I thought I’d report on some exciting developments that I may (or may not) have alluded to, and perhaps to use this thread to give some follow-up as events proceed in the coming weeks and maybe months. I will not attempt a comprehensive account in one bite, as it’s late now, but the spirit moved me.

 I deliberated about where to put this, and wound up here as it’s ultimately about books.

The short background is that starwoman and I relocated last June to the place we intend to spend the coming years. Starkid and stargirl are out of the house, starkid immersed in his own thriving enterprise, and stargirl in the latter stages of college. The place is pretty great: spacious, serene, with meadows and nearby horse farms.  

Now this is so cool - When I saw the place, one of my first reactions was that there is a perfect room, not needed for any other purpose, that could be used for constructing a library. It’s a corner room, roughly square, perhaps 20 ft to a side. There are windows on two sides, and large sliding doors - pocket doors - that can close an open doorway to the next room. I am really excited about this project!

Here is the state of affairs currently: I engaged a talented cabinetmaker six months ago to construct built-in bookshelves on two sides of the room. These will be made from a beautiful dark local walnut with a pleasing complex grain. He will be ready to install in 2-3 weeks. I painted the walls a classic academic darkish green, and am installing draperies in what might be called aubergine. Or call it eggplant or even a shade of purple. An electrician will be installing interior lighting in central larger sections to illuminate vessels and hominin skull replicas I’ve collected over the years. I’ve had articulated brass lamps custom fabricated in Ireland which will attach to the shelving at the top, illuminating books. Still working on a rug. I managed to find someone who was liquidating his grandfather’s library furniture, and purchased two fine mint condition leather wingback reading chairs with ottoman, manufactured in England. There is room for a few paintings, which will include a 16th century rendering of Ptolemy’s ancient map of the world. It’s a lovely thing that I received some years ago as a gift. And I’m reframing a print of Vermeer’s “The Astronomer”. I’ve purchased a small desk to go beside a window for poring over manuscripts at times when reading casually in a chair won’t do. Oh yes, one more purchase: a vintage lamp of five branching lighting pieces, hard to describe but described this way by the seller: “Mid-Century Modern Italian Guzzini Style Five Arm Arc Floor Lamp”. This will probably arch over the chairs, and be visible from outside the library. And I will probably add a globe or two.

Ok, there’s more though! There is a second library, a hidden library, deep in the recesses of the second floor. It springs shockingly out of a hallway to nowhere. I can’t imagine any purpose for it other than as a subsidiary library. The main library will hold primarily hardbacks in good condition, things that are both appealing to look at and of interest. The second library, which I’m calling the Book Nook, will have paperbacks and overflow and things not necessarily in the finest condition.

Ok that’s all for now. I’d like to post photos as things develop, but I never learned how to do that. I’m not super technically proficient. Last I checked (10 years ago?), you had to create an account somewhere and link to pictures from there. Maybe that’s still true?

One last tidbit for now: the Book Nook is already unexpected. As in you’re walking down an ordinary second floor hallway with bedrooms on the sides, and there’s a turn. What could this be? The last thing you are expecting at the end is a 90 degree turn to a narrow hallway lined with bookcases and books, which then further surprises by opening up Lascaux-like into a larger chamber lined on all sides with books, a bokhara rug, reading chair and lamp.

And finally I am considering this: instead of leaving the entryway to the Book Nook open, I am considering installing one of those hidden bookcase doors to add to the fun!

Ok, glad to get that off my chest. This is what I’ve been up to lately.  

Last edited by starexplorer (3/29/2024 12:19 am)