42 Best Home Library Ideas For Cozy Rainy Day Reading Sessions

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Book lovers with extensive collections dream of having a dedicated home library where they can store all of their books. Even those who primarily read on digital devices appreciate a quiet, cozy, and designated place to curl up with a good book.

If you've got a spare room to devote to reading, the sky is the limit. But a home library doesn't necessarily mean a room exclusively filled with shelves full of books.

If you lack the budget or the real estate to build an aspirational home library with floor-to-ceiling shelves and a sliding ladder, take heart. You can create a home library in any size space, even if it means adding a bookshelf, chaise, and reading light to a corner nook in a studio apartment or family home living room.

Check out these inspirational home library ideas in a variety of styles that range from affordable to swoon-worthy to help you carve out space in your home dedicated to the timeless pleasure of reading.

Traditional Home Library

Built-in bookshelves and wainscotting will create a warm and cozy feel in a traditional home library.

Interior designers Tara Mangini and Percy Bright from Jersey Ice Cream Co. painted the wood detailing in an 1887 Arts & Crafts home in a warm gray and added an antique armchair and a small round side table to give the space a homey feel.

Home Library Fireplace

A home library with a fireplace is a book lover's fantasy come true. This space in Pacific Palisades, CA from architect Margaret Griffin of Griffin Enright Architects has floor-to-ceiling shelves, a classic Eames lounger, and a central fireplace that appears to float in front of a glass wall with a view of a hillside garden and a 300-year-old Sycamore tree.

Home Library Reading Table

Add a large reading table with mismatched seating and a wall of glass-front bookcases to create a convivial feel. Interior designer Kara Mann finished this home library with black-and-white checkerboard flooring for a classic look.

Home Office Library

If you have the space, include one or more seating areas in your home library to give you a place to read or relax when you're not at your desk.

Christina Kim Interior Design created a home library corner with room enough for two, with an armchair and a window seat with throw pillows for back support.

Highrise Home Library

Maximize space in a highrise home library with a shared desk. In this luxury Chicago highrise home office library from Alexis Bednyak Design and Searl Lamaster Howe Architects, a wall of built-in recessed shelving features varying size nooks for storing books, and displaying art, decorative objects, and plants. A large sofa adds a place for power naps.

Family-Friendly Library

Add kid-sized seating to create a family-friendly home library that everyone can share and enjoy.

Erin Williamson Design divided the space with a long low-profile row of double shelving that houses books, keeping them accessible for even the smallest members of the family.

A pair of kid-sized rocking chairs encourages the whole family to use the space.

Guesthouse Library

Create a home office and library in your guest house that makes it usable year-round. Interior designer Jessica Risko Smith of JRS ID built in maximum book storage that runs from floor to ceiling and wraps around the sofabed and double glass doors.

A comfy armchair and corner desk with built-in book storage of its own create a second spot to read and work.

Small Space Home Library

If you live in a small space, create a mini home library with a reading nook. Cathie Hong Interiors created a minimalist home library in the corner of a sunny California living room by pairing a tall, sculptural, freestanding book tower with a stylish armchair in front of the windows.

Glass-Front Bookcases

Use freestanding glass-front cabinets to display books and decor objects. Forbes + Masters positioned a tufted blue upholstered bench between a pair of tall glass-front shelves in dark brown-stained wood to create a reading corner. Chocolate brown wall paint makes the bookcases look built-in.

Home Library Seating

Create a cozy seating area for two if you are designing a home library for couples or siblings who like to read together.

Ginger Barber Interior Design arranged twin Barcelona chairs in front of a floor-to-ceiling wall of shelving, with a shared matching ottoman that doubles as a book stand.

Rainbow Bookshelves

Organize your books by color to create a rainbow effect feature wall. Blogger Elsie Larson of A Beautiful Mess installed a wall of bookshelves in her living room that she lined with a color-coordinated rainbow of titles to create a home library corner outfitted with a vintage rattan chair.

Home Library Window Seat

A window seat will make any home library feel cozier and more inviting. Kate Marker Interiors painted this home library in a deep moody green on the walls and bay window trim to provide a dedicated place to read with plenty of natural light.

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DIY Bookshelves

Create a multipurpose space that functions as a workspace and off-duty sanctuary for leisure time reading and relaxing by adding a comfortable armchair that the whole family will enjoy.

A Beautiful Mess created a wall of shelves using Billy bookcases from IKEA for a budget-friendly DIY project.

Freestanding Bookcase

Use a large standalone to anchor a home library corner, like this space from Jenn Pablo Studio.

Wrap-Around Bookshelves

Maximize space in an attic home library with wrap-around built-in shelving that hugs every corner, like this cozy top floor space from Christina Kim Interior Design. A cozy daybed upholstered in pale turquoise velvet invites hours of getting lost in a favorite book.

Craftsman-Style Bookshelves

Turn the corner of a living room into a mini home library with stocked bookshelves and a vintage magazine rack on the floor by the sofa, like this sunny Craftsman-style living room from Emily Henderson Design contributor Velinda Hellen.

Backlit Bookshelves

Add ambient light to your home library with backlit bookshelves, like this contemporary space from Kim Nadel Interiors.

Home Office Guest Room

Turn your home office guest room into a cozy place to read and relax by turning the bed into a daybed when visitors are not in town, like this space from Emily Henderson Design contributor Emily Bowser.

Home Library Wall Decor

Hang a large map of the world or your favorite part of it to decorate the walls of your home library. This space from Kate Marker Interiors has built-in shelving, a cozy sofa, a large upholstered ottoman, and a pair of armchairs that make it as comfortable for family reading sessions as it is for solo afternoons with a good novel.

Open-Plan Home Library

Create an open-plan home library in a smaller space by hanging wall-mounted bookshelves and adding a bistro table and chairs that allow it to double as a dining space.

Emily Henderson Design contributor Lea Johnson created a home library wall on the far end of this open plan space and hung an inexpensive paper lantern pendant light to define the space.

Minimalist Home Library

Create a minimalist home library with a wall-mounted vintage bookshelf and a simple armchair. Cathie Hong Interiors hung a midcentury modern wood shelf on the wall next to the fireplace for a pared down feel.

Bookshelf Styling

Style your bookshelves as carefully as the rest of your house for a polished look. Kate Marker Interiors filled built-in cabinetry and shelving with books, objects, and decorative items. Framed art hung from the front of the shelves adds dimension.

Library Wall Ladder

Add a library ladder to access upper shelves while doubling as decor. Blogger Emma Chapman of A Beautiful Mess installed a custom built bookshelf wall complete with a library ladder on one side of her living room that houses a casually stacked collection books and knickknacks.

Home Library Gallery Wall

Anchor the reading corner of your home library with a gallery wall. Emily Henderson Design created a home library in the corner of a spacious living room that has built-in shelving, a fun retro chaise longue, a quirky, a vintage floor lamp, and a gallery wall of art and objects.

Floating Shelves

House a smaller collection of books on floating shelves for a light and airy look. Jenn Pablo Studio hung long white floating shelves on a white wall in the corner of the living room, with an oversized floor lamp and a comfortable upholstered armchair and folded blanket to encourage reading breaks.

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Kids' Bedroom Library

Turn a corner of a kids' room into a mini home library that will encourage reading with built-in bookshelves and a round upholstered armchair, like this space from Kate Marker Interiors.

Corner Bookshelves

Maximize space in a home library with corner bookshelves. Blogger Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona gave her parents' rustic and traditional mountain home library a modern refresh with white paint, floor-to-ceiling DIY corner shelving, a built-in window seat, and a pair of armchairs flanking the wood burning stove.

Scandi-Style Home Library

Create a Scandi-style feel in your home library by placing a round table and natural wood chairs in front of a bank of bay windows that flood the space with natural light, like this room from Emily Henderson Design.

Home Office Library

Create a bookshelf accent wall behind your desk that doubles as display space. Interior designer Lauren Lerner of Living with Lolo lined the back wall of this home office with bookshelves and a small library ladder, using wood tones, neutrals, and black and blue accents for a fresh modern take on the classic home library.

Budget Home Library

Use a pair of leaning shelves to add book storage, like this budget-friendly space from Laquita Tate Interior Styling & Designs. Add a bright painting between the shelves to create a focal point.

Wall-Mounted Bookshelves

Use wall-mounted bookshelves for a streamlined look. Forbes + Masters hung a pair of long and linear wood shelves above one another on the side wall of the living room, with a corner armchair that provides a place to read that is separate from the main seating area.

Modern Bookshelf

In this retro-style living room from Ryann Miller at Emily Henderson Design, a modern black bookshelf with a slim profile is stacked with reading material, while a nearby armchair is accessorized with throw pillows and a cozy quilt.

Cookbook Library

Create a cookbook library in a kitchen niche to keep your favorites in one place. Interior designer Lauren Lerner of Living with Lolo carved a cookbook library in this spacious kitchen that provides a dedicated place to display and browse favorite cookbooks, or sit down with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and plan meals.

Home Library Lighting

Hang a pair of wall sconces on either side of a small built-in to add style and extra lighting to a small home library.

Emily Henderson Design contributor Velinda Hellen turned this cozy little room into a haven for reading with dark green paint, book-lined built-ins, a cozy couch, and a natural leather Moroccan pouf.

Kid-Friendly Reading Room

Add extra throw pillows, a fluffy floor rug, and a pouf or a beanbag chair to create a fun place for kids to read, like this attic space from interior designers Tara Mangini and Percy Bright of Jersey Ice Cream Co.

Colorful Home Library

Don't be afraid to accent your home library with bright pops of color and unexpected pairings. This home office library from Mary Patton Design pairs deep plum and orange, with a built-in desk and shelving, and a comfortable love seat and coffee table that provide multiple ways to use and enjoy the space.

Home Library Loveseat

Add a loveseat under the window between built-in bookcases to create a cozy home library, like this Colonial home from Becca Interiors.

Simple Home Library

A home library doesn't have to be expansive or expensive to get the job done. Living with Lolo created a home library area in a dark blue living room by installing a tall, freestanding bookcase, a comfortable armchair, a rigid pouf that doubles as a side table, and a floor lamp reading light.

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Wall-to-Wall Shelving

Build wall-to-wall shelving that hugs the shape of your room for a custom feel. This light and bright home library from Mary Patton Design includes a wall of floor-to-ceiling built-in shelving, a library ladder, and a reading table, armchair, and oversize floor lamp to define the area.

Home Library Seating Area

Create a seating area to turn your home library into a place to entertain. Britt Design Studio added a convivial seating area with four comfy armchairs around a coffee table in this saturated blue home library, making it the perfect place to read or gather.

Home Library Dining Room

If you live in a traditional home with a dedicated dining room that only gets use on holidays and special occasions, consider lining the walls with bookshelves so that it can double as a home library. Paint the walls and shelves black to make book covers and wall art pop.

Guest Bedroom Library

If you are a book lover who has run out of space to house your collection, turn your guest bedroom into an off-duty home library that will house the overflow and guarantee that your guests will always have something to read to help them fall asleep in a strange bed.

My 100 Year Old Home turned her third-floor guest room into a farmhouse-style home library with a wall of bookshelves lined with books and styled with decorative objects from around the house.

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Read the original article on The Spruce.