There is something strangely soulless about this room but I think that has more to do with the way it was photographed, perhaps the lighting or maybe a too-fresh coat of paint?, than with the room itself. In person, I think this would be a wonderful room to spend time in, especially since it combines excellent natural light with a very welcoming fireplace. Hard to go too far wrong when those two elements are combined.
The Captive Reader 
I like it! I’m particularly fond of that shade of green and it goes really well with the natural linen colour of the sofa. But I see what you mean: very often I have the same sort of reaction towards rooms photographed in home decoration magazines. Every thing is lovely and yet there are no personal touches – no photos of family members, no everyday clutter… It doesn’t look as if people actually live there.
I absolutely l love it! As with Miss Darcy above, I love that particular shade of green, it’s a wonderful backdrop for books, it’s both soothing and welcoming. I don’t find the room soulless at all. The only thing I would add is a tray of tea on the ottoman in front of the fireplace. A comfortable sofa, good natural light as well as lamps, crackling log fire, flowers, cushions, and a general ambience of quietness, what more could one ask for. The, for me, is book heaven.
Having said that, I think the fireplace would benefit by a mirror in the panelled area rather than those photos propped up. This would reflect even more light into the room.
I love it, love it, love it! I agree that it looks a little soulless in the picture, but i the flesh (as it were) I think it would be lovely. I might pick a sofa that looked more comfortable to lie back in (or just add more cushions) but aside from that – built-in bookcases, fireside thingummy, and the colour I intend to paint my house (if I ever own one.) Lovely choice, Claire!
I see I am in a minoirty in NOT liking that shade of green.
I haven’t read Ayala’s Angel, yet (on your sidebar) – I’m looking forward to hearing what you think of it.
Love it. I think that is a very soothing shade of green — and could that be a window seat complete with cushion where the light is coming from? That would be perfection. 🙂
I like it a lot, and could be quite comfy there, as long as I could put everything where I liked as soon as the photographers left. First thing to go would be the barricades around the fireplace.
But it does hint at being a cosy refuge in a rather grand home. Morning room at Chatsworth, perhaps?
I don’t really like the green walls in this, but the room is nice enough!
Susan D, the ‘barricade’ around the fireplace is a fender on which you can perch to warm your derriere! These were once very popular in country houses, where there was no central heating and people would congregate around the only source of heat the fire; men especially would perch on them, facing towards the room, bums to the flames so to speak! But I suspect you know this and are just poking a little fun at the fender being a barricade!
Hee hee. Well, I figured they were supposed to be there, but much as I tried to picture perching on them, I couldn’t really conceive of them as cosy so much as something to distance you from the fireplace (or allow the bigger pupils to block the heat from the smallers ones, such as at Lowood Institution in Jane Eyre’s earlier days). I actually though fenders were much lower. Googling them has produced a plethora of images, both high and low.
I do like the room, but the colour is a little off the perfect shade of apple green I have in my bedroom. And those flowers on the side table are all wrong. You’d need that for books!
I love this room. I might only change the couch to one with more cushioning, but everything else is perfect! I love the books stacked on the ottoman.
Love this! (It’s exactly how I imagine Mr Knightley and Emma would have their library furnished and laid out.) It could be a very masculine room but pleasantly softened by the cushions and the choice of colour.
I love it, love that shade of green — I see it a lot on British television shows for some reason. But it IS missing something, it’s too neat. Needs a big dog lounging on the sofa or in front of the fire. Maybe a labrador or a golden retriever!
Oh, this looks very comfy/cozy to me. I’m imagining myself mid-afternoon with a cup of tea – or a bit later, sipping sherry. Yes, I’m the sherry sipping type, and this is my type of library. Then, again, there aren’t many libraries that I’m not comfortable in. Thank you for another library to lust.
I too would remove the fender around the fireplace. I’d also think about relieving the entire wall of green with something different on the central part framing the fireplace. As a “library”, it’s not particularly impressive, as a sitting room with books, it mostly works.