It is a luxury to have an area of the home for displaying and enjoying books, magazines, and other reading material, and a stylish home library can be created in virtually any home of any size. All it takes is a small niche set aside for reading, and along with wall decor and stylish home accents it can be transformed into a area that will become a favorite spot for relaxing and curling up with a good book. Consider the following ideas for home library decor, and transform a small niche in your home into a stylish library that will provide countless hours of relaxation and reading enjoyment for the entire family.

Create a Bookshelf Library with a Comfortable Chair

Freestanding bookshelves can be used to divide a room into separate areas, and they can be arranged to divide a small area of the home into a comfortable library complete with a comfortable chair. Place a freestanding open bookshelf with one side against a wall and another bookshelf about six feet away in the same position. If the shelf units are top-heavy or unstable in the very least, securely bolt them to a wall stud. Place a comfortable chair between the two shelves, and be sure to provide plenty of space for navigating around the chair. Add additional shelf units to make the library more expansive, and fill the shelves with home decor as wall as a wide array of books and magazines.

Add a Wall of Color

To make the home library seem more like a separate niche within a room, paint the wall between the bookshelves a different color than the walls in the rest of the room. Choose a color that coordinates well with the space, and apply painter’s tape along the edge of each bookshelf to maintain a straight line. Select a neutral color such as creamy beige or rich taupe and you cannot go wrong with the choice. The home library niche will appear to be a separate space but it will coordinate with the rest of the room.

Stylish Wall Hangings and Decor

A home library should be a well-decorated part of the home, and wall hangings including metal wall art, wrought iron decor, framed mirrors, and eye-catching accents can be used to make it unique and highly stylish. If the area directly behind the chair in the home library does not include a window, hang a large framed mirror to give the area more dimension. Wall art such as wrought iron decor or three dimensional sculptures are also an excellent choice. A home library niche with a window can be topped by wrought iron scrollwork, a pair of stylish wall planters, or candle wall sconces. Select decor that matches your unique decorating style and preference for a home library niche that will look highly impressive and inviting.

Decorate with Table Art Sculptures

The freestanding bookshelves that make up the walls of the home library niche will be filled with reading material, but they should also include interesting works of tabletop art. Select table art sculptures that fit the theme and style of the niche, and designate specific shelves for works of art. Every second or third shelf above waist-level can be used for displaying tabletop decor.

Having a library niche within a room will encourage family members to curl up with a good book. It provides a relaxing place to sit and enjoy reading, and with wall decor and other decorative accents it will become a highly impressive part of the space. It is not necessary to designate an entire room for a home library. A simple niche along a wall or in a corner of a room is all that is necessary to create a home library that will provide relaxation and countless hours of reading pleasure for many years to come.

All text copyright Shanel. Photo from Flikr - "The library" courtesy of cowbite - "Our Library After" courtesy of roblisameehan - "Roxbury house library" courtesy of mbrubeck - "Iron scrollwork" courtesy of ConspiracyofHappiness