The Library

It's my dream come true. Except for the fact that I have to decorate it. And in my dream the bottom two shelves of my library weren't full of children's books, puzzles and toys. Oh, and my four year old likes to climb the shelves to put her "special" things high up, out of reach of her little brother. So maybe it's more like 75% of my dream and 25% reality of life with kids.

This is my "office", which is why it is near the kitchen and playroom:) That way I can work while keeping an eye on the kids and an ear on the oven timer.

That is the view from the kitchen. Even though the library has no windows, the two sets of glass french doors with transoms overhead let in more light that I expected. Plus, when I turn the lights off and close the doors it acts as a deterrent, and people won't go inside.

I did get to paint it any color I wanted, which was Tiffany Blue! I toyed with the idea of painting it coral, but I don't have coral anywhere else, so it seemed like a big move, and for a room with no windows (it's set into the hill), the coral color changed too much in artificial light.

I also got to hang all our diplomas up, hooray! I worked hard for those degrees (undergrad in architecture from UPenn, graduate degree in architecture from Harvard), and I want to show them off. Of course, the first person into my library saw the two harvard degrees (mine and my husband's) and just assumed he went there for both college and graduate school. What more can I do?

The round table is our old dining table from Z Gallerie. It's just waiting for my to go all DIY and lacquer it navy or yellow or coral. I'm waiting to see how my sister's lacquering her dining table goes before I attempt it. The chairs were my grandparents. My mother had this great idea to cover them in "pony". They are amazing, and quite furry.

I love the library lights, now I just need some really big art or accessories for them to accent. We have been dreaming of collecting antiquities, so that would provide some texture, age and contrast, just waiting a decade or two for the finances for that. The big woven pendant is from Ikea, love them.

I link to these awesome parties:

Sunday: I Heart Naptime, Stephany Hyder, Nifty Thrifty Things, Home Savvy AtoZ Monday:Between Naps on the Porch, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Thrifty Decor Chick, Alderberry Hill, Debbie Doo's, Home Stories A to Z Tuesday:Coastal Charm, Tip Junkie, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Carolyn's Homework, Made in a Day, Our Delightful Home, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Get Your Craft On Wednesday: Savvy Southern Style, Crystal and Co, Power of Paint, Newlyweds Recipe Linky, It's Overflowing Thursday: The Shabby Creek Cottage, Made in a Day, House of Hepworths, the 36th Avenue  Friday: Serenity Now, Tatertots and Jello, The Shabby Nest, Thirty Handmade Days, Addicted 2 Decorating, Funky Junk Interiors