Who has a home library?

[CloudBee]

We're renovating my husband's childhood home and we have an extra room. There's a formal living room, and a large family room in the half basement downstairs. The old den (sunroom) is becoming the "new" dining room. We opened up the wall so it flows right off of the kitchen.

This leaves us with a vacant room that used to be the dining room. It's in a nice transitional spot at the end of a hallway, just before you get to the kitchen. There's substantial daylight for the duration of the day, without any direct rays of sun causing glare.

Initially we thought we would order a large bookcase with a sliding ladder. Costco has one that looks PERFECT! Unfortunately though the rating average was high, the negative reviews that were left all had the same complaint. The shelves warp and bend. They can't handle a heavy load, which won't work for us. We own so many books that we're bursting at the seems in our current home. Our shelves will be packed. I poked around online and it seems that everyone selling bookcases with rolling ladders sells the same model as Costco. Now I think we'll just find a few trimmed bookcases that we like and bolt them to the wall.

Once we see how our builder does on our entryway closet with built in seating, I might get a rough quote on him building shelves for that space. I envision tall bookcases on 2 walls, a fluffy rug in the middle with a coffee table (for puzzles/games), and 2 low armchairs. I want the space to be cozy and inviting. Not sterile.

If you have a home library can you show me a picture? 

Suggestions? Tips or regrets from your experience with building a similar space?

Thanks!

[orval]

I have a friend that used her front living room to make a library. She bought IKEA bookcases and secured the to the wall on two walls in the room. She trimmed them out with crown moulding and base moulding. I don't think she has a ladder though. Hers are white. It looks really nice - like built ins. I don't have any pictures of it.

Here is a link to a DIY IKEA hack with a ladder.

www.shelterness.com/how-to-turn-ikea-bookshelves-into-a-bookcase/

[isabel]

I don’t have any ideas for you, but I am so glad you suggested this!

Our front room is currently a playroom, but DH and I have been talking about moving all their toys to the basement where the second tv is. We can’t make it another tv room because even with the separation, you’d be able to hear it in our living room. I’ve been wracking my brain trying to to figure out what to do with this room, as we really have no need for it. This is the first time I’ve felt like we have more space than we need. But a library sounds like a great idea. We already have a couch in that room in the bay window and it’s my favorite place to read during the day, so making it a library/game room would be perfect!

[macmars45]

My oldest sister made an extra bedroom into a library. She's used IKEA bookshelves and others. Not all match. One thing she did was put padding under each shelf. It's similar to a carpet runner, just not as wide.

ETA: currently my formal dining room is half play room half 'preschool' room (I'm homeschooling my 4.75 yr old DS because of COVID). My eventual goal is to make it a library/game room. There's already a small couch in there where I love to read.

[InBetweenDays]

I know we shouldn't have to retrofit new furniture. But could you just add a few hidden braces on the shelves of the Costco bookcase to support them in the middle? Or in a few places if the shelves are really long?

[joy]

This is my dream.

[icedcoffee]

Do you have a home office? If not I would highly recommend incorporating that into this library. Including any wiring that would make it a good home office (internet jacks/lighting/phone Jack/door that closed). Home offices are good for resale, IMO.

[7costanza]

Before we had kids we used one bedroom as a library. I’ll try to find a picture later, but we had a bunch of matching ikea bookcases along two walls, a big fluffy rug, armchair and desk. It actually didn’t get a ton of use, but I really loved it and now that I’m WFH full time I wish we still had it.

[nsl]

We converted a bedroom into my library/office earlier this year and had a local carpenter we knew install built-in shelves plus a large desk for me (not pictured).  Adding the shelves on both walls definitely made the room feel even smaller than it already was, which might be something for you to think about depending on the dimensions of the room you're working with.  I love it because it's just "my" space, but if it was a public room I might not be as thrilled.  Right now my old rocking chair from when my kids were babies is in there--it'll get replaced as some point with a more modern-looking chair--but you can see how cramped it feels on that end of the room because the usable floor space is so narrow now that the bookcases are installed.

(link now removed)

[tarajane]

We kind of do.  I turned our formal dining room that we never used into a library/school room.  I love it!  It's pretty much all Ikea furniture.    

Attachments:

[isabel]

nsl, that Shutterfly link shows your name. Just wanted to make sure you knew.

I like that room and the hanging plants!

[CloudBee]

Jan 23, 2021 10:13:24 GMT -5 InBetweenDays said:

I know we shouldn't have to retrofit new furniture. But could you just add a few hidden braces on the shelves of the Costco bookcase to support them in the middle? Or in a few places if the shelves are really long?

Tempting, right? I worry that it would just never be right, and I would regret the purchase.

[CloudBee]

Jan 23, 2021 10:34:37 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Do you have a home office? If not I would highly recommend incorporating that into this library. Including any wiring that would make it a good home office (internet jacks/lighting/phone Jack/door that closed). Home offices are good for resale, IMO.

Yes. A room adjoining the family room in the finished half-basement would be DH's office. He's been working from home through Covid. Outside of Covid times he often has to log on for a few hours at night and on weekends. His space is a bit removed from our main living area and quiet. DH is having our builder install a bookcase door that swings open, connecting his home office to the family room. So he has big plans for his office. As it's a half-basement the windows are chest height, and there's lots of daylight. I don't need such a space upstairs as I don't work.

In the kitchen we had the cabinet maker do a built-in desk for me. I homeschool DS and spend a lot of time in the kitchen while DS does his work. I really need a place to park my laptop, phone, and notebook with my to-do list. We will also have a guest room where I might have a small desk as well. 

I've thought of placing a small desk in the library, but it's just not needed. I think it would take up wall space that would be better suited for books.

Our current home is quite small and has an open floor plan. Our existing home lacks walls (due to open floor plan) for adequate book storage, and lacks a place for someone to lounge/read/do a puzzle when they don't want to be in the same room as the TV. 

[CloudBee]

Jan 23, 2021 11:07:09 GMT -5 tarajane said:

We kind of do.  I turned our formal dining room that we never used into a library/school room.  I love it!  It's pretty much all Ikea furniture.    

I love those school desks! If I were schooling more than one child from home we would probably have a similar setup! I can't justify a "school room" with one kiddo. Boy do I love that, though!

The space we are turning into a library is also visible from the front door, so I feel like I can't have too many primary colors / school items out on display. 

Our new dining room is offset from the kitchen with a double wide doorway. There's actually a little nook that is blind to most of the room where I think we will have shelving for all of his school items. We will probably do school in there, and at the counter, and do our book basket time/games in the library.

Oh my goodness I am so excited and thankful that we will have space where I can actually leave school books out and still have a place to sit and eat lunch! Right now lunchtime is stressful because I have to clear school off our table, then carry it all back when lunch is over.

[nsl]

Jan 23, 2021 11:19:34 GMT -5 isabel said:

nsl , that Shutterfly link shows your name. Just wanted to make sure you knew.

I like that room and the hanging plants!

Thank you!

[dancingirl21]

My SIL did this. They had a small living room off their foyer. She had a builder make bookshelves that went to the ceiling on the entire back wall, then did 2 big, comfy chairs with ottomans against the other wall. She also has a plush rug. It’s super cozy and such an inviting place to sit and read. I have a large home office and have considered making half of it into a reading area, but haven’t done it yet.

[marcyiam]

I do not, but when you do, can you please do a few of these book nooks and post pics? I love them!

(Sources and more pics within)

[Queen Dick, Hibernating Bear]

Make sure one of the bookcases swings out to reveal your secret lair.

[bluestreet]

Jan 23, 2021 16:23:05 GMT -5 marcyiam said:

I do not, but when you do, can you please do a few of these book nooks and post pics? I love them!

(Sources and more pics within)

Soooo cool

[lavender444]

We do.

We turned a spare room next to our entry into our library/piano room. One of my kids is currently using it for remote learning so it's messy. The half I'm not showing has 2 chairs for reading but those are currently pushed aside to make room for a desk for my son.

[Pibs]

We had a handyman do an IKEA hack with Hemnes bookshelves & daybed in one of our living rooms and I love it.

[Dumbledork]

Making It Lovely had a small one in her second house that they added with I think IKEA products, and then her current home has one that was a custom built in.

Second home, library being added: makingitlovely.com/2007/06/22/library/

Second home, library better photos: makingitlovely.com/2011/05/31/five-important-tips-for-photographing-your-home/

Current home: makingitlovely.com/2014/05/05/the-built-in-bookshelves-and-rolling-ladder-in-the-library/

Current home with extra options: makingitlovely.com/2014/02/19/starting-on-the-librarys-built-in-bookshelves/