By David Campisi
When it comes to reading, I can be very finicky about the experience; I guess I’m the reading equivalent of an audiophile. I’ve spent a lot of time looking for the perfect reading environment, and, apart from providing a nice thunderstorm, the “Long Form Library” seems to meet all the requirements.
You sit reclined, curled up in the middle of the furniture while the overhead lights provide ample reading light and the accent lights in the rim give a dim glow to the rest of your room. The bottom of the furniture is designed to rock gently back and forth without tipping over (For this reason, this might not be a good buy if you have dogs or cats that like to crawl under your furniture). The designer claims that the compartments surrounding the reading area will hold around 400 books or DVDs, but, from the pictures I’ve seen, that number seems to be quite an exaggeration.
The Long Form Library is a prototype; at the moment, only one exists, and it costs $9500. On the designer’s Etsy page he says that his company is going to begin machine-producing these, which should greatly reduce the cost. However, if you’re into handmade things or heavily exhibited original designs, this one’s for you. If you live in the UK, the designer will deliver and assemble the library himself. If you’re outside the UK, there is an extra $500 tacked onto the price, and the shelf comes in 15 “modular boxes” that you have to bolt together, a process that should take about two hours.
