We've talked a lot on this blog about the sorts of smart style choices we have to make, what with living in New York City and all. Space comes at a premium in The Big Apple, which means we don't always have the suburban luxuries of 'extra rooms' such as offices, entertainment rooms, and libraries. Living in a city often means making compromises as to what you can and can't live without – but if we ever move out to the burbs, and buy a big house on a big plot of land, you can bet that one of our 'must have' rooms will be a library. Our book collection is one of our most prized possessions, and we'd love to give it the home it deserves. Libraries in the home seem to have come back into vogue over the past few years, with wall to wall, floor to ceiling bookcases becoming all the rage. There's just something about a dark, moody space that's filled with the woody, slightly musky scent of old books, with cozy armchairs and antique lighting, overstuffed classic sofas and candles galore. Though we don't have a library of our own, we certainly can dream, and in the meantime, put together our what our library would look like, should we move into a home with space for one. While many of the libraries we've seen in shelter mags tend toward the rustic lodge style, we're partial to the Hollywood Regency style – something that's a bit more glamorous, with brass accents and deeper, darker tones. With in mind, we've put together a "Get the Look: Hollywood Regency Style Library" moodboard for you, designed to give you the building blocks of a great Hollywood Regency library at home.
We've started with one of our favorite gray blue paints: Benjamin Moore's Westcott navy. Moody is best when it comes to library design, and it compliments the glamorous gold and brass tones of Hollywood Regency style perfectly. Speaking of brass, we've brought in a pair of matching lamps in both floor and table configurations. These antique brass pharmacy-style lamps are perfect for library reading, with adjustable heads that allow you to direct the light straight onto your favorite novel. They've also got a masculine air that helps to keep this space from feeling too feminine. For seating, we've selected a traditional English roll-arm sofa. It's done in a gorgeous grey linen, and features seating for three, four if you squeeze. The sofa is complimented by classic Hollywood Regency style wing chairs in navy – we'd recommend getting two of these! Art Deco end tables add a bit of wooden warmth to the space, and feature hints of gold that play perfectly off of our lighting choices. Last but certainly not least, we recommend adding personality with vintage pieces such as this camera. Head to your local flea market to pick up some additional pieces to spice up the space.
art deco camera | regency wing chair | sofa | wall of books wallpaper | vintage brass floor lamp | vintage brass table lamp | art deco end table | paint color |
