Dining With Books

I love books. I love to read and I love the way books look in the rooms of my home. Each tome I have read is a part of my memory. I can look at a worn spine on a shelf and remember classes I took, the places I sat while reading various stories, the "junk shop" in Houston where I bought used copies of Nancy Drew. Some of the most tattered books on my shelves are treasured tales I now share with my children.

Books are perfectly at home in libraries and home offices, but they suit dining rooms as well. They add personality to a space and hint at the homeowner's interests and hobbies. Bookshelves in a dining room can cleverly conceal ugly ductwork, and a collection of cook books in the kitchen can add color to a breakfast spot. Many of us consider books to be favorite friends, so why not invite them to the table . . . 

"An ornate late-nineteenth century brass and crystal chandelier is a glamorous contrast to the dining room's clean-lined bookshelves, and teak mid-century modern Hans Wegner chairs and contemporary artwork."

New York loft of Christiane Lemieux and Joshua Young of DwellStudio.

Design by Meyer Davis Studio.

Photography by Angus McRitchie.

"Christiane Lemieux's Eclectic Loft"

Canada House and Home (August 2009).

"Antique French chairs from Michael Trapp flank a wood-and-zinc table from R.T. Facts."

Photography by Joshua McHugh.

Text by Mitchell Owens.

"Richard Lambertson and John Truex's Sutton Place Apartment" produced by Robert Rufino.

Architectural Digest (October 2011).

"Armchairs from Swaim surround an oak pedestal table. Built-in bookshelves store cookbooks and visually separate the breakfast room from the kitchen."

Westport, Connecticut, home of Joan and Bruce Nemirow.

Interior design by homeowner Joan Nemirow, Joan Nemirow Designs LLC.

Architecture by McKee Patterson and Kathleen Poirie.

Photography by John Bessler.

Text by Amy Elbert.

"Fab Kitchen With Soaring Ceiling" produced by Stacy Kunstel.

Traditional Home.

"[Miles] Redd designed the ebonized wood and sterling bookshelf, where a colorblock painting by Leora Armstrong hangs. When they're alone, the owners dine at this carved flip-top game table from Agostino Antiques."

Manhattan apartment designed for a couple in the fashion world.

Interior design by Miles Redd.

Photography by Thomas Loof.

"A Small and Colorful Manhattan Apartment" by Mimi Read.

House Beautiful (July 2009).

"In the dining area, vintage John Kandell oak chairs surround a pedestal table."

Gramercy Park apartment.

Interior decoration by Mica Ertegun, MAC II.

Architecture by John Pawson.

Photography by Pieter Estersohn.

Text by Mayer Rus.

"Simply Sublime" produced by Michael Reynolds.

Architectural Digest (August 2012).

Designer Colette van den Thillart uses this dining room as her home office. "A blue lacquered wall and ceiling fresco are just two of the rich details that give this room personality. The striped tablecloth and green velvet chair adds contrast. Gold shell-shaped lights shine on book spines for easy searching."
Colette van den Thillart's London home.
Ceiling fresco by Angel Interiors.
Photography by Chris Tubbs.
"Photo Gallery: Amazing Libraries"
Canada House and Home (January 2011).

"With a table this big and a piano-playing owner, the library changes into a cozy place to host dinner parties and songfests."

Designer Myra Hoefer's California home.

Interior design by Myra Hoefer, Myra Hoefer Design.

Photography by Victoria Pearson.

"A California Home is Powerful in White" by Amanda Lovell.

House Beautiful. 

"In the dining area, an antique Swedish table seats eight. . . . .Lifting the ceiling meant more room for bookshelves and . . . [Podge Bune's] collection of scrapbooks."
The Hamptons cottage of interior designer Podge Bune.
Interior design by Podge Bune.
Photography by Francesco Lagnese.
"Don't Overthink It" interview by Christine Pittel.
House Beautiful (June 2012).

"[Flavio] Albanese's photography collection, displayed in the dining area, includes images by Robert Mapplethorpe and Karl Lagerfeld. The chairs with cotton slipcovers are by Philippe Starck for Driade."
Home of architect and designer Flavio Albanese on the Italian island of Pantelleria.
Photography by Francesco Bolis.
Original text by Luca Selvi.
"Idyll in the Sun" text by Michael Lassell.
Elle Decor (January - February 2013).
Originally published in ELLE DECORATION Netherlands.

"Art, books and light fill author and historian Barbara Goldsmith's Manhattan apartment, designed by Mica Ertegun, of MAC II. 'Instead of jewelry,' says Goldsmith, 'books have become my Breakfast at Tiffany's.' For the dining room/library, Ertegun bought an Art Deco table at a Paris flea market; the chairs were designed by MAC II. At rear is Three Weeks, 1957, by Larry Rivers."
Photography by Peter Aaron/Esto.
"Revision on Park Avenue" text by Joseph Giovannini.
Architectural Digest (December 2006). 

"A dining room wall is cleverly turned into a mini-library. Designer Chris Lischkoff disguised vertical ductwork with a built-in bookcase. Shallow shelves in front of the awkward element act as picture rails."
Photography by Ted Yarwood.
"Photo Gallery: Amazing Libraries"
Canada House and Home (March 2010).

"Vintage armchairs surround a dining table [Stephen] Volpe designed with Roth Martin; the aluminum bookshelves are by Martin Szekely, and the light fixture is a design from the 1950s."

San Francisco apartment of designer Steven Volpe.

Photography by William Abranowicz.

Text by Ingrid Abramovitch.

"Rare Form" produced by Anita Sarsidi.

Elle Decor (September 2011).

"At the Ketchum, Idaho, home of Mary Lynn and Rusty Turner, custom-made steel bookcases line the walls of the dining area in the great room; the wood-and-iron chandelier and oak dining table are by Lucca Studio; the chairs are slipcovered in herringbone linen, and the rug by F. J. Hakimian is made of vintage kilim panels."

Interior design by homeowner Mary Lynn Turner and her daughters, Marie Turner Carson and Emily Turner, all of M. Elle Design.

Architecture by Bob White, Forest Studio.

Photography by Miguel Flores-Vianna.

"The Peak of Rustic Chic" by Kathleen Hackett.

Elle Decor (December 2010 - January 2011). 

"The library shelves are studded with antlers from European hunting lodges and trophies found at flea markets and on eBay; the Windsor chairs are antique, the china is by Hermes, and the napkins are by Leontine Linens."

Kentucky home of Mark Badgley and James Mischka.

Photography by Roger Davies.

"At Home With Badgley Mischka" by Julia Reed.

Elle Decor (September 2009).

"A selection of copper and stainless-steel pans and some of [James] Mischka's many cookbooks."

Kentucky home of Mark Badgley and James Mischka.

Photography by Roger Davies.

"At Home With Badgley Mischka" by Julia Reed.

Elle Decor (September 2009).

"Chairs by Jasper are grouped with a bespoke Smith-designed dining table and chandelier; the carpet is by Aga John Oriental Rugs, and the vintage low chairs are by William Spratling."

Interior design by Michael S. Smith.

Architecture by Locati Architects.

Photography by Roger Davies.

Text by Mayer Rus.

"A Rustic Yet Modern Montana Ski House" produced by Michael Reynolds.

Architectural Digest (December 2012).