Bookshelves

The bookshelves lining the walls of the living room were inherited from family.

Architects Mayer Sattler-Smith designed the bookshelves and Alvar Aalto the 406 lounge chair for Artek.

Visiting a Manhattan apartment designed by Tim Seggerman is like sitting inside one of Nakashima’s cabinets, a metaphor realized most fully in an ingenious "library"—really a glorified cubby with a banded maple ceiling, conjured from a free space adjacent to the loft bed.

To add to the feeling of spaciousness, bookcases are set back on the upstairs landing.

The room also features built-in bookcases fabricated by Earthbound Industries and a vintage Sesann sofa by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina.

'Cellulose Bookshelf' by Paphop Wongpanich, Thailand

Open shelving can cut both ways: Curate the air out of all your cool stuff and you're left with a gift shop, not a home; but beware piling everything into an open space for fear of a visual muddle. The residents of NHR strike a great balance of colorful activity without getting too precious. Neutral flooring, a dark wall help, and a blue Unfold pendant lamp from Muuto keep a sense of play without tipping into formless clutter.

The library of Bob Gill

The cavernous living room takes advantage of its height with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.