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My Moody Home Library (Cozy Dark Academia)

Sharing my dark academia library, an at-home library with gold accents, moody colors and now, my favorite designated space to be in. If you are looking for inspiration to create a traditional home library with a moody feel on a budget, this is a great place to start. 

couch and curtains in a home library

I did it. I finally took the leap in creating something out of a spare living room we have. This room just so happened to have built-in bookshelves. The shelves housed the many mismatched trinkets I have thrifted over the years.

When I bought this house, the room sat to the far left stripped of proper flooring. I could only tour the room having to carefully walk over broken large tiles. It was clear that this was an unused room or at the very most a space for storage for the previous owner.

I laid carpet over that terrible tile and painted the walls a nurturing blue. I fashioned some custom curtains out of drop cloth to hang in the large, long windows that sit just about the bookshelves. This was as far as I would take it for several years. The rest of the house consisted mostly of the main living quarters and so naturally, those got most of my attention. Then one day, like usual, I got inspired to finally make this space something unique. Something that made sense for us to have in our home.

As a book lover, and an all-around homebody, I felt a personal library would be the perfect use of what had become an odd space in our home. My daughter and I are home so often and enjoy spending quiet moments lost in a good book. It was time to create something special we could both enjoy.

The room itself wasn’t altogether unused. It held a partial home office consisting of a corner desk and chair. But who needs 456 square feet for plugging away on a computer? Am I right? And so, the ideas began to fill my mind. This time I wanted to design something that would remain what it was, well, designed for. In this case that would mean a moody library.

A cozy space that invited you in and a place where we could gather. Not only to read the many books it housed. But to enjoy a glass of wine, play a record, or work on puzzles.

And yes, curl up with a book in a favorite reading spot.

Watch The Transformation

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Color

I decided to keep the calming blue walls and continue on with that same theme. Instead of having several different paint colors. I color drenched the room which meant that I would saturate the room with this same blue. I painted all the bookcases, trim work and doors in the room with the NYPD by Behr in a matte finish. The finish, I know is not one for high traffic spaces as the matte finish is not as forgiving as say a satin.

woman painting bookshelves
freshly painted bookshelves

However, the bold color has a moodier feel with the matte finish and for that I think it is absolutely worth using. I realized quite quickly after beginning that painting built-in bookcases took more time and patience than a standard wall. Every day for a week, I huddled down in a little space and made progress with my brush and roller. The color had created a cozy atmosphere almost instantly and made the room feel luxurious

Books, Books, Books

I began removing the trinkets and piling our book collection onto the small stairs that lead into the room to take inventory. After stacking the books, I had gathered from around the house. It was apparent that I would be needing much more to fill the built-in shelving.

a cat and a stack of books

I found out our local library holds a book sale monthly with books selling by the bag full for just a few dollars. If your local library does not do this, check estate sales and yard sales for the best prices on books. Also asking friends and family for any books they no longer want. This is a great way to beef up your collection for free.

That day we loaded up the back of my car with as many bags as we could carry out. It was only after bringing them inside that I had realized there was still not enough. The shelves were not completely full. But I do believe that a home library should have books you collected over time as well as books you come by through recommendation. I figure the shelves will eventually be filled. 

Accents

As far as the home décor I would be using mostly items I already had, all thrifted over the years. One simple way to decorate a wall was to make a collage of photos already in frames that used to sit on the built-in shelves. I did purchase a few accent items to add a pop of color.

Starting with these vibrant mustard velvet pillow covers to go over the throw pillows we already own and these mustard velvet curtains to tie both sides of the room together. I also decided to make a corner nook that I had seen done in a local antique shop. They had large pillows placed on the floor in comfy setting that was for adult and children to enjoy. I found some large cushions in a complementary color and placed those by a bookshelf and a small faux fireplace we use to heat the room. This created a sweet area for even our kitty Simon to enjoy.

To tie the room together, I got this great super soft large rug at a steal and arranged the furniture around it.

Lighting

Most of the time we can get away with natural light that fills the room as the large windows expand the length of the room. However, in the wintertime when the light is low a glowing lamp helps provide the perfect light to read and of course, during the evenings, lighting is necessary. I have added small table lamps in a couple spots in the room and in the evening, this is especially cozy and inviting.

So, if you are creating a home library, don’t forget the lamps. Placing them in seating areas also provides a nice touch those in the space needed a bit of extra light. I would like to eventually add a brass picture light to the art in the room to further add to the ambiance.

Conclusion

I am pretty pleased at this project as it cost me a grand to total of $232.00. And even though I lay sore for a few days from all the painting, cleaning, wiping and hauling. I’d say the creation of a space that reflects one’s personality is well worth the effort. 

I hope you enjoy an inspirational photo or two for your own project. 

couch and curtains in a home library
back of a couch and rug
curtains and a bookcase
bookshelves and fireplace
library room with couch and table
a puzzle table and gallery wall
book nook with a fireplace and cushions
chess board with wine

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couch and rug in a home library

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