Bookshelves: The modern library

In the sunroom of Oscar-winning actress Linda Hunt, molding adds a bit of decoration to the bookshelves.   (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Custom mahogany cabinets serve as a warm contrast to 14-foot walls of glass in Paul Lieberstein’s home.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

In a playful touch, homeowner Paul Lieberstein and architect Peter Grueneisen designed a pivoting cabinet that allows the bookshelf to disappear into ...  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

...an office on the other side of the wall. “It’s a little like an Abbott and Costello movie,” Lieberstein said. “And it’s an easy way to get the TV out of the room.”  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

The secret door of bookshelves at the Magic Castle in Hollywood opens when one says “Open Sesame.”   (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Architect Ruth Hasell sits on the stairs by an open bookshelf that acts as a stairwell wall.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Throughout the house, structural elements become decorative features. Glulam columns hold open bookshelves so that favorite titles are visible upstairs and down.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Rachel Klauber-Speiden reads to her daughter, Lucinda, in the master bedroom of her Santa Monica home.   (Nancy Pastor / For the Times)

Jim Austin’s home at Rimrock Ranch in the desert north of Palm Springs features artwork and built-in bookshelves.  (Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times)

The Venice library of John Frane includes a daybed, open shelves and closed cabinetry.  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Abundant storage in the library includes open shelves as well as closed cabinetry.  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

A collection of random portraits hangs above a bookshelf in the loft of Philip Chiang, the inspiration behind the P.F. Chang China Bistro chain.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)