Bibliophile Decor: Perfect Styling for My Cottage Office

Our daughter’s bedroom, which will double as my office, is one of the first rooms I’ll be decorating at Blackbird Cottage. We are both avid readers. In fact, while she lives overseas, I’m tasked with caring for her most treasured books. In this front cottage room, I want to create the bedroom of her bookish dreams. And how better than to channel our inner booklovers and style a quaint, historically based but not too girly bedroom using Bibliophile decor?

The Layout

In the image above you can see the room I’m working in. It’s a north-facing space and has two windows. It’s the lightest room in the house. So why not have this room as our bedroom? Firstly, it’s the closest to the street, so could be noisy. Secondly, the two windows and a chimney breast make the placement of a king bed tricky. However, this room is the perfect space for an office. It has tonnes of light and I can watch the world go by.

The layout of the room will feature a desk under one of the windows, a single sleigh bed, and a walnut secretaire to create that Bibliophile decor style. Our daughter wants a library feel and I’m all for that. Between us, we have a collection that can be housed in the current pieces. I may also introduce an antique bookshelf I’ve had for years and an armchair if the space permits. A couple of the pieces will need refurbishment to fit the space so there will be some DIY involved.

The Bibliophile Touches

If you read my previous post, you will know the vibe I want to create in our house is ‘modern Jane Austen’.

My first step is to add life to the walls in the form of fresh green William Morris Wallpaper kindly gifted by Wallpaper Direct. This pattern adds a playfulness to the room and a light airy feel. It’s pretty but not girly. I also love it because of the similarity to an original green wallpaper we discovered in the hall and bathroom.

A good Bibliophile room needs the perfect storage and lounging areas. My white vintage desk with curved details will sit perfectly under the window. I also purchased a walnut secretaire for housing the book collection. Its cupboards will hide ugly office essentials such as the printer. I love how the reading nook above provides a place to cosy up and read. My antique sleigh bed will stay in the room to serve as a day bed for this purpose or as extra bedding for guests.

If our daughter brings a partner swapping this bed for her antique double is easy.

A touch of whimsy and femininity can be seen in the scalloped rattan light fitting. This feel will be echoed in my desk and chair. Scalloped edges and curves on the furniture add to the feel. Below is an image of the kind of look I’m aiming to create.

Then, of course, there are the bookish decor touches. Decorating with old books is something I love to do, So expect stacks of books on the bedside table, or used as risers for vases. Pages and quotes from my favorite books might feature on the walls too. I have a lovely Pride and Prejudice page quote that was gifted to me by my daughter years ago, so that will be a prominent feature.

The goal here is to create a room using bibliophile decor as a base that’s cosy but not cluttered and steeped in history. What do you think? Personally, I can’t wait to start. decorating!