Some projects start with an empty room. This one started with a library that already existed and a couple who already loved it.

They are both readers. Real ones.

The shelves hold books that have been read and reread, not a collection assembled to look good in photos. From the first conversation, that was the anchor for every decision. This is a working room. It needed to feel like one.

Going Darker Was the Easy Part

The clients wanted the room to feel deeper and quieter than it did before, so we went with a palette of deep greens and browns.

We painted the mantel. We left the brick alone.

That second part matters.

Renovating a room doesn’t mean every existing thing needs our attention. Sometimes the right decision is to leave something exactly where it is and spend the money and energy somewhere else.

The brick was already doing its job. I let it keep doing it.

A Leather Sofa Belongs in a Library

Especially one that gets used.

We chose leather because it can handle the life this room was going to have. It will soften, wear in and look better after years of people sitting on it with a book.

Next to the seating, we used a glass table. With dark walls, full bookshelves, leather and all that visual weight, the room didn’t need another heavy piece of furniture. Everyone still needs somewhere to put a drink.

The Clients Knew Something I Couldn’t

They knew exactly how they used this room. That’s information I can’t get from a floor plan.

I brought the spatial planning, furniture layouts, color and overall direction. They brought years of knowing where they like to sit, how they read, and what they wanted the room to feel like when they walked into it.

We took our time with it. Some rooms tell you pretty quickly what they need. Others get better when you stop trying to finish them in one afternoon. My favorite part of any project is watching it evolve, and this one earned that patience.

The Best Part Came After We Left

The clients tell me they use the library even more now than they did before.

That’s about as good a project review as I can get.

That is the whole point of hiring a designer. Not a room that photographs well. A room you want to be in. 

Working on a Chattanooga home with a room you love but aren’t using as much as you should? That is exactly the kind of problem I like to solve. You can start with the inquiry form