Colorado Springs Real Estate Facts & Fun

Summer time is coming fast, and one of my personal favorite things to do in the summer is to read. I go through strange reading seasons. In the Fall, I become quite academic. Filling my brain with useful information. In the Winter, I am pilaging the racks of the library trying to find ways to be more energy efficient, gardening organically, and filling my tummy with warm comfort foods that won’t make me have to work it off in the Spring. By Spring I am learning about home decorating tips, gardening, light foods, exercising, and overall maintenance items. Come Summer I like the good fictional books that “everyone should read in their lifetime”. Banned, previously banned, banned in other countries, those are the real thrills of finding, but the newer books like, The Help are wonderful to read this time of year.

If you find yourself nodding in agreement, there is no doubt you may have a stack, stacks, or entire shelves full of books. Maybe you’ve moved in the last year or so and need to get them out of the boxes. You may be thinking, that sounds so old fashioned! To have a home library?!  But a home library can be a dynamic expression of the owner’s personality. Creating a home library is a fun way to display your interests while establishing a special space for reading.

Here are several tips on how to create your own 21st Century Home Library. What room should you choose for your home library? Most any rooms will do with a few exceptions. While reading in a room with big windows and lots of light is refreshing, storing books in natural light is harmful to them. Attics and basements heavy with humidity will cause mold and attract insects. In addition, basements are prone to flooding. Think main level or second level, an extra bedroom going unused, or as in some of these images, your living room wall would do nicely. You know that blank wall you’ve been staring at since you moved in? That could be a good place.

Recessed, or built-in, bookshelves can provide floor-to-ceiling storage and space savings. They can be tucked under staircases or other out-of-the-way spaces; however, they’re not a good choice for renters, and they can represent a big investment in terms of price and installation. Freestanding bookcases are widely available in a variety of sizes, colors and price points. You can also mount hanging bookshelves onto the wall or buy glass cases, which might be preferable if your collection includes antique books that you want to preserve.

As your bookshelves creep up the wall, you may need a library ladder to reach them. While any step stool or ladder will do, rolling library ladders add an elegant, whimsical touch. The ladders attach to the shelf on a tracking rod, and the bottom of the ladder has wheels, so that you can move effortlessly from one end of the library to the other.

 When considering other library furniture, think about how you’ll be using the room. If you’ll be writing and taking notes on your reading, you may want a desk or a lap desk. Desks and bookstands are also helpful for reading those big volumes that are too heavy to hold up comfortably. Overstuffed couches and chairs will beckon guests to spend a few hours reading, but if you fall asleep as soon as you hit the couch, you may need to consider other options, particularly if you’ll be doing scholarly or professional reading.

 Wherever you’re sitting, it will be hard to enjoy a library if you’re suffering from eyestrain, fatigue and, which can all be brought on by poor lighting. When selecting lighting, look for a lamp that will help you see the smallest text you read. The lamp should be positioned over your shoulder, so that the light is not directly in your eyes. Positioning it this way will also help to minimize glare.

Once your room and shelves are installed, organizing your books can be the next big challenge. You could organize by fiction and non-fiction, then by Alphabetical Order (title or author’s name). Some people organize by the color of the spine for a more interesting rainbow effect. Others may choose to arrange by the size of the book, when they bought it, or even by how a book makes them emotionally feel when the read it.

Don’t forget other touches to the room. Heavy draperies to keep natural light out when the room is not in use, a globe, or other pieces that speak to your interests, a comfortable rug, glass vases, pottery, and pictures.

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