CHANGING SPACES Libraries & studies
Continuing his series exploring the history of the rooms we live in, conservation expert Lee Bilson looks at these spaces of quiet reflection
The private library or study is a quiet, book-wrapped, miscellaneous collectionpeppered space that grants homeowners at least one place in the world where it is possible to work and retreat in peace from daily distractions. The story of the architecture of libraries extends back almost to the beginning of history, but in Britain it was only after the advent of the printing press that our homes began to see its influence and incorporation in various forms. And yet, as Mark Purcel notes in his book The Country House Library, many architectural
