All those suggestions sound yummy! roselvr- how is the signal strength in your house after putting your modem and router in the basement? Did the range decrease? We will have 2 computers, all-in one printer/fax, modem and a flat screen tv w/cablebox and possibly a stereo receiver for music. graywings- unfortunately no room for a closet. But we have a lot of closet space in our house and hopefully the built-ins will have enough deep drawer space for storage of office supplies. Vivian- I would love to go girly, but unfortunately, my DH spends more time in there, so I think we are going to have to go a bit more traditional/masculine. igloochick- I do envision some big comfy club chairs with ottomans, but probably more masculine(for DH). I think I can sneak a little femininity in with silk drapes and chandeliers. We added on a "Conservatory" during the building of our house a few years ago with the intent of it becoming a traditional paneled library / office with built-ins. The room is very large ~ 27x14 and the ceilings are high(~13 ft). Unfortunately, DH wanted a tray ceiling(the angled type) to increase the height, but he wasn't thinking about how paneling would fit with that type of ceiling. We are in the very early planning stages. We have large windows on 3 of the 4 walls(so luckily not much to panel).The last wall will be for built-in bookcases and a desk for me(DH's desk will be free standing). Unfortunately, we didn't think of putting a fireplace in the room when we built(it wouldn't have cost any different than the large arched windows on our back wall) In the built-in will be mainly file cabinets on the bottoms, bookcases with arched glass doors on the top. My computer desk with be there and above it will be a cabinet for a TV, cable box and maybe a stereo receiver for speakers for music). I hate wires so we will definitely have to figure out how to do that and hide the wires. Our biggest(and most costly) issue is how to panel the ceiling with the tray there. Our other options may be to add a few wood beams and do a warm faux paint finish or the least costly would be just to paint the ceiling. My camera battery is dead, so I'll post pics once i recharge it.

I just picked up the stripped-down chairs from the upholsterer. They look so naked. Now I have to choose a gray paint that works with the fabric. I have a quart of fairly dark gray in the basement that I may try. I'll solicit opinions when I get some painted on the chairs. gingerjenny, my trim color is the same BM soft chamois that I used in the rest of the house. I have enough trouble picking wall colors without switching trim colors too! : ) chitown, that map is great...huge! I may need to go see it in person. I haven't mentioned the map idea to DH yet. My goal was to pull this room together with stuff we already have and I've already bought new bookcases and am getting chairs re-done. I don't know if the map idea will make him cranky. I guess I should at least TRY to use art that we already own. Or not. We'll see. runninginplace, the bookshelves are Hemnes. I look at both these and the Billys. Billys are less expensive, but I liked that these were wood and looked a little more sturdy and finished. Plus they have leg levelers which come in handy on our old crooked floors. I got an email today that my curtain rods have shipped!! It's all pulling together. Yay!

I am not a fan of the backwards books, as I feel that it removes all functionality. While design is important, good design should also be functional (IMO). However, I don’t see anything wrong with sorting the books by color, that‘s both functional and can look interesting. If it was me, and I wanted to color code, I would do small groupings of the same color on each shelf (rather than a single color per shelf) and mix in photos, plants, and decorative objects. I also like how Marta’s shelves look in the post above!

Style: suggest a calm oasis; decide on a style/how you want room to not only function, but feel. I chose the look below and went from there, which is a much easier way to decide on individual items. Inspiration: Don’t take up floor space or long wall for your desk and create a decent sitting area to relax and read (window seat is not ideal). Add a love seat on long wall, collage, good lighting for reading and stacking table if space allows. Take advantage of window’s view and the space, placing desk there (facing into room if you prefer). TV left of entrance, hang it low and accessorizing will be key. Love the look below as tv fades away and area is interesting. Layer. On short wall near corner add a small bookcase. Be creative in how books are placed.