Sneak Peek at my New Library

Last weekend I loaded my car absolutely to the brim with books. It was so exciting. After three years in storage, it was finally time to start reacquainting myself with my old friends.

yes, I fit all of that in my sedan...where there's a will there's a way!

My library cabinets had been installed but not yet sealed, so I was jumping the gun a little bit, but I reasoned that there was organizing to be done anyhow. I was curious to find out how many of my books I'd no longer care about after not having seen them in quite some time. In the end, combined with homeschooling books I no longer needed, I got rid of 4-5 boxes of books.  Even so, my kiddos are pretty sure there is no way all of these books will fit on my shelves.

I don't know if this is just exciting or also a little overwhelming

I've had a lot of time to think about how I want to organize my books, and I've settled upon a combination of chronology and topic. Most of my books, (fiction/nonfiction, kids/adults,) will be displayed according to the time period it was written or set. The rest will be grouped into topics or genres (poetry, junior fiction, gardening, etc.)

Sorting my books into all these groups was quite an eye-opener. I lean heavily towards mid-19th century and early 20th century, and have pretty slim pickings for pre-18th century and post-1940s. It'll be interesting to see how that looks when they're up on the shelves.

I had my shelves built out of cherry, with no stain. I love the look of natural cherry. Our house has a lot of walnut, and I wanted the library to feel a little brighter, like golden sunshine. This is one of the few rooms of the house that doesn't have open beam ceilings, and existing windows meant my shelves aren't too tall. Many people seemed pretty sad that I don't get a library ladder, but I'm not. To be frank, I want all my books within arm's reach.  Otherwise they are just decoration and that's not really my style.

the low cabinets under the shelves stay in line with mid-century modern design lines, and provide space to store games, puzzles, and office/homeschooling supplies

I can't wait to toss those boxes and see my books on my shelves. A nice reading chair in the corner nook and an inviting seating area in the middle of the library will make this room my favorite part of our home. How could it be otherwise?