Home – Aspasía S. Bissas

21/08/202120/08/2021

Home Library Inspiration

If I weren’t a writer or in publishing, I always thought I’d be a decorator/interior designer (I’m not sure I have the artistic skills for it, but I could try). Although I’ll never make a career of it, I still love decorating at home. My tastes are eclectic, but I’m most drawn to spaces that are comfortable, warm, colourful, and a little whimsical. Books everywhere are a must. (Minimalism? What’s that?) With that in mind, I thought I’d share some pictures I found online of home libraries that inspire me. Hopefully you’ll find something to be inspired by too…

I love the cozy feel of Vita Sackville-West’s library. And you can never go wrong with a tower.

Home Library Inspiration, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Books, decorating, interior design, home design, Vita Sackville-West — Author Vita Sackville-West’s Tower Library / photo: *Writers´ Houses*

Bookcase art, flowers, and a comfy couch– when can I move in?

Home Library Inspiration, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Books, decorating, interior design, home design, cozy — Via toocutethings.blogspot.no

Floor-to-ceiling books and an old-fashioned library ladder– these are my goals. The arched doorway is a nice touch (although the books wedged in above it are a little painful to look at).

So many books (the climb would be worth it)…

This is just the definition of cozy. I would never leave.

Happy colours, orchids, and built-in shelves. I’m not a fan of the books being used to prop up the coffee table, though.

Based on the way the shelves are set up, this is probably a bookstore, but I don’t even care. I would love a room packed with shelves and featuring a window seat. Great floor too.

Home Library Inspiration, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Books, decorating, interior design, home design, bookstore love, window seat — Via @gisforgeorgina on Instagram

This is the perfect reading spot: plenty of books, a comfortable window seat, and a table for working.

Home Library Inspiration, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Books, decorating, interior design, home design, window seat — Via bookbub.com

Cozy and comfortable. Not to mention those gorgeous sofas.

Everything about this. I need to get a blanket like that for my boring grey couch.

Home Library Inspiration, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Books, decorating, interior design, home design,, cozy, Gryffindor — Via frommoontomoon.blogspot.com

For those of us who can’t afford a Parisian apartment like this one, the look could probably be emulated with wallpaper, paint, and similar furniture. And a whole lot of books ♥

library 11 — Via @primeplaces_ on Instagram

What do you think– do any of these appeal to you? What do you look for in a home library? Minimalism or maximalism? Share in the comments…

What’s a home library without books? Get one for yours:

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If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥

Cheers,

Aspasía S. Bissas

07/08/202106/08/2021

10 Stunning Writers’ Homes

I love old houses (old buildings in general, actually). While I can appreciate the practical benefits of a new house, they can be a bit… boring (and after seeing the “same” new house a thousand times while house hunting, I’m even more bored of them now). Old houses have style. They have personality. They have soul. Throw in a resident writer and you’ve got a house worth living in (or at least visiting– see below for links). Here are 10 writers’ houses that are worth checking out…

10 Stunning Writers' Homes, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Thomas Hardy, Higher Bockhampton, Dorset, England.

Higher Bockhampton, Dorset, England: The cottage where Thomas Hardy was born. I love the thatched roof and garden.

10 Stunning Writers' Homes, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Agatha Christie, Greenway Estate, Galmpton, Devon, England

Galmpton, Devon, England: Greenway Estate, home to Agatha Christie, was designated a World Heritage Site in 2004. Christie set several of her novels in the area.

10 Stunning Writers' Homes, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Eugene O'neill, Tao House, Danville. California

Danville, California, USA: Eugene O’Neill wrote The Iceman Cometh and Long Day’s Journey Into Night at Tao House. This looks like a cozy space to work.

10 Stunning Writers' Homes, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. . Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway, Monk's House, Rodmell, East Sussex, England, Bloomsbury Group.

Rodmell, East Sussex, England: Not only is Monk’s House where Virginia Woolf worked on Mrs. Dalloway, it was also where she hosted the Bloomsbury Group.

10 Stunning Writers' Homes, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. . Emily Dickinson, The Homestead, Amherst, Massachusetts,

Amherst, Massachusetts, USA: With a house like this, I can understand why Emily Dickinson was a recluse. The poet didn’t spend her entire life at the Homestead, but she was born here, and after moving back as a young woman spent the rest of her life here.

10 Stunning Writers' Homes, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. . Alphonse Daudet, Letters from My Windmill, Draveil, Champrosay, Paris, France, Zola, Proust, Rodin

Draveil (former village of Champrosay), France: Can I just go ahead and move into Alphonse Daudet’s home, located a few kilometres south of Paris? Daudet finished Letters from My Windmill here, and also held famous weekly gatherings of the luminaries of the French arts scene (Zola, Proust & Rodin were among the regulars).

10 Stunning Writers' Homes, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. . George Sand, Nohant, Indre, France, Frederic Chopin.

Nohant, Indre, France: More gorgeous French style at George Sand’s home. Sand wrote many of her books here, as well as hosting artists, musicians, and writers (Frédéric Chopin lived, and composed, here for several years). The house has been classified as a National Historic Monument of France.

10 Stunning Writers' Homes, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. . Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Hartford, Connecticut.

Hartford, Connecticut, USA: Mark Twain wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in this house’s billiards room, which also doubled as his study. I wonder if he got distracted by billiards the way modern writers get distracted by the internet.

10 Stunning Writers' Homes, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. . Edith Wharton, The Mount, Lenox, Massachusetts, The Decoration of Houses

Lenox, Massachusetts, USA: Edith Wharton’s grand home, The Mount, was where she wrote most of her novels, and where she presumably implemented the advice from her first book (co-authored with Ogden Codman), The Decoration of Houses.

10 Stunning Writers' Homes, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. . Louisa May Alcott, Orchard House, Little Women, Concord, Massachusetts

Concord, Massachusetts, USA: Orchard House, where Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women. A lot of Victorian interiors can seem fussy or claustrophobic, thanks to the “more still isn’t enough” design aesthetic of the time, but this room feels light and pleasant.

What’s your favourite writer’s home? Share in the comments…

What kind of house would a vampire live in? Get my books to find out…

Further Reading:

Orchard House

The Mount

The Mark Twain House and Museum

George Sand House

Alphonse Daudet House

Emily Dickinson Museum

Monk’s House

Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site

Thomas Hardy Cottage

Architectural Digest

KQED Arts

New England Historical Society

Boston Globe

Cheers,

Aspasía S. Bissas

17/07/202116/07/2021

Writers and Cats

Writers are well known to have an affinity for cats (multiple books have been written on the subject)! As a cat lover, I get the appeal. Cats are good company, generally unobtrusive, frequently entertaining, and the perfect distraction when you need a few minutes away from the keyboard. If you’re lucky enough to have a lap cat, they’ll make sure you get work done by helpfully pinning you in place for hours (and they keep you warm too). My home would feel pretty sad and empty without my three kitties.

Cats can also provide literary inspiration, especially to poets. T.S. Eliot wrote an entire book about them (which then inspired a musical and, unfortunately, a movie). Jorge Luis Borges wrote these words:

Mirrors are not more silent
nor the creeping dawn more secretive;
in the moonlight, you are that panther
we catch sight of from afar.
By the inexplicable workings of a divine law,
we look for you in vain;
More remote, even, than the Ganges or the setting sun,
yours is the solitude, yours the secret.
Your haunch allows the lingering
caress of my hand. You have accepted,
since that long forgotten past,
the love of the distrustful hand.
You belong to another time. You are lord
of a place bounded like a dream.

-“To a Cat” by Jorge Luis Borges

It seems that what the ancient Egyptians started, writers are happy to carry on. I know I am.

Writers and Cats, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com, Patricia Highsmith, The Talented Mr. Ripley — Patricia Highsmith apparently preferred cats to people (relatable)

hemingway cats — Ernest Hemingway, whose Key West home is now a cat sanctuary.

Do you have cats (or other pets)? Tell us in the comments…

Don’t forget to take advantage of the July Summer/Winter E-Book Sale and get Love Lies Bleeding at 25% Off (there are no cats in the story, but there are plenty of fanged predators…)

July Summer/Winter E-Book Sale at Smashwords! Get Love Lies Bleeding by Aspasia S. Bissas for 25% Off...

Quote of the Day

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Cheers,

Aspasía S. Bissas

(PS: If you’re looking to fill a room with books but don’t want to kill your budget, check out my post “How to Get Books Cheap (or Free)“)

09/01/202108/01/2021

10 Inspiring Attic Libraries

10 Inspiring Library Attics, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, books, book collection, decorating, decor, home, home library, attic, attic reno, attic design, aspasiasbissas.com, france, paris — Photo by Mathias P.R. Reding on Pexels.com

I’ve never had a proper attic anywhere I lived, the kind where it’s a large, open space with a high, sloping ceiling and at least one window (in newer buildings “attics” tend to be windowless crawlspaces full of insulation). But I was always fascinated by these spaces. The ones I’d see on TV always seemed mysterious, full of treasures (and dust), maybe a little creepy. I didn’t really start coveting an attic of my own until I realized they could be renovated. The potential seems unlimited for these private bonus spaces, something these attic owners clearly got. Here are some of my favourite attic libraries, as found around the internet….

I love the floor, as well as the shelves reaching the ceiling. It also looks like there’s plenty of good light for settling in with one of those books.