Georgian Townhouse
Bath, Somerset
A series of bespoke libraries designed for a beautifully restored Georgian townhouse in the heart of Bath.
Spanning several floors of the home, each piece was tailored not only to the architecture of the building, but to the collections it was designed to house – from books and CDs to a carefully curated vinyl archive. While united by a shared attention to detail and craftsmanship, each library was given its own distinct character through colour, proportion and layout, creating a sequence of richly personal spaces throughout the house. All photos by Adam Carter Photography.
Services included: Internal joinery, fitted furniture
Bath, Somerset
Budget: Private
We were originally invited into this elegant Georgian townhouse to design and make a series of bespoke libraries across the home. The brief centred around display and storage, but also around atmosphere. Each room had its own purpose, character and rhythm, and the joinery needed to feel entirely at home within the architecture of the building while reflecting the personalities of the owners and the collections they had built over many years.
Rather than creating three matching schemes, the project evolved into a family of libraries connected by craftsmanship and detailing, but each responding differently to its setting.
A home shaped around collections
The drawing room library
The first library sits within the home’s light-filled drawing room, where full-height shelving wraps into one corner of the space. Classic Georgian detailing informed the proportions and mouldings, helping the piece settle naturally into the room alongside the original architectural features.
A rolling ladder introduces both practicality and theatre, allowing access to the upper shelves while adding a strong visual focal point within the room. Filled with books and objects collected over time, the library feels established and lived-in rather than newly installed, which is always the ultimate aim with work in period homes.
A music room lined with shelving
On the same floor, a second library was designed for the clients’ music room. Here, the joinery spans two walls and provides extensive storage for a large CD collection, alongside space for artwork, speakers and personal objects.
The proportions of the shelving were carefully considered to suit the scale of the media collection, creating a more structured and rhythmic arrangement across the room. The chosen paint finish works beautifully alongside the clients’ furniture, particularly an iconic Eames lounge chair and ottoman, helping the entire room feel cohesive without appearing overly designed.
A colourful vinyl library
Elsewhere in the townhouse, a third library houses the owners’ vinyl collection. Unlike the more restrained tones used elsewhere in the home, this piece embraces colour, finished in a vibrant yellow that transforms the room entirely.
The shelving was designed specifically around the dimensions and weight of vinyl records, with deeper open storage creating a more graphic appearance across the wall. The bold finish adds warmth and personality to the space, while still sitting comfortably within the wider character of the house. It is a reminder that joinery in period properties does not always need to feel traditional or understated to feel appropriate.