COVER TO COVER Ingenious ways to turn that unused space into a reading nook
YOU CAN TURN A CORNER OF YOUR HOME INTO THE PERFECT READING AREA WITH JUST A LITTLE ATTENTION TO COLOUR, SPACE AND LIGHT
“WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT IN A LIBRARY THAN ANYTHING ELSE – THAN EVERYTHING ELSE – IS THE FACT THAT IT EXISTS”
ARCHIBALD MACLEISH (1892-1982)
Chimney alcoves are ideal areas to carve out a space for reading or writing, and can make the most of an otherwise underused area. Find a small writing table that fits snugly between the walls – it doesn’t have to be very deep – then install open shelves up to the ceiling. The shelf displays should then be approached as mini schemes of their own, believes Kit Kemp. ‘It’s about colour, balance, texture and weight,’ she explains. Here is one of the top floor suites at her Ham Yard Hotel in London where she’s lined the walls with her Ozone fabric designed for Christopher Farr Cloth and placed collections of books ‘to add colour and interest’.
Tone down the presence of a TV by choosing a dark paint colour for the surrounding joinery. In this scheme by Neptune (top), the inky black shelves have the dual effect of allowing the colours of the book spines to stand out while helping to minimise the presence of the screen.
“WHERE POSSIBLE, CONCEAL A TV SO IT ISN’T THE FOCAL POINT. FAILING THAT, SET IT WITHIN JOINERY SURROUNDED BY BOOKSHELVES TO SUBTLY INTEGRATE IT”
Take advantage of a room with soaring ceiling heights by fitting a mezzaninelevel library. The minimum ceiling height for a room to take a mezzanine floor is 440cm and the mezzanine must be in proportion to the floor space below. To prevent the area below feeling dark use semi-transparent flooring (top).
“EVEN A SMALL SPACE CAN MAKE A LIBRARY READING NOOK. A READING LAMP NEXT TO YOUR FAVOURITE CHAIR AND A WALL OF CLASSIC NOVELS IS THE ULTIMATE INDULGENCE AND PLACE TO ESCAPE”
LAURA HAMMETT, founder, laurahammett.com
For a sophisticated room full of fun and energy, create a scheme that hinges on the three primary colours. Fabric walls instantly add a cosseting effect to a space, absorbing noise and making a room feel more inviting. Kit Kemp chose to cover the walls of the Knightsbridge Hotel, shown here, in a deep terracotta red fabric, creating an ideal backdrop for the leather-bound books. Banishing any idea that libraries should only be dark mahogany and leather, she has included lots of comfortable seating options, such as deep sofas in an eye-catching fabric and prettily upholstered armchairs. A further pop of colour, and useful extra seating, is introduced in the lemon-yellow fender.
Books can be just as decorative as art as a means to express the interests and characters living in a house. So don’t be afraid to dedicate an entire wall to display a large collection. Passing spaces such as corridors and landings are often neglected but can be made to work harder with clever planning and well-designed joinery. Architects De Rosee Sa came up with the above solution for a client who was a keen novelist and wanted to showcase her collection of books. ‘The library was brought into this high space, with its shelves spanning the length of the property, to create an expressive feature wall,’ explains co-founder Max de Rosee, pointing out that it also allows light in to the living space.