52 
House & Garden 
Built-in bookcases on either side of the fireplace, a wide window of dignified proportions, plenty 
of comfortable chairs and a commodious table create an unusually livable library. It was 
designed by Mellor, Meigs & Howe 
BOOK ROOMS of INDIVIDUALITY 
All the Furnishings of a Library Should Be Planned with Books in Mind 
for Apart from Their Interest They Provide the Mam Decorative Note 
MARGARET McELROY 
L iving rooms, dining 
rooms, bed chambers 
and even halls may be as 
original in their furnish¬ 
ings as one desires to make 
them. They may reflect 
the latest whims of the 
decorator—a 1 w ays pro¬ 
vided the canons of good 
taste are observed—and not 
be out of the picture. 
There is much to be said 
for a gay and original liv¬ 
ing room or entrance hall 
in a little country house. 
After the dignified, serious 
interiors of the winter, an 
unusual and inviting room 
that gives one the shock of 
something new and delight¬ 
ful is not only permissible 
but a welcome relief from 
all the dignity of the city 
house. But when it comes 
to libraries, the story is 
quite a different one. No 
such liberties can be taken 
with this room, whether it 
be in the city or the coun¬ 
try. The reason for a 
library in any type of 
house, at all seasons of 
the year, is books! Books 
are the focal point from 
which all the decoration 
radiates. Successful li¬ 
braries are those in which 
one is conscious of the 
books first, the surround¬ 
ings second. 
Certain essentials must 
be observed whether the 
library be a dignified one 
of the Tudor type or an 
unpretentious book room 
tucked away under the 
eaves in a country cottage. 
Comfortable chairs in 
which to'read books, suffi¬ 
cient lights conveniently 
(Continued on page 126) 
Charmingly simple and 
dignified is this small li¬ 
brary with its deep yellow 
walls and old mahogany. 
In the New York home 
of Mrs. Henry Wise Miller 
