Growing up with the home styles of the 1990s and 2000s, there was always that extra room on the main level called “the living room,” but oddly enough, based on my experiences, no one did any living in those rooms. My parent’s living room had white carpeting, uncomfortable floral couches, antique accessories and french doors. You might as well put up caution – keep out tape, because that room was off limits to us.

As we are looking to buy a house, I still see houses with those same living rooms and I’ve been thinking about how unnecessary those are unless we use it for something more practical. As I glanced around our apartment, I was reminded how many books Drew has and how it might be cool to turn the living room into a reading/study room. I picture floor to ceiling bookshelves, books coordinated by color (that’s the graphic designer in me), big comfy furniture that you can sit drift away in a good book, and a desk to do some studying at.

With that idea in mind, I browsed pinterest for some inspiration and here is what I found…

(House & Home)

(Better Homes & Gardens)

(Oh Happy Day / Brabourne Farm)

(Design Sponge / Martha Stewart)