the family bookshelf

Every person, big and small, in my family loves to read. Books are very important to us. We have books in every room, but (until recently) the living room was void of reading material. Well, there were buckets of library books, but no shelves. My studio has a built in book wall, and the room was originally the family library. For the last few years our shared collection has gathered (burlap) dust and the children didn't have easy access to some really special great resources.  I was getting ready to build a simple unit for the living room, when I came across an old (somewhat sad) shelf with the perfect dimensions.

A few coats of paint later, and our library is open for business.

We filled it last month and everyone has been overjoyed with the new access to good reads.

 Details:
-Cool Green Stuff
-read sign found here
-framed art: grandfather's block print, my first silkscreen (swallow), son's bird etching
-blackboard with constantly changing messages

A brand new book for the shelf arrived in my mailbox a few days ago.   Much to my surprise and delight, I was sent a complimentary copy of the soon to be released Apartment Therapy book: Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces.

Thanks so much AT!  Author (and cofounder of AT), Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan didn't want this to be another book about impersonal and staged rooms. He says, "I wanted to dig up small homes with uniqueness and character, homes that are truly lived-in, ones you don't often see."
I've spent the last few nights pouring over the pages and enjoying the creativity that small spaces seem to necessitate.
Until my present home, I had only lived in tiny places or rooms. In fact, my favorite childhood bedroom was a walk in closet! My mother built a loft up top with a desk, clothes rod, and shelf tucked under the bed. I still miss that room! 
Having a book filled with fresh inspiration, directly from one of my favorite interior/design blogs, is making me look at the corners of my home with new eyes. I love mixing things up and moving furniture around, how about you?