Bedside "Book" Table

You don't need any plans for this sort of bedside table. Just a stack of over-sized books and... a couple of belts. If you tighten the belts the table will be structurally sound. Perhaps keeping the buckles on the side rather than on the top would work better. There are obviously other ways to keep the books together, but it is more important to consider the various choices you have in customizing this table. You can use books that reflect your taste (as well as distaste for certain books!). You can even go with a particular time period. Of course, I don't advise any misuse of incunabulae, but some nice leather bound antique books could look absolutely stunning in this capacity. Also, depending on the style of your home library this bedside table can find its place there, just blending in...

Home decorating with books: for your library and the living room

This may be a touchy subject, but there are people who are not at all enamored with the process of reading, but still enjoy the looks of books. One of the most curious approaches I have seen is something that a California company (Book Decor) does with old leather-bound books. They sell them by the foot! In many cases these are books in foreign languages, so you can be absolutely sure that under no circumstances a momentary weakness or lapse of judgment will allow you to be caught cuddling up in an armchair with one of these books.

It is also conceivable that someone, still a great lover of books, understands the value of books in home decoration. There are a few books available on this subject (no "Home library for dummies, sorry!):

Dan Brown's Home Library

The Today Show's interview with Dan Brown features his home library, complete with what he calls "Fortress of Gratitude" where numerous editions of "Da Vinci Code" etc. One would expect Dan Brown to have a home library, right. He is after all a writer. Sort of. For our purposes, it is quite interesting to see a home library designed for a guy who can really afford it. Nice wooden built-ins on two levels, soft lighting, but adequate for reading in a couple of locations (if I assume correctly). A surprising touch is a huge baroque fireplace. Now, I feel bad for having a fireplace in the room next to a room where any number of books are stored. However, it appears that only candles are ever burned in that fireplace. So, I guess that's ok, to create extra coziness without causing heat damage to books. A nice piece of photography, for what it is. I would definitely maximize the video screen. And I would love to see high-res images of this place!

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Bookshelves - a fresh idea for a home library

A fresh and unusual look can be easily achieved by using what almost appears to be wine storage. What I particularly like about it is that you don't need bookends. For heavier books it is even better if they lie on the side. This way, the binding remains intact longer, and so does the dust cover if there is one. You can put books on the left or on the right side of each "cell". The only thing I would add is a way to put shelves inside the cells, dividing them into two compartments. This would create horizontal surfaces for some art pieces etc. Also, this would make it less evident that the whole shelving unit was converted from something totally different. Another big advantage of this shelving solution is that you can easily find these unusual units or even have them custom built without thinking too much about the design - there are existing plans and plenty of carpenters who can readily build such shelves.

Home library books - design, plans and decoration

With the help of one of my visitors I have compiled an extended list of books dealing with home library design, decorating with books and some books of general interest for bibliophiles.

• At Home with Books: How Booklovers Live with and Care for Their Libraries
• Candice Olson on Design
• Decorating with Books (House Beautiful)
• Design Ideas for Home Decorating
• Kelly Hoppen Home: From Concept to Reality
• Libraries
• Library Design
• Living with Books
• The Book on the Bookshelf

I would like to especially point your attention to Candida Höfer's Libraries. This book with Umberto Eco's introduction is a true masterpiece and would make a great gift.

For almost 30 years Candida Höfer has photographed interiors, mostly representational spaces accessible to the public, such as staircases, lobbies, reading halls or exhibition spaces. Rather than staging them, she takes their picture in the state she finds them, with great discreetness and a touch of humour.

Libraries are a book producer’s dream. Since nobody photographs libraries as beautifully as Höfer, it seemed only natural for Schirmer/Mosel to dedicate her next publication to the splendid and intimate cathedrals of knowledge across Europe and the US: the Escorial in Spain, the Whitney Museum in New York, Villa Medici in Rome, the Hamburg University library, the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris, the Museo Archeologico in Madrid, and Pierpont Morgan Library in New York, to name just a few. Almost completely devoid of people, as is Candida Höfer’s trademark, these pictures radiate a comforting serenity that is exceptional in contemporary photography.

Jay Walker's Home Library

I am posting this for personal reference, more than anything else. Apparently, these pictures have been all over the Internet. Here is the original story:

Wired: Browse the Artifacts of Geek History in Jay Walker's Library

Writing table, bureau and secretaire in your home library

There is a number of home library furniture pieces that did not fare particularly well as technology made a few quantum leaps over the last one hundred years. Small and elegant writing tables, exquisitely designed bureaus, and conveniently placed secretaires were first replaced with heavy desks capable of bearing the weight of a typewriter, and eventually computer desks with all their ever spreading and multiplying peripherals. It is my belief, however, that these traditional writing surfaces still have a place in a home library that attempts to preserve the spirit of the good old times! If you have a spare corner in your library that would not be convenient for a chair or another bookcase, consider getting a writing table or a bureau. There are many designs available on the market today. There is one kind of a bureau that I was unable to find, after seeing it in several historic home libraries: a tall one, not too wide, - you would have to actually stand up while writing. In my opinion, this would be ideal for writing quick notes.

Home library design - traditional elements and ideas

If there is anything that clearly separates a home library from a public or collegiate library of any kind it would have to be the presence of additional elements, apart from mere book cases, desks, lamps etc. Naturally, when even the most useful and well organized collection of books is housed in a person's home that room must be treated as a part of a living space, not just a large storage facility with rows of bookcases. In this article I am going to explore some design elements that enhance the looks of traditional house libraries. Perhaps this will serve as a guide for those who are struggling to come up with ideas for making their home library more personal and comfortable.

Pictures and engravings

In my opinion, the choice of paintings for a home library should be limited to art pieces that do not have bright colors. Such elements can be distracting. Also, a multicolor environment that is created by hundreds of book covers will not interact well with such paintings. Engravings can be a much better solution. They are also cheaper, and the selection is extremely wide. My personal favorites are engravings from antique books. Individual pages can be often found at stores and on the Internet at very reasonable prices. If you are designing your home library on a budget, you can order printouts of old book illustrations. As an example, I am publishing here an illustration from a 16th century edition of Virgil's works.

Statues and busts

(See also: Marble busts and principles of home library design)

The tradition of displaying statues and busts in a person's home goes back to Roman times. It was a custom to have effigies of one's ancestors. Gradually, statues and busts of famous literary figures became popular. They can vary in size, from the small ones you can put on your desk, to the larger ones that need a special base.



Globes

Back in the times when every educated person was very well rounded and had sufficient expertise in all spheres of knowledge it was a necessity to own items such as globes (including celestial globes). Similarly to sculpture, such design elements add volume and much needed curved lines to the environment dominated by straight lines.