning for a spot on the wall. (The gold paint will also be applied in the hallway, to replace the pumpkin puke.) By April, we should have a cozy library in which to spend days too rainy to garden. And to think, it all started with the problem of too many books…
posted by Kasmira at 13.3.06
12 Comments:
Very nice! I want to do something similar in my entry room eventually--one whole wall of bookcases. Nine foot high. With a ladder. :)
Beauty.
I LOVE IT!! We have a very WIDE hallway upstairs and we want to convert it into a walk trough library. We currently have enough books to easily fill six of the book shelves in your before picture. I would absolutely love to have a bookshelf door -- you know, like a hidden passage -- into the bedroom off our main bedroom. I always wanted a hidden passage in my house.
Whoa, those look so great!!
I'm so jealous! SO VERY VERY JEALOUS! I've always wanted a library, particularly one with a window seat. Now I must scurry off to look at pictures of my house and figure out where, oh where, I could squeeze in some lovely bookshelves like these.
*whine* I want one! We have four or five bookcases of varying size (inc. one ginormous one) and still have books in boxes.
And I am NOT cutting back on my book-buying.
that looks great!! but aren't you guys moving?
Magnificent! Well done! And way faster tahn 2015!
I'm envious of both the bookshelves and the books. I lost most of my books in a flood the first year I lived in my house. The former owner neglected to tell me that the basement floods when it rains.
We aren't moving until winter or spring of 2008. I've moved enough to learn to sieze the day in whatever spot I happen to be in at the time. You never know what the future may bring. Our plans could change and we might live here for many more years after all.
Wow, that is beautiful!
Can't wait to see the whole room completed.
Beautiful book case. You sure have a huge collection. We are book collectors as well. Currently, they are all piled high on a single long shelf across the wall.
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