Thirty enticing settings for bookworms to luxuriate in.  A library need not just be a place to store books; it can be a relaxing hideaway, a place to entertain, or a setting to inspire.

View in slideshow or full list (below).  Enjoy!

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Full List

^{Designers:  Nina Nash and Don Easterling of Matthews Furniture} 

(1) Tailored lounge chairs, an upholstered window seat and ottoman, and French grey cabinetry make this light-filled room into a cosy and alluring bookroom.

^{Design:  Rees Roberts & Partners (USA)}

(2) A beautiful marriage of warm brown/grey and vibrant red/pinks set off this modern library-cum-dining room in a New York House.

^{Photograph: Steve Hall/Hedrich Blessing}

(4) This transitional library combines traditional cabinetry and reclaimed wood panelling, with modern furnishings to give a casual and relaxed feel.   A dining table and chairs (out of shot) make this a comfortable space for entertaining.

^{Photo:  Nikolas Koenig}

^{Photo: Benjamin Benschneider}

(7) A beautiful traditional book room by California-based designer Tim Corrigan.

^{Photo:  Guillaume Favre}

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^{Designer:  Jeanette Whitson}

(10) The blue velvet tufted U-shape sofa closely matches Farrow & Ball’s deep, saturated Hague blue walls and cabinetry in this Nashville house.  The tented ceiling adds to the cosy. Wouldn’t want to settle in here with a good book.  Uh-uh.  No way.

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(11) Designer Alessandra Branca uses wall-mounted, swing-arm sconces to showcase the book collection  and wash this rich and elegant area with an alluring glow.

(12) A light-coloured rug, armchair and accents lift the whole colour scheme in this handsome library.

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^{Photo: Tony Soluri}

(13) Polished-mahogany panelling and bookshelves illuminated by attractive polished chrome sconces in this contemporary and eclectic reading room.   Biedermeier chairs provide a vantage point to view the cityscape.

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(14)  Peacock blue-lacquered walls and cabinetry lend richness and depth to the book room in a Chicago Townhouse.  The desk and coffee table are 1960s French pieces.  Designer Steven Gambrel also designed the leather sofa and club chairs.  The silkscreen print is by Andy Warhol. (Featured in House Beautiful, Jan 2014)

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(15) A Spanish villa is the setting for this study,  decorated and furnished in designer Sophie Paterson’s signature classic contemporary neutrals.

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^{Photo:  Michael Robinson}

(16) Contemporary study space features sleek grey cabinetry.  An eclectic mix of furnishings including an oak desk, a leather ottoman in slate grey and a Moroccan rug add texture.  What a shame they forgot the books!

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^{Photo: Scott Baker}

(17) This modern black study features a custom desk with a glass-topped display area.  Light fixtures impart a soft, diffused glow.

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^{Designer:  Timothy Corrigan}

(18) This honey-coloured oak-panelled room with a oxblood marble Pompadour fire surround provides an elegant backdrop for designer Timothy Corrigan’s richly upholstered reading-cum-living room with Louis XV fauteuils and gently pooling curtains.

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^{Photo: Lisa Romerein}

(19) A contemporary library in a saturated blue features a vintage Burl wood sofa and a rattan and brass framed armchair upholstered in blue leather.

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(21) Plump and cushy leather club chairs grouped around a round ottoman create a cosy and convivial atmosphere.

^{Photo: Tony Soluri}

(22) Contemporary art and sleek upholstered furniture create an elegant transitional (ever-so-slightly-Deco) style in this mahogany-panelled book room.

^{Photos: Oberto Gili}

(23)  Designer Cesare Rovatti’s white leather sofas anchor the library in this Roman apartment. The drawing above the fireplace is by Pablo Picasso.

^{Photo: Werner Straube}

(25) A book room needn’t take up a whole room. This vaulted passageway is transformed into a cosy reading area.

^{Photo:  Durston Taylor}

^{Photo:  David O. Marlow}

^{Photo:  Peter Vitale}

(30)  Last but not least, my absolute favourite!    Traditional library by Richard Keith Langham interior design.  This relaxing and elegant mid-19th century style library in ‘book room red’ is located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.