brickeyee, I'm not sure why you seem to be leaning toward being argumentative with others rather than being helpful with suggestions to the op in your posts. No one has portrayed their answers as carrying any more weight than they actually do. Since you seem to be leading up to it, however, I'll go ahead and make the point for you now rather than later: Many things CAN be done, but that does not mean that doing them is either smart or wise. Perhaps, I don't know because I don't know current codes generally or for every municipality specifically--which the op will really need to check regardless of what any of us here says, one CAN have a three-foot hallway, but as someone who has a hall that size in our existing, yes, pretty old, house, I can tell you it is neither smart nor wise and does pose a hazard. Also, generally, the longer the hallway, the wider it should be for aesthetics and psychological comfort. Further, I double-checked the nkba guidelines, and they actually say 36 inches for single walkways and 42 inches for intersecting walkways as well as for work areas (48 inches for two-cook kitchens). Kitchens walkways are not hallways; I quoted them not as any kind of legal authority but because their guidelines are based on sound safety and design principles and research findings and a kitchen walkway is somewhat analogous to a hallway. Since the hallway is usually longer and has more function as an egress, I would think it should be at least as wide as and probably wider than a walkway within a room. If I were the op, I would try to steal six inches on each side for a total of five feet. If the bookcases are tall, the extra width will help soften the effect of being boxed in. It would also provide a little room, perhaps, at a far end (past all doors if there is such a spot) for a very small armchair or browsing stool and/or side table to really finish off the feeling of a "library." Good luck to the op. I hope you are able to achieve your vision with safety, comfort, and style.

I like the shelves posted but that is definitely not a project for a beginner. You can make a shelf easily though. I figure my measurements and have Lowes cut the wood for me. as for face frame I do not do that. I am no expert but my stuff looks good. I use the thin ridged trim and edge the shelves with that. I do like to use crown trim but I need dh to help me with that. I have also done what others suggested by cutting shelves to meet my needs and also trimed out the store brought shelves but it never beats starting from scratch and having everything just the size you want. I tried building a shelf myself because the ones you buy in the store are basically straight pieces of wood. I thought what a rip off. So I tried it myself. I do use shelf ledges and I have painted my shelf. I started with something small. I removed all those horrid wire shelves out of my closet and replaced with wood shelves. My closte was testing ground for a lot of stuff including laying a wood floor. Anyway I like to caulk anywhere wood meets wall and wood meets wood so there is not even a hairline gap. You make a very small slanted hole in the caulk and smooth with a wet finger. Have to be neat with this or it looks like crap. The most fun of the whole thing is using a nail gun (one with a compressor). Man I love it. I will post a photo tomorrow of some of my shelves if I can remember.

Allison, good to know you also feel that way about the trim over the entertainment center. I will do a mock-up. I guess my one question would be, if I were to decorate the ledge above that white trim (the trim is the forward edge of a ledge that goes back about 3 feet and the full length of that wall) would it still be good to have it all one color? I don't know that I would decorate the ledge. I've been on the lookout for something to put up there but in almost 4 years, I haven't found anything yet. I just wonder because it defines a change in levels.

@tqtqtbw Not the dining room but possibly the other joining room. My husband wants to be able to listen to old records where he's writing or we're lounging in that family room. All those green sofa's came w the cottage so those will be replaced w some smaller scale things. I'm not committed to anything in there. I just bought that wooden chair and typewriter at an antique store and the coffee table at a local shop. And keeping the vintage trunk is for firewood for the stove. We want to add a tv but not sure where. Previous owner had it on the short black console behind the door and just closed the door to watch tv. Kinda like having no tv in the house but husband misses his hockey :) Here's a view of the adjacent living room. That's a wood stove in the front left corner so I'm not sure you can put a tv so close to such a heat source - plus I didn't want it being a focal point. It's a difficult layout to get everything I want in there; comfy furniture, not too big or small and I didn't want to block both windows w furniture. We thought of taking the doors of the hinges but we're new to the cold climate here and didn't know if maybe it's good for keeping the heat in the downstairs?