I’m stuck in limbo here if you’d not yet noticed. Well, to be honest, you guys are a smart bunch so you probably have noticed. We are still in our house. We are still planning on moving. But nothing has yet happened in terms of ACTUAL moving to an ACTUAL house and my god it’s frustrating. I know, I know. It’s all so #firstworldproblems, it’s actually embarrassing. I am grateful. I really am. So so grateful that we have the opportunity to move into a new home and to have a new project to work on soon. I know so many people do not have that opportunity in this world and for me to complain because whaaa it’s taking too long – it’s a little obnoxious. I’m aware.
But this is my little space on the internet and if I can’t just be honest and be open with you for fear of people saying I’m an ungrateful cow, then where else can I do it? Apparently moving home is one of the most stressful things to deal with in life and I firmly believe that the entire convoluted process of house buying and selling in this country is designed to make people miserable. It’s indeed making me miserable. I can’t do a thing on the house we are living in now. I can’t do a thing to a house we do not yet officially own. And so I’m stuck.
Ali Cayne’s beautiful NY Townhouse reading nook as photographed by Brittany Ambridge for Domino
While I may not be able to pick up a paintbrush or a sledgehammer, I can at least start the planning process so that’s something. And the longer it takes before we exchange contracts, the more time I have to plot and plan and decide what I want this next house to have. I get to think about all the things I couldn’t have in this house and what I definitely want in the next. And if you hadn’t yet guessed by the title of this post, one of those things I have been toying with is the idea of a little library.
When I was a kid, I was the one who always had her nose stuck in a book rather than, ya know, interact with actual people. Fictional characters were far more interesting company and so I was a voracious reader and the library was one of my most favourite places on earth – well, that and the local mall’s bookstore. In fact, I remember my mother dropping me off at the mall as a kid and the only place I would go was Waldenbooks (one of the big book chain stores of the 80’s – yes, showing my age there).
I would grab a book from the shelf, sneak into a corner somewhere away from the staff and read the entire thing cover to cover without paying for it. Maybe the staff weren’t paid enough to care but I’d find a corner, sit on the floor and quietly read for hours. Eventually, my mother would return and I’d put the book back on the shelf (no doubt with a broken, creased binding) and be on my merry way. I know, I was a bit of an odd kid, what can I say. She really should have just dropped me off at the library instead but I don’t think I ever dared tell her what I was doing for all those hours.
Ideal Home / Photo by James Merrell
And I still love books although I rarely buy them any longer. While I will easily read 5 or 6 books on a single weeks’ holiday, I no longer want to waste precious luggage space with thick tomes. So I have a Kindle. I’ve also started downloading books on Audible which I can listen to whilst doing other things – mindless chores around the house, drying my hair, whatever. And so while I’m still technically getting my fill of books, there is no physical evidence any longer of a book well read. And that makes me sad. I want to change that.
Suzanne and Lauren McGrath’s incredible sitting room with beautiful built-in bookshelves as photographed by Lucas Allen for Domaine
The main problem for me, however, has always been the space. I don’t really have the room to store a lot of books and so there was no point in bringing them into my home. But I love the look of a library in a home. There’s something terribly regal and intellectual about a collection of books, isn’t there? So I’ve been thinking about some of the changes we can make in the new house when we finally get in there and I have decided that I want Wayne to build me a few bookshelves on either side of one of the front bay windows with a window seat in between.
While I love the look of a set of dark bookshelves, I am feeling the need for a light bright welcoming space where I can stretch out like a spoiled cat in the sunshine. My collection will likely not be huge – I don’t have a massive collection of books, after all. Not since I was a kid anyway. But I suppose I can always work on that part once they are built. Filling up bookshelves seems like a very nice problem to have, after all.
Do you have a library in your own home? Or is it something you’d love to have too? Let me know what you dream of having in your home…
When I was a kid I wanted a home library: in fact I wanted all the walls of my house to be loaded with sided bookcases of things that is actually read. And now we have lots of books in our house with bookcases in several rooms, ams lining the long long passage from our front door. But to be honest they’re books I’ve had for a very long time and no one reads them. Keep trying to persuade my teens to read them but they aren’t biting.
I’m actually thinking of donating my books to people who don’t have computers or tablets to read on (I live in South Africa). I’m busy with my PhD and I totally rely on my tablet apart from the odd out of circulation book I take out from the university library.
So, while I think libraries look wonderful and it’s lovely to have a space dedicated to reading, I’m not sure if they have enough utility in my home to warrant all the space they’re taking up.
On the other hand they’re sentimental and the thought of giving them all away makes me panicky 😂
Oh my goodness! I share your childhood secret! I, too, was a child bookworm. And I hated to shop. When I was a child, large department stores had book sections. I grew up outside Washington, D.C., and when my mother and older sister would shop, they would deposit me in the book section. I have read an entire Nancy Drew mystery in Kann’s book section. I suppose I am telling my age, too. Much older than you, Kimberly. I’m looking forward to sharing your moving adventure!
I grew up in a home with lots of books and loved going to the library. I’ve always wanted to have a wall of bookshelves with one of those ladders that slides along them! I have the wall of bookshelves in my dining room, but no sliding ladder unfortunately.
Whenever I go into someone’s home, I always like to see what books people read/collect. If there are no books, I feel that something is missing.
All my homes have been small, but I make space for my books. They are as important to me as a sofa or bed.
I like your idea of having a window seat with bookcases either side.
Hi Kimberley, I so hear you. It may well be a first world problem, but I agree, having moved house just over a year ago, that the whole house buying process has become hugely unecessarily stressful. It did not used to be this way when I last bought and sold houses in the 1980s and 90s.
Hang in there. Try not to let the frustration get to you. Plan, dream, conspire in the meantime. I am looking forward to seeing your new project too.
Moving IS such a stressful time isn’t it? I love your plans for creating a little library space in your new home. I have one built in book shelf in my upstairs living room and three bookshelves in the downstairs family room. I love my little collection of books that I’ve read and loved. Looking forward to seeing you bring your plans to life in your new home.
Just like you I was a bookworm who brought home stacks of books from the library. Walden Books at the mall was my favorite store! I love my Kindle though and whenever I’ve tried to read a regular book I get annoyed because the light or angle of the book isn’t right. I’m older than you so I appreciate being able to change the size of the font and have a black background with white letters to lessen eye strain in my bed at night with the lights out. I guess a library would be wasted space in my house too but I know you’ll do a good job on yours.
I don’t know whether to be embarrassed or proud of my book collection which has outgrown 25 big Billy bookshelves (and yes, breathe easy, I have hacked them!) and that’s not counting for bookcases of varying sizes scattered through the house or the cookery stash in the kitchen. An unapologetic bibliophile even I’m getting to the point where I might have to stop, even though I really don’t like reading on a tablet. if anyone has any ideas where I can offload some of the collection I’d be really grateful. Local high Street charity shops don’t seem to be interested but I’d rather not put them in the recycling bin if I don’t have to.
Another bookworm here – I was lucky enough to grew up in a house where bookshelves lined the walls, so when I moved out it was a shock to the system when landlords seemed to think one tiny 3-shelf unit was sufficient!
I’ve just moved into a new house and the first thing I’ve done has been to buy lots of good-old Ikea Billy’s to line the walls.
What I can’t understand, and am admittedly a little envious of, is how people have space on their bookshelves to do pretty styling and shelfies!
Hello lovely. I hope you’re feeling better. I completely agree with the other posts…I don’t understand how buying and selling takes twice as long now when we have the internet!!
My grandfather bought me a book for my birthday most years and wrote a message inside each one. I do de clutter every now and then but my collection of interior books is growing steadily so I’ve had to offload the cookery books to the bedroom shelves. 😍
Ahh books. Love them. I’ve always been a voracious reader too. After the past few years of not reading much due to exhaustion (sleep deprivation) and lack of time, I’ve got back into reading and love that time with a book. I’d always wanted walls lined with books but that isn’t possible in my little home. But when the renovations is done, im going to have several areas with bookshelves around my home. Can’t imagine a home without books. Plotting and planning for your new home is the best thing to do while you’re waiting xxx
i feel your pain. We moved last year and it was such a stressful time. The worst bit is that you are paying the solicitors/agents/surveyors large sums of money and then having to chase them daily to ask them to do THEIR JOB which you have paid them ££££ to do!!
Love the idea of a little library area – we also have a renovation project and I’m obsessed with the idea of a window seat with shelving either side too :)
I hope you are not in a long chain, they can be fragile. Constant communication helps , if you can bear it.
I got some unexpected space when I bought my current house four years ago ( second floor space originally intended as roof space the builders decided would make some good rooms) . I got the guy who originally created my bespoke bookcases nearly15 years before to deinstall them from my old house – the buyers did not want them- and reinstall them up there. He only had to chop about 6” off the length. I love the room and use it for sewing , ironing and reading. My cat (RIP) used it a hideaway haven when I had visitors.
I love to read but now I have a kindle I don’t buy books any more which is sad. I do have a bookcase full, and loads of books in boxes in the loft and they never see the light of day now. Xxx
A home library is THE DREAM. I always used to love Beauty & The Beast just because she got given her own library in the castle – to this day, I still think it’s the most beautiful ‘home library’ I’ve ever seen! x
I feel your frustration. I was stuck in limbo too, for a year! I also used the time to plan and finally moved into my new home 6 weeks ago. I can honestly say out of all of the plans I made I’ve stuck to one or two, don’t plan too hard, you’ll change your mind for sure when you move in and they are expensive “mistakes”