Please note that our final date for delivery (schools and libraries) this year will be Thursday 19 December. You can continue to place your orders online throughout the festive period, and delivery will recommence from Monday 6 January 2025. We wish all of our customers a restful Christmas break and a very happy new year.
James Allen’s Girls' School
January 13th 2023
A haven for enjoying children’s books, the brand-new library at James Allen’s Girls’ School in Dulwich, London, was a pleasure for our interior design team to bring to life. We were tasked with creating a welcoming, cosy and friendly space where children aged 4-7 could relax and lose themselves in books. With an £8,000 budget*, over 3,000 books to store and the additional challenge of the outdoor building space being shared with an ICT suite, our designers set to work.
Our designers created a spectacular nature-themed library space with colourful beanbags, bookshelves and wall vinyls
Starting with a blank canvas
Since the new outdoor building was empty, our designer, Helena, had the freedom to create a truly bespoke design that catered to the specific requirements of the school. “It was a challenge to create an accessible library that also allows the ICT suite to function,” she explains. “As this hadn’t yet been built when I visited, I had to consider the floor area and access routes. The school also needed an area that could be used for teaching a small group of students.”
Inspired by the large trees around the cabin, Helena selected natural wood finishes and a soft green tonal range to create a calming environment that complements the surrounding nature. She adds: “The colour scheme ties in nicely with the nature-themed wall vinyl graphics to create a cohesive design with plenty of visual interest for students. I designed the shelving units to form relaxing reading nooks, whilst utilising the natural light from the glass frontage to make the space feel light and airy.”
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Furniture spotlight: reading denIn addition to adding something special to your library, reading dens are also an effective and space-saving solution. Here are just a few reasons why our designers love them!
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Making reading fun
“It was important that the library functions well within the form of the building structure, but as the students using the space are so young, I wanted to ensure the design was also playful,” says Helena. “I incorporated exciting elements like a bespoke reading den with nature-themed beanbags, and a book tree to display high-interest reads. The plant and woodland creature wall graphics also add colour to the white walls."
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* plus VAT. The school already owned selected beanbags, kinderboxes and stools, which were also used in the design. To discuss your unique budget with our team, get in touch.
