This past summer our family made a life-changing decision to homeschool our three oldest children. Huge, right? We made the transition at the start of the school year and have been in full swing since late August.  

My new job as Mrs. Mom had me itching to carve out a home library dedicated to cultivating brilliant minds and working from our dining table just wasn’t cutting it. We have a full daylight basement which hadn’t been touched since we moved in. It basically became a place where old furniture went to die, but not anymore.

Homeschooling became a great motivator for getting this project done.

The far door leads to the backyard and the adjacent window looks on to the under deck patio. You can see more of that space here.

Here’s the view from the backdoor. See the wall in the background with the pink insulation? That’s our new media room. Pictures coming soon…

My goal is to create a bright, sophisticated yet-family friendly library. This space will not only serve as the daily classroom, but also as a lounge space for both individual and group reading times. I can also see this as place where the kids will do arts and crafts and play chess. The room will be very different from a playroom, but will still be a welcoming spot for the babies as well.

Because this is a multipurpose room, attention to space planning is important so that the room serves our various needs. I will so a special post on that next week.

Furniture needs to be durable to stand up to the wear and tear of a well-loved room. Even though the kids aren’t allowed to eat in this area, fabrics will still need to be soil and stain repellant. I’ve got some great options to share with you in the upcoming weeks!

Window treatments are one of my favorite ways to elevate a room. I loooove custom drapery, but is probably not the best option for this room. My sweet baby girl loves to hide behind the panels! 

Considering this room is in the basement, it still gets a ton of light. However, I still feel the need to add more. After all this is a library. There are three types of lighting, general also known as ambient, task lighting, and accent lighting. There’s so much more to a room than just overhead fixtures. I’ll share with you my selections.

Last but not least, the element that pulls the entire room together is accessories. I’m careful not to go too heavy on tschotchkes because a family library will accumulate plenty on its own. However, I am in search of that key art piece that’s both fun and impactful.

I’m taking my time with this series to show you how a room evolves over time. I admit to being a person who loves instant gratification, but I also love the idea of building a thoughtful room for my family just as I do with my design clients. I too cannot wait for this room to unfold.

Image Credits: Luxe Magazine | Luxe Magazine | Kristina Crestin Design | Domaine Home | Bunny Williams | Natural Curiosities

Featured Image: Luxe Magazine