As my regular readers will know we are a family of book lovers. There’s something wonderful about everyone under one roof sharing a love of literature and, on a practical level, it can make for an incredibly peaceful house. You can cut out the continual electrical murmur of so many other households. Instead, you’re all happy to curl up with books. Unless, of course, two of your sons are reading the same series of books and on the release day of the final part, end up fighting over who will get to read it first (true story).
If you’d like to ‘build’ yourself a library here are some hints and tips to help you make a room or even a corner a cozy spot to indulge your bibliophilia. Perhaps you’ve already given it a go and if you have, you’ll know that the idea doesn’t always translate into a usable room. More often than not, home libraries become nothing more than storage spaces for books. As well as being beside the point, this is a waste of valuable space.
So here’s how to create a library or library space which gets used. By following these pointers, your bookshelf dreams will finally come true.
Make It Look Appealing
Nobody can deny that libraries look beautiful. Those endless shelves of beautiful books are lovely to look at, that’s for sure. However, home libraries often fall into the same trap as dining rooms, they don’t get enough use to feel like a homely spot to spend your time. They take that unused, slightly musty vibe. Before you know it, everyone’s avoiding the room like their lives depend on it.
To ensure this doesn’t happen in your library, it’s worth taking particular care over appearance. First, think carefully about which shelves you pick. Instead of traditional long options, you could get a boxed shelving unit. These add a little more interest and provide you with the chance to stack books upwards as well as sideways. Talking of stacking books, you could always use this in an attempt to draw your family in.Arranging your books into Rainbow shelves is becoming increasingly popular, and they look amazing. Give it a go and see how it changes the feel of your library.
Sort your seating
A lot of people fail to tackle their library seating. Nobody is going to spend a lot of time there if there’s nowhere comfortable to curl up with a book. So, it’s important to sort the most comfortable seating you can find so family members are more likely to stay there after picking up a book. You could opt for a traditional library look, with something like a brown chesterfield sofa. A modern chase longe can be stylish and the perfect spot for reading, or, perhaps you want to do away with tradition altogether and have some giant beanbags which will be fun for the kids. As long as your pick is comfortable, it’s sure to go down well.
Set the right example
As with anything when it comes to parenting, it’s up to the grown-ups in the family to set the right example. You should lead the way by using the library yourself. If your kids see you in there, they’re much more likely to make their way into the space. Not to mention that, by setting the right example, you’re giving the room the use it deserves. After a few nights of sitting in there, it’s sure to become your favorite room in the house.
