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The traditional library was a hushed, dimly lit space with one purpose: to store books. While books are indeed the bones of any library, we found three spaces that illustrate how this room has bloomed into a niche for personal expression, hosting everything from work to relaxation—and even entertaining.
A Limited Rendition
To create a welcoming library, Los Angeles designer Barbara Barry offers some suggestions to get started. “There is something about a book-lined room that makes us all feel secure,” Ms. Barry says. Because lighting helps generate atmosphere, she recommends using a richer tone of lampshade, “perhaps a neutral gray or even a deep mustard color, which brings real warmth to the room.” She also suggests placing a floor lamp beside a choice spot—such as a favorite armchair. “Even in the most traditional setting, a clean, modern floor lamp works, and it certainly does the job of giving you light right where you need it,” she says.
When arranging items on shelves, place a book horizontally, slide it out a bit from the shelf, and set heavier books on top of it. “This makes for a sturdy little shelf,” Ms. Barry explains. “I then prop a small painting on it, and it makes that shelf come alive.” To complete the look, she always brings in fresh flowers or polished apples. If those aren’t available, a fragrant candle will do the trick: “It’s nice to have a little life in a room with so many books.”
Photograph courtesy of Barbara Barry
A House of Many Tales
Nestled in the heart of her home, Patricia Heller’s bookshelves are merely one ingredient in the multipurpose room she’s dubbed the “library-slash-dining” room. Her space started simply, with practical furniture placement, and grew from there. Central to the layout are white canvas camp chairs surrounding a pedestal table. “They’re wonderfully comfortable—and responsible for long, leisurely dinner parties,” says Mrs. Heller. Her secret is combining pieces that contrast with, yet balance one another: “I love setting this table with intensely printed linen cloths and napkins, big bursts of color, calmed down with English silver and plain white china.”
In the same vein, her bookshelves unite nostalgia and art. Affixed to the shelving is a World War I–era poster of a steaming bowl of potatoes with fork and spoon. Tucked in and scattered among the books is an assortment of photos: One of Mrs. Heller at age 4 with her mother, whom she describes as “a knockout.” Nearby is a silver-framed photo of her father, clad in a herringbone jacket and checked necktie, taken at the old Lambert Field in the ’40s.
“My style is classic, but I love sur-prises,” says Mrs. Heller. An illustrative pairing is the Georgian silver coffee service atop a red lacquered Parsons table. A cherished painting by Mrs. Heller’s mother-in-law, done when she was 90 years old, is displayed in a color-ful Heydenryk frame. “There are three rows of flowers in out-of-proportion clay pots,” says Mrs. Heller. “And I’m crazy about it.” The room was inspired by her experience creating displays for Bergdorf Goodman, working as a catalog photographer in New York, and soaking up design ideas from her mother. She modestly explains: “Inspiration was simply using what I’ve collected, gathered, and inherited for the past 40 years.”
Photograph by Matt Hughes
Book Lark
Lush velvet, black lacquer, and metal faux bamboo are some of the distinctive elements at play in this home office designed by Jimmy Jamieson of Jamieson Design. His client required a space that was dynamic and energetic, and Mr. Jamieson accomplished exactly that by incorporating both her chic style and her desire to use the room to conduct business. His design blends neoclassical and sleek Modernist furniture from 20th-century designers, reflecting the homeowner’s passion for art. New York–based artist Jim Hodges designed the wallcovering, which was produced by the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis. “Its black-and-white theme complements the black lacquer
and nailhead-trimmed casework, which serves as a workstation and houses reference books,” Mr. Jamieson notes. In vivid contrast to the black and white are the chairs, originally conceived by Russian designer Vladimir Kagan in 1950, and reupholstered in rich, pink velvet. “The office had to reflect her personal style,” Mr. Jamieson explains, “one that is unique, colorful, and very approachable.”
Photograph by Alise O'Brien
Spotted another great new library concept? Send it to cmarshall@stlmag.com.
