The Biblio Files

I can't move anywhere without my books. To the bemusement of my family, all 55 boxes of books have been carted from continent to continent, and they always say, 'Why do you need all those books? It's ridiculous.' It is, but they represent home to me and it isn't a home until they are surrounding me in their six book cases, which by the way has been whittled down from nine in this age of austerity in the best effort I can give on the practical front. Some got tossed, most got enthusiastically passed on to fellow readers. It amazes me when people ask, 'You've read all of these?' as if it were some kind of feat. No honey, I've read at least 20 times that amount, I don't keep them all...but for those of us who do, even avid Kindlers, which I count myself among, we look for ways to make our own personal libraries reflect our environment and decor. From novels, to non-fiction, reference and design, I wouldn't be without them. 
Some lively examples of that are what I've been researching this week, not just the formal but also the beautiful and hip. Let's begin with the greens...delicate hand-painted at The Palace, London W5. (No, not that palace).

I'm crazy about the aqua drop chandelier here in The Oval, South London. Perfect wall color and choice of art with it. Oh, books too.

Vivid will do it for me just as well. Found here, with a nice mix of knick knacks.

Blue proves to be a great color for a reading room:

And this striking blue Addington Grove house with crisply defined shelves setting off the Victorian fireplace;

Darkly decorative at 6ixteen London

And the polar opposite, bright, white libraries with loads of daylight. I am convinced that A'court Place artist studio library holds a treasure of beautiful reference books:

 But I'd settle for this Stradella Road cosiness too.

Cannot resist including Abi's little nook with numbered stairs...charming for little ones. 

From twee to towering, and how it was done in days gone by. Every year we hear of some discovery in the dusty backwaters of an old library - a First Folio could lurk just about anywhere. Just the other week Bristol University discovered 4,500 year old food at the back of a library cupboard - clearly hastily hidden away when the librarian was doing the rounds. I always feel the potential of magical discovery when delighting upon an ancient library and I do have my favorites, the British Museum being the finest. However, tucked away on shelves of manor houses around Britain surely lay hidden gems. Such a place is Raynham Hall in Norfolk. The greatest libraries have fireplaces and several chairs to choose from. All I need is rain outside and a cat replacing the dog, and this is my heaven:

Saving the best until last, and causing me to pause for a very long time when perusing the incredible details in its design and creation in person, is the library to end them all - Dumbledore's. If John Dee were to step inside fresh from the court of Elizabeth I, he'd feel quite at home here, I'm sure of it.