Speaking Volumes
Whether a Kindle, an iPad, or a plain old hardback is your reading tool of choice, having a place at home devoted to the quiet contemplation of news and literature is a deep pleasure. Four designers tell us how they created spaces as page-turningly compelling as the books and electronic delivery systems they might hold.
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Branching Out Inspired by reading rooms she’d seen in Europe, designer Michael Del Piero created this space for the 2009 Lake Forest Showhouse to put its users in the mood for exploration. “I sourced items from around the world, including Han dynasty pottery from China, books from several European countries, baskets from Japan, Native American ax heads, and more,” says Del Piero. All of the furniture is from Michael Del Piero Good Design (1914 N. Damen Ave., 773-772-3000, michaeldelpiero.com), and textiles include antique hand-spun linen. The designer’s favorite pieces in the room are the oversize photograph by Janet Mesic Mackie that hangs above the fireplace and the blank white books that lie open on the table, meant to add textural interest and encourage creativity. “I’m of the opinion that a library or reading room should house more than books,” says Del Piero. “The space should invoke a mood in the user of open-mindedness and inquiry.”
—Amalie Drury
Photography: Nathan Kirkman
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"Blank white books encourage creativity"-give me a break; an open coffee table book by any number of name designers will do that much better!