There’s nothing quite like wandering around a bookstore and picking up a crisp, clean book. As a child, I loved the library – but now, I want a library of my own for all the books I’ve purchased over the years.
I’d love built-in bookcases in our living room to hold all my books and have extra room for more. We have the perfect spot for them. But we also have bigger (and easier to accomplish) house priorities now, so we rehabbed two crappy, mismatched old bookcases from Mr. JC’s bachelor days.
We started out with this:
And this:
After primer and two coats of Ben Moore’s Bone White semi-gloss paint (in an attempt to match our trim), we ended up with an imperfect but considerably better set of bookcases:
Removing the books from the cases before painting was a great opportunity to sort them by color, and I’m quite happy with the result (although there are still some unread books waiting to be sorted).
I’d like to replace the floor lamp too, but am very indecisive about what shape and finish it should be. The sconces on the fireplace that’s perpendicular to the reading corner are black, as is the slate on the fireplace. The curtain rods are satin nickel. Perhaps something like this:
Or this:
Now a question: how should I accessorize the top of the bookcases? There are framed travel photos on ledges just to the left, so I’m a bit hesitant to put any more frames on the bookcases. Any ideas? Potted plants? Vases?
How about a big letter for each of your names? You created such a lovely little reading nook!
Your bookcases look great and I love your garden stool.
PS I was cracking up over your comment on my Blue Monday post. You said the sticks would poke your eyes out and I had to go back and look at the picture again. I was too busy staring at the vases to realize they held dangerous weapons. Well, dangerous in the hands of my kids or dinner guest.
I would avoid potted plants near your books lest any water leak out and ruin them. I like the idea of some colorful vases (maybe to help accentuate all your color sorting?).
As for lamps, I vote for the C&B lamp — the darker, more substantial base is a good counter to the larger, lighter chair.
I like the C&B lamp and the shelves look great. Way to use what you have and prioritize home projects! As far as on top of the shelves, what about layering a few small mirrors? I like the wall color, too