The library is making a return in our homes

Over the past 35 years, the way we live in our homes has changed dramatically. First, I noticed formal sitting rooms and dining rooms disappearing, walls being removed and larger, brighter living spaces appearing. Box bedrooms were turned into offices, en suites were added, and more recently, utility rooms, boot rooms and even pet rooms have become increasingly popular.

Lately though, a quieter trend is making a return – the library. Once viewed as outdated, it is now becoming a sought-after refuge in our homes for reading and relaxing, away from digital distractions. An increasing number of prime homes I’m viewing now have a dedicated library, and smaller properties often have clever, informal reading corners and book shelving displays with a cosy armchair.

When I visit homes where the owners have lived for many years, there is often no space left for a single book. Tightly fitted shelving lines the walls, packed with a lifetime of well-read stories, many forgotten or squeezed in out of reach as the years passed by.

I often wonder what happens to all these fascinating books as the owners move on.  There is every chance they will end up in a charity shop or maybe passed on to the next generation. Our parents would have gifted books to friends, giving them another lease of life.

Reading serves many purposes, from gaining experience and knowledge, firing our imaginations and entertaining us on long evenings.  It also deepens our understanding of the world around us and stimulates our minds.

Ultimately, the return of the home library tells us a great deal about how people want to live today, and perhaps we’re turning away from our increasingly digitised lives and seeking something quieter and more analogue. Often the most luxurious room in the house is the one that invites you to stay a while.

“A house without books is like a room without windows.” Horace Mann