The Sydney Writer’s Festival kicks off shortly so let’s talk about the ultimate place in a home for literary lovers, the library.
Private libraries were once the domain of the gentry, a grandiose room where wealthy estate owners could pen ink from a feather quill or sneak tots of whiskey from a sturdy mahogany shelf. The public equivalent was more likely to be a fluorescent-lit hall where bespectacled authoritarians yielded power over late returns.
Thankfully times have changed. We have public libraries such as that in Surry Hills and the private library knows no bounds. Australia’s leading architects and designers have embraced the concept, creating spaces to furnish the knowledge, culture and inspiration befitting a library. Styles range from the traditional timber to more contemporary finishes in stone, steel and glass. Libraries are no longer limited to dark colours, nor are they the luxury of few.
For me, a great library is one where I could spend days enjoying the tactile nature of the books and furnishings. Take this library above, where I can practically inhale the leather covers and stitch binding. Not to mention the contentment a library ladder lends.
If a picture says a thousand words, what do these images of elegant libraries, bounteous in books have to say? They certainly offer more than literary riches with their magnificently crafted panels and impressive edging. These libraries are the work of Amos Groth, one of Australia’s most talented joinery and cabinet making experts, an accomplished interior designer and project manager.
Fiction enthusiasts may even spot replica book panels, 3D books and secret doors in his work, the worthy makings of a mystery novel.
Amos is the Principal of Groth & Sons, Sydney. He is also a respected university lecturer, loving father, football coach, talented cook and remarkable friend.
I first met Amos in the 1990’s. Long after others would have sent a project out the door, Amos would be fastidiously refining and perfecting a piece to meet his standards. Evident in his work and as any of Amos’s clients would attest, his standards are extremely high.
Amos has been an absolute inspiration to me in the way he approaches his life. At one point he was working full time, studying at night and undertaking a live-in renovation. He is courageous, self-effacing and with his love for books, extremely well-read and knowledgeable.
If you need expertise on any interior design, management or quality outfitting project, contact Amos Groth
Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house.
~ Henry Ward Beecher
Watch the beautiful process of bookbinding and hand marbling:
Click here for more information on: Home Libraries.
