Readers, Writers or just lover of Books
I wrote this back in 2011 based on a
prompt from a writer I met. Now this
was right up my alley because I have always loved and collected books, way too
many. Finally had to get rid of some. But one of my
dreams would be to have my own library in my home. Lately some of you have been
posting pictures of libraries from around the world and they are magnificent! So,
I decided to re-post this description of my library.
What would yours look like???
I really enjoyed thinking about this one!
Readers, Writers or just lover of
Books!
I have always wanted my own
library. I love books. I think
they give so much enjoyment and information and stimulate your mind and
imagination and dreams. If I had my own library this is what it would
look like. The room would have high ceilings with crown
molding
all around. There would be big windows all through the room for light and
fresh air. The book shelves would go almost to the ceiling. I would
have the big ladders on wheels on each wall to reach all the books.
I would have some of my favorite
pictures along the walls.
Maxwell Parish ‘s picture “Daybreak” (1922) would be over my desk. I
would also have some pictures of old clipper ships. Atkinson
Fox did some wonderful ones. I would also look for pictures
of the many beautiful wonders of the world for the travel and history
sections.
I would have a print of the “Old
King Cole” (1894) mural over the children’s
book collection. The kid’s furniture would be of the same style and
quality as the rest of the room but smaller of course for my grandchildren whom
I love to share the love of books with. It would have wonderful
over-sized pillows of durable soft fabrics for the kids to sit on when we
read. It of course has a good collection of one of my
favorite authors from my childhood Robert Louis Stevenson. They
would have a small elegant writing table also with journals to encourage their
writing. I want them to appreciate the ritual of it with elegance.
The ceiling would be done in stellar
vision which is a sky of stars and
constellations that illuminate at night painted on but do not show up in the
day. It will also be a round domed style with a
skylight. One wall would have fireplace with an antique mantel
which would be about 6 feet tall and 5 feet wide. It would be specially
made so the smoke would vent out so not hurt the books. There would
be two antique high back chairs and a small table in between them in front of
the fireplace. The chairs would be done in a durable
silk. The table would be an antique pie table (they are
called that because they are round on 3 legs and have fluted edges as a pie
crust does) in a rich mahogany.
The colors in the Library would be
the dark mahogany, cherry or rosewoods with emerald greens and burgundy’s and
reds and black in the furniture and rugs. There might be a
very small flower pattern but simple
not too overpowering on some of the chairs, others would be done in rich soft
fabrics in solid colors. The floor would be a
dark rich Brazilian cherry wood and all the wood in the room would be a deep
dark rich mahogany or rosewoods stained just so the beautiful grains of the
wood would show through.
There would be big thick lush
Persian and Oriental old rugs
throughout. On one side there would be two antique libraries
tables in rosewood with delicately carved legs. The writing chairs
would be similar in style but comfortable chairs for writing or working with a
few friends or my writing group sometimes.
My desk would be an antique of
course and mahogany or rosewood with soft lines. It would have some
secret doors in it, just for the fun and
mystery of it. I would have a secret room behind one of the bookcases to
hide the file cabinets & supplies so they don’t spoil the elegance of the
main
room. Included would be a built-in coffee, espresso machine, a very small
sink and fridge, disguised of course behind beautiful wood cabinets and a place
for a printer and supplies I would need for my writing. It would have a
little round table set with matching chairs to sit and have coffee if I had to
work to do in there. There would be an elegant powder room designed in Art
Deco style.
I would have fresh flowers in
Roseville or crystal vases all through the
library. The lights would all be Art Deco stained glass or other unique
antique ones. There would be some bigger ones hanging from
the ceiling as well as floor and table lamps throughout the room. I
would have one of those big globes with the wood frame in one area.
It would light up for use at night.
I would have a few antique curio
cabinets and book cabinets for special
books and my journals and some of my collectibles I like so when I take a
break, I can see them. Also intermingled with the books on shelves
and maybe one or two bigger ones on the floor would be art work of bronze
statues of elephants, and ladies of the 1800’s and some cupids, maybe some
lions and a horse or two.
The room would have a built-in
stereo system for my love of
music. It would be on shuffle songs so that I would have a variety
always
when I had it on. There would be no television.
The room would smell of wood and
just slight tinge of musk from age from the old collector’s books and the smell
of fresh roses or sometimes jasmine,
intermingled with the smell of the richest deep dark espresso or
coffee.
There would be glass French doors
leading out to a small patio with a round
wrought iron white table and chairs that over looked the garden for fresh air
breaks or just to enjoy reading outside. There would be ceramic pots of
cobalt blue with flowers all around and hanging fuchsias around with antique
white wicker chairs around it. The view would be of Mt Si, an
incredibly beautiful mountain in the wonderful valley I live in at the base of
the Cascades and my garden with its wrought iron antique gazebo and color splashed
everywhere of nature’s wonderful gifts of flowers and trees. There would
also be some unique wind chimes and statues of stone.
And most important of all THE BOOKS!
The books would be a wide
variety. I would have a special area
where my desk is with all the poetry and other books I have
written. There would be a reference area with the special big
dictionary on a wood book stand. It would have a thesaurus and encyclopedias
and other reference books needed and a beautiful
Bible. I would try
to include books from all the most brilliant writers and as many first editions
I could get. And I would have a wonderful collection for the
fiction section for fun reading. I would have a section for poetry
books. I am not sure with all the different books I want there
would be enough room. I want all hard-back books with their wonderful
feel and the rich texture they have. No paper covers or paperbacks
on the shelves. The ones I like that are paperback I would have
redone in wonderful leather covers. I would have books from all the
great philosophers and writers that I could find. I want books that
covered things from all over the world and many subjects. I probably
would have to have another room behind the bookcases with wall to wall from
floor to ceiling shelves just to store more books. I think I would
try to have at least one book from every major writer in each
category.
I can picture myself coming in the
very early in the morning with the
streams of sunlight as the sun rises coming through the windows and domed
skylight. The coffee’s rich smell calling me. I walk in
and
the warmth and beauty of the books is stimulating and exciting. My
senses come alive even before my first cup of coffee.
Several
high back chairs spread out in front of different sections would be inviting me
to come to their section today. I would open the French doors
and windows to let in the fresh air and hear the birds singing their harmony
each morning. Or late at night walking in with the fire going
filling the room with warmth and the ceiling looking like the night sky
with my desk lamp bright waiting for me to come and create a new volume with
imagination and adventure or a poem of love or not. It would be hard to
decide.
This room would involve lots of
shopping which normally I hate to shop
except for books and antiques. So, I could make the
sacrifice. I could ramble on and list many more things I would want but
then I have to remind myself it cannot all fit and I have to be able to care
for this wondrous room. I feel bad for my best friend, my husband of
almost
50 years because he would not see me much. I would have to
make a point to go back into the main house and say hello
sometimes. I also would have to remember to feed the dog and work
on my garden and roses. Oh, what a joy that would be to have
a room like that.
I realized this library of my dreams
would not fit into a normal home.
For now, I will have to do with books paper back and all and my very small
office which has some of the things I love on a very small scale compared to my
dream but it is filled with books and the love of reading and writing and the
view of the mountain and garden. With my imagination it serves well for
now. If there wasn’t the dreams and imagination in us there might not
be books. What a tragedy that would be in life!
