Designing a Bar Height Reading Console for a Study Filled With Books
I have a design-conscious client who calls me up periodically with a new assignment to tackle. I love working with him — designing something that fits its function and is innovative can be extremely enjoyable. This time we are working on his study brimming with books. In addition to bookshelves, he requires a desk and a bar height reading console in the space.
Remarkably, he holds a very clear vision of how everything is going to take effect — it has to feel authentic and fit his lifestyle/workflow needs. He has a lot of specific ideas and his own sources. In his mind’s eye, he imagines everything, from a floor pattern to a lighting scheme. Judging by how much energy and thought he puts into every detail, I believe he is an artist at heart. I love our collaborations — finding middle ground between purpose and personal preferences.
For his study, he came up with a system of glass shelves that wrap around the space, floating. Literally. Suspended on inconspicuous brackets, they do not touch the walls behind them. It is my job to finalize the layout. The glass shelves will be custom-made by a company in Canada.
My client has a lot of ideas. As an advisor on the project, I needed to help him access and narrow down, streamline and simplify using the following criteria:
- Will he love it in a decade?
- Does it fit the overall scheme of the space?
- Does it lend authenticity to the space?
- Does it take away from functionality of the space?
Complete with a curated library, I’m predicting this study will make book lovers swoon.
In addition to four fabric-covered walls of floor-to-ceiling glass shelves and a work desk, the 215-square-foot study will boast a 2-feet-by-8 feet bar height (42” high) cabinet. We are calling it an “island.” It has to accommodate as much storage (a.k.a. filing drawers) as possible, have an electric conduit built in, house a printer/copier/scanner, which would be hidden from view but equipped with a hydraulic lift delivering it to the work surface when in use. In addition, there should be a place to dock two bar stools discretely.
The island’s main function is to serve as a console for reading/referring to the books in the collection; it needs to strike a balance between constrained and effortless.
This assignment has been keeping me up at night (in a good way). Designing furniture that performs many functions at once, yet appears to be very simple is my passion. Below, please see what I have come up with so far. The goal is to make this bar height console feel as if it is an integral part of the study. It’s work in progress. What do you think? Please leave a comment or write to me here.
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Mia S Kazovsky
Firstly, what lovely sketches. The floating glass shelves covered in books sound magical! It must be fun to work with someone who has a lot of ideas, a collaborative effort.
Alla DIY Ally
It is really a lot of fun!
Alla Kazovsky
I Just heard from the client:
“Alla
We have just installed our shelves per your design drawings. I’ll send more pics once the room is complete.
Stunning is an understatement. Gorgeous Gorgeous Gorgeous. Thanks soooo much for your professional assistance and wonderful vision.”
Irina Zheveleva
Really interesting project, I wish I could read the sketches better, than I do, but what I see in description, it is very different and unique approach for books to be stored and used. would be very nice to see the final result when project is finished, if picture can justify 🙂