Double Parlor Home Library The Victorian House

The Built-in Library Shelves, with Books

The library isn’t really finished, but the shelves have books, the house is neat, and I took photos. So? Photos!

Home Library #makingitlovely

Definitely loving that ladder. I’m also loving the play of color from room to room, but I plan to paint the library walls and both ceilings at some point. They don’t look terrible here, but depending on the lighting and time of day, the color can go pretty yellow. I do like the contrast, and I’m thinking I might choose white, or very pale peachy/coral/pink.

Double Parlors #makingitlovely

We’re only borrowing the gate leg table from a family member. I wanted to see if it would be a pain to sit around, and the answer is yes. I love the look (like so), but it isn’t very practical for us, and I want to be able to play games there with the kids.

Home Library #makingitlovely

What is practical though, is the shelving. A few people have been eager to see how the built-ins look “once they’re styled,” so I hope I’m not disappointing you here. The shelves are adjustable and we moved a couple to fit large art and photography books, but that’s the extent of the styling. Brandon and I have a lot of books, and these shelves were intended to be used fully for book storage from the start. We actually still have more, but I think we can whittle down what’s on the shelves a bit to make room, and only keep what we really love. We had so much book storage in the last house that we didn’t need to pare down much (though we did some before we moved).

Home Library #makingitlovely

The layout is not final. I think the rocker looks a bit out of place, but I would like to make it work somewhere downstairs. We’ll have our cushy upholstered glider for the nursery, but I’d like to have the Eames rocker out where I’ll be able to rock the baby while sitting with friends and family.

Home Library #makingitlovely

Having a dedicated space for all of our books feels really good. It isn’t done (or “Pinterest Perfect”) yet, but I like where it’s at right now. There are a million little things to change and tweak, but that’s part of the fun of decorating, isn’t it? My last house came together over seven years, always changing a little at a time. I’m eager to see how this space grows and changes too.

Home Library #makingitlovely

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