6 Leading Designers Share the Secrets to Building a Warm and Inviting Library

Shelving

Whether you’re housing just a few novels or a collection that can rival the Library of Congress, shelving is obligatory. For a Paris townhouse, architect and designer Elliott Barnes customized a corner unit with a fold-down secretary and closed storage. “The room has all these different little functions, and the only way to do that was to be entirely bespoke,” says Barnes, who places books both vertically and horizontally for visual interest. “It’s a little bit more playful and less strict, making things a bit less stuffy.” 

Cabinetry can also provide an upscale way of disguising a cumbersome television. “Not everyone has a theater, and they want a TV in their living spaces, but there’s an architectural way to make it feel pleasing,” says New York interior architect Alison Rose.

Other designers find floor-to-ceiling open shelving to be an exciting opportunity for composing a vignette of books, art, family photos, and other collectibles. “I just think books are the best form of decoration you can have,” says Emily Todhunter of British firm Todhunter Earle Interiors. “They look beautiful, and they show everything there is to know about the client.”

Furniture

Providing areas for homeowners to sit and oftentimes work is the next order of business. “In 2019, I would have told you we’re not putting desks in libraries anymore,” declares San Francisco designer Jay Jeffers, “but since the pandemic, suddenly everyone needs more space to work and for the kids to do their homework, so we’ve gone in the opposite direction.”

Low-level seating by brands like Minotti helps draw the eye up to decorated shelves, suggests Barnes, while New York architect Gil Schafer III likes 19th-century English furniture, particularly the conveniently labeled “library chair.” “Think about the English country house and how it’s just filled with one comfortable piece of furniture after another,” he says. “It may be threadbare, but it’s comfortable.”

Accent tables offer an ideal place to store the television remote, display books, or serve drinks. “Instead of a coffee table, we may do an ottoman with the tray on it, so that people have a place to put their feet up,” says Jeffers. “It’s a little more of a cozy feeling.”

Lighting

A library’s lighting plan needs to address myriad needs, so designers implement a variety of options, from chandeliers and sconces to task lighting, such as swing-arm and table lamps. “We’re really getting away from ceiling lights and high hats,” says Rose, who customized a Chicago library without any overhead lighting. “All the light sources came from lamps, sconces, and on the cabinetry versus from lights that shine down on you, which give weird shadows.”

“We try to give light wherever you are sitting to read,” states Schafer, who notes that types of lamps may vary depending on if clients prefer paper volumes or e-books. “A chandelier with very low-wattage bulbs is just a nice glow at the ceiling, but it’s not really doing the hard work of lighting the room.”

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Of course, shining a spotlight on those well-curated tomes is often the finishing touch. “I just think that’s a beautiful way of lighting a room,” notes Jeffers, clearly giving the space’s protagonists their storybook ending.

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2022 Winter Issue under the headline “By the Book.” Subscribe to the magazine.

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Craft a Stunning Library with These Stylish Furnishings and Design Pieces

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Totu daybed by Toan Nguyen for Fendi Casa.

Photograph by Courtesy of Fendi Casa

Geometric marquetry poker set by Alexandra Llewellyn from Abask.

Photograph by Courtesy of Abask

Smoking Stella table lamp by Aline Asmar D’Amman for The Invisible Collection.

Photograph by Courtesy of The Invisible Collection

Tempest Day rug by Guo Pei for The Rug Company.

Photograph by Courtesy of The Rug Company

Troche u00e9tagu00e8re by Mous.

Photograph by Courtesy of Mous

Brennan clock by Ralph Lauren Home.

Photograph by Courtesy of Ralph Lauren Home

Jolie desk by Armani/Casa.

Photograph by Courtesy of Giorgio Armani

Killian fabric by Pierre Frey.

Photograph by Courtesy of Pierre Frey

Peony pendant by Corbett Lighting.

Photograph by Courtesy of Hudson Valley Lighting Group

Kaori armchair by Jean-Marie Massaud for Poliform.

Photograph by Courtesy of Poliform

Melanie table lamp by Barbara Barry for Circa Lighting.

Photograph by Courtesy of Circa Lighting

Brera cabinet by Thomas Pheasant for Baker.

Photograph by Courtesy of Bakers Interiors Group

Malagana side table by Aguirre Design from Una Malan.

Photograph by Courtesy of Aguirre Design

Ambia wall covering by Natalia Miyar for Fromental.

Photograph by Courtesy of Fromental

Palm Duet chaise longue and ottoman by Raphael Navot for Loro Piana Interiors.

Photograph by Courtesy of Loro Piana