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Non-library Libraries

Though an entire room for books sounds so appealing, so tuck-yourself-away-for-hours, and allows for a concentration of reading materials into one deliberate space, not everyone has enough space (or books) for one. Literature around the house can be appealing and easily accessible but can also lack organization and an actual reading center. These ideas show how books can be organized into non-library libraries and create a reading atmosphere in the most everyday of spaces.
Margaret Everton
Margaret Everton
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Keep the addition of a bookshelf in proximity to a lounge area where everyone is invited to grab and read.

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Another view of this simply fabulous space.

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Sometimes it's the simple addition of a basic bookshelf that adds the perfect literary touch to a room. The simple and varied lines of the items in this room create a fantastic ensemble.

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Aside from bookshelves, such as the wall to the left, keep in mind how a coffee table can be lined with rows of books, housing tons of literature while still serving as a coffee table.

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Shelving added into the insets of this room keep the wall flush. The choice of white keeps a continuity and allows the books do rest discreetly and almost as if floating on air in this light room.

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Magazine racks display literature in all forms in a new way.

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Another view.

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Perhaps think of shelves spanning a broader horizon. One shelf layer across a long hallway. You could do this yourself and have an entire new library by your weekend's end.

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If conventional eye-level shelving isn't possible, don't overlook the concept of shelving above.

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Discreet corners and nooks can easily become unexpected small libraries for grabbing here and there throughout the house.

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This unusual modern take on shelving allows for storage with an openness and spacing that becomes art in and of itself, value itself, regardless of how many Pulitzer prize winners line it.

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Here the same idea is executed as the main focal point of the wall between two windows, providing a center for the desk.

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Where standard walls flanking this window would look lovely and finished, bookshelves add an extra interest and pleasant purpose to the space.

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Lining a hallway with floor-to ceiling shelves allows for a separate library space without taking up an entire room. This curved wall exhibits built-in shelving, but a straight wall and wide enough hallway would accommodate any standard shelving. Shorter waist-high shelving allows for a balance of blank space above for art and lighting.

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Such a simple room, added to by well-organized simple shelves--a simple DIY project for turning any small space into a shelf-lined library.

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In an open space like this, two-sided bookshelves can work as storage and a pleasant room divider. This shelving is proportioned to allow plenty of space around and not crowd the room.

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