If you’re a bookish sort of person, you may be looking for ways to take your at-home reading experience to the next level. What better way to do that is there than by putting together your very own home library? Not only do you have a place to keep just about as many books as you want, but you also have a comfortable room to enjoy them in. Tailored specifically to your tastes for a relaxing environment. Keep reading for a look at a few of our favorite home library design ideas that you can use when putting together your home library.
1. Dark Academia
The dark academia vibe is a classic, and for good reason. It’s the perfect combination of vintage décor and comfort. It lends an eclectic, always-interesting vibe to the room. We’ve found that it works best with a color scheme of dark, earthy tones, as well as natural wooden décor and cushy furniture.
2. Classical and Grandiose
If you have your sights set on something bigger, though, a more grandiose vibe might be just the thing you’re looking for. This sort of design has quite a bit more weight to it. It is mimicking the environment you’d see in a grand library or museum. Because of this, it works best with large, open spaces, large windows, and a lighter color palette.
3. Cozy Reading Corner
Bigger doesn’t always mean better, though! Sometimes all you really want is a small, warm, and comfortable space to cozy up for a few hours with your favorite book. This is a great home library space for people with smaller houses and apartments. As you really need to put it together is some cushions or a plush chair, a reading lamp, a blanket or two, and one corner of a living room or bedroom.
4. Comfortable Window Alcove
This one is a favorite of ours, bringing together the best aspects of a small, cozy reading corner and a larger, more open space. If you already have a window seat. All you have to do is add some shelf space nearby for your books and you’re good to go! The window will provide you with both natural light and warmth. So make yourself comfortable, grab a book, and relax for a while.
5. Rustic, Natural Colors
We’ve found that more rustic color schemes lend themselves well to home libraries. While still allowing a huge amount of creative freedom and variety. They interact extremely well with warm and natural lighting alike. They add to the overall serene, comfortable feel of the room.
6. Bright but Soothing Lighting
As easy as it is to get lost in a good book. It’s still important to take care of your eyes whenever you’re reading. Focusing on small print for long periods of time can be detrimental to your eyesight. Especially in dim, poorly lit spaces, so it’s important to put some countermeasures in place when designing your home library. While many think of “bright” and “relaxing” as polar opposites when it comes to lighting. This isn’t always the case if done properly.
To get a lighting setup for your home library that’s bright enough to spare your eyesight without impacting that cozy vibe you’re going for, you’ll need to account for the room itself. Take a look at which spots get plenty of natural light as is, and which tend to be the darkest. Then, replace your standard overhead lights with warm-colored ones, preferably yellow or orange, and brighten up those darker spots with a lamp, ensuring that you’ll have plenty of light to read by no matter where you are in the room.
7. Books as Décor
Books are meant to be read, of course, but there’s a certain aesthetic appeal to shelves full of books that you just can’t replicate with any other décor pieces. Keep your bookshelves neatly organized, and make them a central feature of your home library’s décor, and you’ll notice a comforting, quiet environment that’s almost an exact match for the libraries you’re used to seeing.
8. An Assortment of Cushy Furniture
Of course, no great reading space can be complete without some comfortable furniture. It’s worth investing in some cushy chairs and couches, warm blankets, and other places where you and your guests can settle down for a bit to read.
9. Vintage Aesthetics
Vintage aesthetics work remarkably well with home libraries, giving the room a uniquely nostalgic and soothing feel. This aesthetic can be reflected anywhere from your color scheme to your choice of décor, so feel free to work it in wherever you feel it would work best.
10. Combine With Other Spaces
If you’re working with limited space, you don’t necessarily need to dedicate an entire room to your home library, and you can even use a miniaturized home library to enhance other parts of your living space. Implement something like the cozy reading corner or window alcove we mentioned above, match it to the rest of the room’s décor, and you’re good to go!
Looking for more great home décor inspiration, tips, and products? Visit our site at HomeLoft today!
