Ex Libris

Disgusted with Life, She Retired to the Society of Books, pen and ink drawing by Rosine Emmet Sherwood (1888), housed in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress. Doesn't that say it all?

Let's see what this lovely young lady might find in her library.

This green book cart from ArtStuff would inspire me to keep my library tidy. It's a nice change from institutional grey.

I love the colors of these steel book supports from Demco, and the Deco-style silhouette.

Kik-Step Stools from University Products

Does she need custom bookcases? Not necessarily. Perhaps the Stairway Bookcase from CB2 will do the trick. It's 8-foot tall presence attaches to the wall. Gang three or more of these together and it will look as though you have installed custom carpentry.

Here's the Stairway Bookcase installed.

Reproduction antique bookplate:  "Improve Your Hours for They Never Return"

Our young reader can curl up on the Astrid Settee from Anthropologie

Since it's still February, she'll need to wrap up in a toasty blanket, like this Macauslands in French blue.

What to read? I received a great mystery for Christmas, and I'm getting
ready to dig in. Just need to fix a pot of Earl Grey.

White Lights

Hector Table Lamp from Peter Bowles for Original BTC, from DWR

All-white lighting seems so right to me now, here in the middle of winter. My advice is to keep this simple color interesting with unique textures and polished glass and porcelain shades. My favorite for many years has been the Hector, now reissued by Peter Bowles for Original BTC. It also comes in floor and wall versions. I'm also crazy about West Elm's Contour lighting collection; each model is all of one piece in powder-coated steel. Circa's Teri lamp features a big juicy globe of alabaster, a touch of bronze and a prim little shade. The PH5 Pendant by Poul Henningseen is a mid-century classic institutional fixture that thinks it's a UFO; Vaughan's Colvara hugs the wall with a stream of bubbles flowing up and through the half shade. And any child would have sweet dreams drifting off under Ikea's cloudy Skojig ceiling light. 

Contour Semi-Flush Fixture from West Elm

Large Teri table lamp in alabaster with bronze accents from Circa Lighting

PH5 Pendant Lamp Poul Hanningseen for Louis Poulsen, from DWR

Colvara Wall Light from Vaughan

Francis flush mount from Rejuvenation

Drop 2 Pendant by Peter Bowles for Original BTC, from DWR

Elena Floor Lamp by Ballard Designs

Insulator Pendant by CB2

Loren Table Lamp from Crate and Barrel

Artecnica Grand Trianon Pendant Lamp from Velocity Art

Torna Table Lamp from Ikea

Sfera 16 from Rejuvenation

Skojig Ceiling Lamp from Ikea