What to do about the disappearing home library
Apr 4, 2012, at 9:00 am by John Kirchner
Mill around on Pinterest long enough or flip through the latest issue of Elle Decor and eventually you will find a brilliant home library complete with dark-stained shelves holding hundreds of tattered hardcovers, along with a cozy leather chair and an antique floor lamp. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?
HomeDesignFind.com asks, “Is the home library dead?” It’s a good question. Fact is, while most of us would love a home library, they have typically been reserved for the very wealthy whose sprawling homes could allow such a limited-use room. Cost aside, other factors threaten the future of home libraries, as well.
- The rising popularity of e-readers means fewer books to take up physical space and storage. (A blessing and a curse.)
- Modern design favors open floor plans and multifunctional rooms. (No one ever accused a home library of being versatile.)
The HomeDesignsFind.com article (linked above) shares some helpful tips for integrating the more practical elements of a library throughout your home. The gist:
- Find a quiet, out-of-the-way corner of your home and dedicate it to reading. Make sure your seating is comfortable and the lighting is right.
- You can’t go wrong with adding bookcases, whether in your office, bedroom or living room. And even if you’ve quit buying books since you purchased an e-reader, several websites actually sell “faux books” to fill your shelves. (We’ll keep it a secret!)
[Photo from HomeDesignFind.com]
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