A House with Soul: Home of the Heart Design

​A house that has a library in it has a soul. Plato
 
Being a writer, I admit to being biased. When I'm in a home that has no books, it feels empty and devoid of warmth, personality, and heart. I don't care how much money has been lavished on the furnishings; a house without books might as well be an impersonal hotel room as far as I'm concerned.

The image I have here is one of a set of bookshelves my husband and I have in our home. As you can see, it contains more than books. Having lived in New Mexico for a number of years while studying textiles, I have a number of books on Native American weavers and weaving. I even have the beater stick I made from an old oak folding chair that I used when learning how to weave a rug on a traditional upright loom. There are a few photos and framed art too, among the children's books (favorites from my own childhood), as well as contemporary novels that my husband enjoys, and books on Christian philosophy. In other words, the books and other artifacts on these shelves are brimming with our personalities. Our house feels alive, or has a "soul" as Plato would say, partly because of our books.
 
I hope your own home is alive with your personality, your heart, as reflected in your books.
 
from Home of the Heart, my best to you.
 
Linda