Building the Perfect Home Library

A home library doesn't need to be a grand wood-panelled room. The best ones I've designed are often a single wall, a corner, an alcove under a stair. What matters is intention: a place where books are visible, accessible, and surrounded by the right light.

Start with the shelving. Floor-to-ceiling is best when you can manage it; the verticality changes how a room feels. Adjustable shelves matter more than people realize, books vary wildly in height, and a shelf sized for paperbacks will leave coffee-table books awkwardly stranded.

Light is the second consideration. Avoid direct sunlight, which fades spines and dries out paper. Instead, layer ambient ceiling light with a focused reading lamp positioned over the chair. The chair, by the way, deserves its own essay.