As the name of my blog indicates, I spend a lot of time thinking about home. Of course, my Heavenly Home is the one that is eternal, so that’s where I need to lay up my treasures, and that’s the one I’m striving for. But in the meantime, I have been given this tiny piece of the here-and-now—this home on the edge of town, this family, this neighborhood—in which to serve Him. And, though this is in the earthly realm, I want the things that happen here to be investments in the Heavenly realm.




Thursday, March 2, 2017

Planning the Library

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When we began to look for a house last year, we weren't looking for a home with four bedrooms, but Pineapple House had four and so we hatched a plan. We would make that extra room into our homeschool room. 

Now that we have lived here for ten months, we have a better feel for how life flows here in this house. Bekah does her written work at the dining room table, and reading/studying can be done all over the place . . . in her bedroom, in the living room, in the car (sometimes!), or on the sun porch when the weather is nice. So, while we still plan to keep our school supplies in the bonus bedroom and school work will be done there from time to time, homeschooling will not be its only function.


This is the room before we moved in.


We are excited about making over this room this spring! This is what we are planning:

1) Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on one wall.

Hooray! Although we have put some of our books on the built-ins in the living room, we have many that are still in boxes. I. cannot. wait. to start unpacking those boxes. Biographies, history books, geography, fiction, our large collection of children's books, as well as some of our homeschool books, have been hidden away for nearly a year now and it's time for them to see the light of day.

2) A desk/office area.

We have already moved the filing cabinet up from the basement to the closet for easier access. The desk will be a place for bill paying and correspondence. It will also be the designated place for dropping and sorting mail which will eliminate clutter in the kitchen and/or bedroom night stand and/or anywhere else.

3) A reading area.

The love seat that was in The Farmhouse kitchen is in this room. It is a comfortable and inviting piece of furniture. It will eventually need to be reupholstered, but it will be a great place to cozy up and read, whether alone or for school reading.

4) An overflow conversation area.

Although our large gathering area is one of my favorite features in Pineapple House, there are times when a quiet nook is needed . . . for a private conversation, for a couple of grandchildren to play away from the group, to have somewhere to go when others are watching TV, for Sarah and I to chat while Bekah is teaching piano to her nieces. The love seat will serve this function too, and I am also checking Craigslist daily for a small wing chair for the room.


What do you call a room with so many purposes? A homeschool room? A study? An office? A library?

We discussed it and we all agreed. It's a library! 

(Doesn't that sound dreamy?!)



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So for a library, I am picturing a cozy space and have planned my color palette accordingly. It will be something like this . . .

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The walls, like all of the walls we have painted in Pineapple House, will be antique white. It is an old Valspar paint which I don't think Lowe's carries any more. It is a pleasant white, not a bright, pure white, but it has no yellow undertone which is important to me. For the trim, we are going darker for that warm, cozy feel. I have chosen an Olde Century Colors shade called Quaker Green. You can see it here. (I don't think the trim in the above photo is green, but it has the feel we are going for.)


I have created a Pinterest board (Library) and I am gathering ideas.

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Even though our fourth bedroom is about to become a library, it could quickly be converted back into a bedroom again should the need arise. Of course, the wall of bookshelves will be permanent, but the love seat and desk could be taken out and a bed and dresser could be put in. Some of the bookshelves could be fitted with baskets or some other container for added storage. We want to retain that flexibility.

So that is our project for this spring. I'll keep you posted on our progress. Do you have any suggestions for us?

15 comments:

  1. Guess which Elzey had the greatest love for books? How appropriate that there will be a library in my old room.

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  2. i ♥ this idea/plan!
    and if your past projects are any indication, i know it'll be carried out with skill.. the end result beautiful, inviting, and graced with peace. love the last picture - that book case speaks to my heart. :)

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  3. I love libraries in houses!

    I'm so excited about this project and its not even my house! :)

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  4. None whatsoever! You know, I threw away thousands of books last summer. Almost an entire dumpster full of them. It broke my heart, but they had been compromised and mostly by mice. John never made it past a bookstore without purchasing a book. I even found a letter he had saved from his mother telling him to be careful because he was becoming too much like his Uncle Joe who had the same affliction. After seeing all the books and there are many yet...many duplicates as well...his mother may have had a point!

    A library sounds like the perfect answer for books that are all over the house or are in storage or are well loved. It truly sounds delightful to me. (John would have needed more than a library room; he needed a library barn!)

    Have fun with your spring project!

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  5. What a fun project and it will be wonderful I know. I like your colors. Books warm up a room so much and I can imagine people will be drawn to the coziness of your library. My grandparents had an official library in their house and it was my favorite room. I spent many hours reading there when we visited them. Will your bookcase go to the ceiling or will you have room to display things on the top? Will you have a ladder to reach the top? We have bookcases in every room of our house except one bedroom and the baths. A library would be so wonderful. Enjoy your planning!

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    1. The bookcase will go to the ceiling. We considered leaving a display space at the top, but decided to utilize as much space as we had for shelves.

      I love the look of a ladder, but I am not sure that our ceilings are high enough to require it. Hmmmm...

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  6. Oh yes, a library sounds just right! What fun it will be to transform this room and unpack your boxes. We stayed in a B & B in Victoria B.C. that had such a great library room with cozy seating. I am always comfortable in a room like that. I'm sure you will all create a perfect space for your family.

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  7. Your plan sounds marvelous - I agree that every house needs a library :)

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  8. Yes, a library! Once our homeschooled kids flew the nest, we put more of our books in the schoolroom and it has now become 'the library,' although from time to time we still slip and call it 'the schoolroom.' Every home should have a library. We have about 150 linear feet of books, and that's a major downsize from a few years ago. We're also planning to move in the next year or so to a much smaller house, and I've just recently been downsizing the books again. It is WAY harder than getting rid of clothes, believe me, but we simply can't have as many of anything in a much smaller home. Anyway, I'm so glad to hear that you are making a special, cozy, and comfortable place in your home for your family and their time with the beloved books. I'm looking forward to seeing what you do.

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  9. I just can't think of a better use for a room (besides "for me" maybe a craft room lol) then a library. I used to have SOO many books it would be hard to know how many, and we gave the majority away when we bought this house. I've missed them. There is something warm, and homey and comforting about a book I think. I just know you'll have an amazing room, and I am so looking forward to seeing how it all comes together for you.

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  10. Wonderful idea. I love the photos. I've always thought this house needed just such a room. Love the colors too. Go for it, and I can't wait to see the photos. Will your husband be building the shelves? Have a great weekend.

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    1. Yes, Ron will be building the shelves! He's a handy guy!

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  11. Thanks for your encouraging comments, everyone! ♥

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  12. We are so excited for you! What a wonderful plan, and I agree, every house needs a library. We look forward to the reno pics.

    Wishing you a wonderful day...
    Brenda
    xox

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