Top Shelf

Four drool-worthy home libraries

- IRIS BENAROIA

A colour-coordinated collection

WHO: Renée Tse, a shopping and social media editor

WHERE: Innisfil

IN September of 2021, Renée Tse; her sister, Claudia; and their parents were dining on a patio overlooking a canal by Lake Simcoe. The family had driven an hour and a half from Markham, where they'd lived for 28 years, to see how they might like slower-paced Innisfil. Watching the sailboats bob by, they were sold, so they started looking at properties.

The family saw this townhouse with double-height ceilings and scooped it up as a quasi-vacation property. They now split their time between Markham and Innisfil. Renée, a voracious reader, was eager to take advantage of the vertical space for her extensive book collection.

She and Claudia came up with the idea for the 22-foot custom bookshelf. Their mother, a graphic designer, drafted the design, and a cousin, Ken Poon of Wooden Woodworking, built it. In Markham, Renée's books were stored haphazardly. Now, they're displayed in an orderly and colourful fashion, adding a splash of vibrancy to an otherwise neutral space.

There's a ladder, but it's only 10 feet, which means a manga collection on the upper shelves is mainly admired from a distance. Series from Renée's childhood, like Magic Tree House and Junie B. Jones, are at the bottom. Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket make appearances, as do Percy Jackson and the Olympians and the Charlie Bone series. J.K. Rowling and the Shopaholic series follow. "Sophie Kinsella has brought me so much joy," says Renée. Currently, she's reading the viral fantasy series by Sarah J. Maas that opens with A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Renée often brings a hardcover with her when she commutes downtown. "I'm 33, but it makes me feel like a little kid," she says. "There's something nostalgic about holding a book."