Room by Room: A Peek into Our Library
It has been 6 months since I wrote an edition of Room by Room. So today we will take a look at our library nestled between the family room and mudroom. This sweet room has many bookshelves and a fireplace. Measuring in at 11 feet x 18 feet, this smaller room has the lion’s share of doors~two sets of French doors, a pocket door and an exterior glass door. One set of French doors leads to the living room; the other to the family room and the pocket door goes to the mudroom.
Lots of Books
The books are organized by topic including gardening, travel, art, history, animals, health and medicine, poetry and favorite novels. Also stored here are numerous photo albums of our early years with the children, long before digital cameras. Also, I want to apologize for the quality of the pictures. This room faces west but has an outdoor covered patio that blocks good quality light for photography.
Unlike designer-staged shelves, ours are filled with cherished items. Antique clocks, treasures from our travels, sculptures and family photos, to name a few. The painting below is by my friend and artist, Jane Horn. Each cubby is lighted which looks lovely at night.
On every shelf is a remote controlled candle, which is a fun way to add ambiance to the room when entertaining. Candles are at a very good price right now (9 candles for $22.09) on Amazon here. Especially around the holidays, this small touch makes the room feel magical.
The Sitting area
The two reading chairs are covered in a grayish-blue bird print ~~ Olana Bayleaf by Waverly. Between the chairs is a vintage glass topped garden table and a library lamp. The walls are painted a lovely blue (paint name escapes me, but if you inquire, I will find out what it is).
The Bar
In one corner, we repurposed an 1820s English mahogany wash stand as a bar. It’s a bit more cluttered than this now as I believe we acquired more beverages during the pandemic…..can anyone relate?
Paintings
The painting of the street scene below reminds me of our trip to Italy, where we had many dinners on the sidewalk. The artist, Cecilia Rosslee, sells her beautiful pieces online through Etsy here.
I am a fan of gilded framed antique oil paintings, and two of my favorite hang above the bar. The artist is W.T. Fisher and they are from late 1800s.
The Fireplace
Getting pictures of the fireplace and artwork above is a bit difficult due to the light and too many reflections. The mantel has an inlaid wood pattern that is delicate and intricate.
Deep garnet crackled glazed tile from Waterworks adds a rich time period color to the fireplace.
As always, I have my animal helper nearby~~Sox, our 15 year old beagle.
My favorite time of the year in this room is the winter. When there is a fire going, the room is so warm and cozy. It’s a wonderful space to sit and chat with a glass of wine or cup of coffee, or read a book. Do you have a small, special, cozy place in your home?
Recently, we had an unexpected visitor in the library. To see the full rescue, check out a video on my Instagram @lifeatbellaterra. He doesn’t look real in this photo!
Well, I hope you enjoyed the tour of the library. If you missed any other editions of Room by Room, you can find other posts below:
The Master Bedroom
Thanks for joining me today and enjoy the very last day of August 2022!
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I love this series! What an incredibly interesting and gorgeous home you have. I went back and read each of them in the series. How many rooms are in the house? Ant wait to see more. Your posts are always so lovely and welcoming. Thank you.
Pamela, thank you so much. I think we have 14 rooms in the main house and 4 full baths, 2 half baths (not counting the pantries), a full basement with 3 rooms. The outbuildings: pool house, guest cottage, well tower, barn, and hen house. Thanks for the encouragement as I will write another Room by Room shortly.
I love your library so much Mary and am so lucky to have been able to see it in person. I’m glad the owl wasn’t there at the time though. You have such a beautiful style, my friend.
Kim, the owl adventure was quite exciting! Loved having you here and hope you visit again soon.
Your home is so beautiful and this room is very special. A perfect spot to relax and enjoy a
good book. Love the fireplace.
Thank you so much!
Absolutely stunning! I love your room tours. Your home is so lovely. Hugs to you.
Renae, one of these days I’m coming your way to visit you and your beautiful home!
LOVELY!!! franki
What a dreamy space. I love that your bookshelves are filled with all your special memories and organized by subject. My pet peeve in decorating with books is when people turn them backwards on their shelves. Neutralizing books, oh my! Your fireplace is so beautiful. I love the tile. Your library must be so cozy with a fire. Sox is the perfect accessory. He’s so cute.
We downsized a few years ago, but we have a guest room that I have plans for. A place for all our books! I need to wait a few more years for our grandson to grow up and not want to spend the night with us. It’s a room for him right now.
Gabbie is right. Bella Terra is so beautiful!
Ellen, yes, I never understood the turning books around or covering the covers with neutral paper tones. I’ve always wanted a dining room that had lots of bookcases so your guest room sounds just the right place for you. Thank you so much for your sweet comments.
Great job Mary! Looks elegantly restful and complete. Everything is better with history behind it.
This has to be my favorite space of Bella Terra just because this is where the books are! LOL I have a small space in my own, my home office; as it’s the smallest space in our home and it’s where I spend a lot of my time. Our home library is still under “construction”, I just ordered two pieces of furniture that are coming before the end of next week. The bookshelves are still under construction too as they have been built but not painted and I haven’t purchased the ladder yet either (they are over 10 feet tall).
I love the library at Bella Terra and I believe every home should have a dedicated space for books! The art you chose is stunning and adds to the tranquility of the library and I love how you have the books organized in subjects because that is exactly what I intended to do also.
Bella Terra is so beautiful!! 🙂