Library furniture placement

Generous shelving dimensions accommodate oversize books,
displaying ceramics and framed art. Sofa is just right for reclining
or propping your feet up on the tufted ottoman.

Another human-scaled comfortable sofa with a handy magazine
rack and floor lamp

I'm always hunting down ideas for the home library. As book-lovers and collectors my partner and I have books in nearly every room in the house except kitchen and dining room. Now that we're selling our colonial in NJ and looking for a new home in Atlanta, our biggest requirement is room for all the books. For the library proper, or the room set aside to hold an extensive collection and have comfortable reading space and shelving, I'm posting examples of furniture placement in library settings that are practical, offer comfort and some intimacy so the room can be adapted for entertaining or just for the two of us on cocktail nights.  In these photos, I like the full wall treatment of bookshelves with furniture placed in front without too much fuss or worry about blocking access. We don't want a room devoid of comfort or furnishings to stare at four walls of books. Hanging pictures on shelves, placing sofas, tables, lamps in front of the bookcases is inevitable and only sensible to make the library a useful and inviting space.

A grander treatment but all the furniture is aimed at comfort and
 practicality. The seating is generously upholstered; occasional tables offer
plenty of space to stash more piles of books and magazines. 

Seating comfort is paramount in the library or study. Here, even the wood-frame
armchairs have generous cushioning you would not find on similar pieces
in a more formal room

Another favorite idea for the library or study:
a game table for bridge, boardgames, scrabble and card playing.