How I created a cozy reading nook in my bedroom with all the elements — a comfy chair, lighting, side table, and even a book-filled faux fireplace.
Reading Season
Do you like to read?
Reading has been shown to reduce stress and contribute to over-all mental well-being. It stimulates your brain and promotes creative thinking. Reading exposes you to new information, ideas, and perspectives.
And, well, it is often entertaining and fun!
I think this is the best time of year to curl up with a book!
When it is cold or stormy out, there is nothing better than sitting next to the fire with a mug of something hot and a good book.
Or maybe you prefer to stretch out on the sofa under a blanket to read.
No matter how tired I am, I read at least a few pages every night in bed before I turn the lights out. It helps me to detach from the day and fall asleep.
Where do you like to read?!
How about a cozy reading nook?!
What Is A Reading Nook?
What, you ask, is a reading nook?!
Pretty much exactly what it sounds like — a designated spot in your home where you can retreat from the world to focus on reading and relaxation.
Unlike a formal library, it is nothing grand — a small cozy comfy spot, tucked into a quiet corner of your home. Free of distractions like your phone , computer, tv… or kids!
Really, though, it is whatever you want and need it to be to encourage you to take the time from your busy life to enjoy a good book or other reading material.
Elements of A Reading Nook
I created just such a reading nook in a corner of my bedroom.
You can see the BEFORE and AFTER above!
By pulling together a few key elements, you too can have your own designated book nook!
I suggest the following:
- A comfy chair and ottoman/foot stool
- Good lighting
- A small table
- Soft elements such as a blanket or quilt and a pillow
- Book storage
- Any other design elements that speak to you!
Your reading nook does’t have to be anything fancy, but it should definitely be an environment that allows you to relax and escape into your book. A spot that feels cozy, comfortable and inviting to you.
Read on to see what elements I included in my bedroom reading nook!
A Comfy Chair and Foot Stool
A comfy spot to sit and read is the key element in a book nook.
For me, though, it was actually the last piece I added to my reading retreat. And it was certainly the trickiest for me to acquire.
I had been looking at chairs for a couple years and finally settled on one and ordered it in the spring of 2021.
We were just starting to feel like the pandemic was easing and maybe we were getting our lives back.
But, remember all the shortages?
As it turned out, furniture was one of those things in short supply.
As a result, I didn’t get delivery of my chair until March of 2022. Almost a year. First world problems, I know.
Fortunately, after all that waiting, when it did come it was everything I hoped it would be — a streamlined swivel/rocker style with soft cushions, and a casually elegant blush pink linen slipcover. Phew!
I like to put my feet up when I am reading, so an ottoman or foot stool was a must for my reading nook.
The space in this part of the bedroom is tight — a full-size ottoman wouldn’t work. The ottoman that coordinated with my chair was also more than I wanted to pay. (Remember how prices went up then too?)
I had to get creative!
Instead, I found a pretty antique wicker stool and painted it a blush pink to match the chair cover. Perfect!
Pro tip:
You can unite mismatched furniture pieces by painting them the same color. I used this trick in the guest cottage too, where I painted two different wicker end tables (one round and one square) the same coral red color.
I invite you to check it out for yourself and go for a virtual overnight stay in our guest cottage: Summer Ready in the Guest Cottage!
Lighting
Of course good lighting is a must when planning a spot where you are going to be reading.
A window is nice to capture natural light during the day. And of course a view outside for a little daydreaming.
My reading nook is in front of windows that look out at the ocean. Lucky me!
The door into the bedroom is opposite the windows, though, so I wasn’t able to place the chair facing them. Not to worry — that’s what swivel chairs are for! Once seated, I can rotate the chair to face the view. And bonus — I can rest my feet on the window sill!
For night time reading, I have a floor lamp with a downward facing bulb.
I wanted something unique here — vintage but not a grandma lamp. Do you know what I mean??
Patience paid off, as I finally found one at a tag sale at our local grange. It seems to be cobbled together from vintage pieces and is definitely a little wonky. But I still love the look of it. One day I will take it to my lamp guy to have it shored up a bit. For now, it is perfectly imperfect!
A Table
It is good to have some kind of table next to your reading chair.
Someplace to rest a drink, eye glasses, and a book or two.
And of course some pretty decor!
My round table is part of an antique wicker set my mom got at an estate sale. It has the most fabulous chippy original paint!
It holds several plants, a stack of old books, and a large handblown glass seashell. All things that I find pleasing.
Get Cozy
I don’t know about you, but one or two pillows and a blanket or quilt are essential when I curl up to read. Even in the summer, I like a light throw.
It just gives me a feeling of security and puts me at ease.
The pillow I have in the chair now is a recent HomeGoods find. You know I never met a block print I didn’t like! And the soft colors are perfect as we move into spring.
The quilt folded on the back of the chair is from Etsy and the blanket was an estate sale find from years ago.
As always, I collect my decor from all different sources.
Book Storage
Not essential, but it is handy to have some book storage in your reading nook.
A small shelf or shelves do the trick. A large basket would work too.
Or you can get really creative.
I went way outside the box with a book-filled faux fireplace!
The vintage wooden mantel was an estate sale find from when I lived in Maryland.
The evolution of this piece was gradual over time.
The short story is: I painted it Benjamin Moore Yorktowne Green, a deep blue green, and then filled it with books.
Would you like to hear the long story of how I transformed this piece sometime?
As a teaser, did you know that I was a Russian language major in college and that I went to graduate school for Russian literature? There is a thick English-Russian dictionary on the bottom right of the fireplace and many Russian classics scattered throughout. Design should always be personal!
Back to the present…
Keeping with the theme of the reading nook, I used books to decorate the mantel too.
Pro tip:
Books make great decor! Look for books with colorful covers, and always check under the paper cover to see what lurks beneath! Vintage books are my favorites. They often have beautifully detailed covers. And you can find them at thrift or antiques stores for just a few dollars or less!
The fireplace mantel makes a great focal point in the room. It also helps to ground and define my little reading space. And it provides book storage too. Win, win, win!
This Week Into Next
I hope you had a great week!
I am still enjoying the simple Valentine’s touches around the house that I shared in last week’s post: From Maine With Love, Hearts, Flowers, Chocolate… and Lobster! They will stay up through the end of this month.
Then I will start thinking about early spring decor.
Even though it won’t be early spring for a while here…
A girl can dream!
Recipes
For the Super Bowl last Sunday I made this easy Vegetarian Skillet Chili. Red onions pickled in lime juice are now officially my favorite chili topping!
Then for Valentine’s Day, I brought this Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie for the volunteers at the Food Pantry. Yes, you bake a giant chocolate chip cookie in a skillet! I used to make something similar in a cake pan when the kids were little. It is quick and easy and makes a thick chewy cookie which you can serve in slices. Or the recipe talks about scooping it warm from the oven into bowls and topping with ice cream. Um, yum!
When I was getting the links for these recipes from the NYT Cooking website, this Lasagna Soup recipe popped up on the homepage. It sounds yummy! I would substitute Beyond sausage.
And this Braised White Beans and Greens With Parmesan recipe. All the good things — cannellini beans, fresh fennel, rosemary, swiss chard, and the fresh zing of lemon!
Sewing
My sewing tear continues, with a set of double-sided napkins I am making for my daughter Leah. I am using four different mix-and-match fabrics — two dark and two light so that each napkin has a wintery and a summery side. Give me all the patterns!
Read how I make my napkins and some other easy sewing projects in my post: Easy Sewing Projects to Warm Your Kitchen and Table for Winter.
That’s it for this week!
Be well, friends!
love this so much!!! My daughter loves to read- I am a read three pages in bed until the book smacks me in the face gal- I am redoing her room. Imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, and to that end I would like to ask you some questions! One, where is the chair from? Two, where is the frilly lamp from??? it’s awesome! And three, where is the rug from??? I love all those colors together !!! It is a beautiful nook!
Oh, thank you! My eldest daughter was a huge reader too (still is!). Of course she turned out to be an English major in college! The chair is from Four Seasons Furniture. The lamp was a tag sale find. As I mention in the post, it is a bit wonky, but I still love it! It took me a few years to find the right lamp, so keep your eye out! The rug is a treasure from my parents’ home. It really is the loveliest colors!
I hate when my book smacks me in the face!
I absolutely love your reading nook and I am very interested in the full story of your faux fireplace! (and I’m craving a big chocolate chip cookie now!!)
Hi Tracey — The giant skillet cookie is so easy to make! If you don’t have access to NYT Cooking, Martha Stewart also has a recipe. (That is the one I used when the kids were young.) Treat yourself!
Good Morning Molly, when I read your posts I always say how can I incorporate your ideas in our 4 room condo. I do have an oversized chair in our living room by the window that I love to sit in and read so maybe I’ll add a few extras to make it even more cozier. Also decided I would make a few napkins myself as I prefer them over paper ones. My husband and I have had Covid the past several weeks and had to delay our visit to Fla. this week Hopefully we will get there soon. Hugs to M&C. Enjoy!
Hi Joyce! Turning your comfy chair into a cozy reading nook sounds like a great idea! Let me know how it turns out! Yes, we are all cloth napkin people also. They are better for the environment too! Hope you are both feeling better and on your way to Florida soon!
love your cozy book reading and ocean spying nook! it is just beautiful in everyway! love the faux fireplace filled with books. so clever! the recipes in this week into next sound so tasty too! i will be saving them to my recipes. have a cozy weekend!
amy
Thanks, Amy! Let me know how you like the recipes!
Such a delightful reading nook! I would be so distracted by your beautiful view. Thanks for sharing. I’m going to try a few of the recipes you mentioned.
Hi Karen! Thank you! That is part of the fun of relaxing with a book — gazing out the window and doing a bit of daydreaming too!
Molly, I just loce your reading nook! The pink chair is gorgeous and you did a fantastic job matching the pretty stool to it! Great idea. I have a reading nook in my bedroom too and found a nearly matching footstool at Homegoods instead of where the chair was from.
I love how you took the books and have a sort of tetris with them in then fireplace! Looks great. Very cool you studied Russian literature, Elizabeth ( Pinecones) also did I believe. Your vintage books are beauties. i have a real soft spot for old books and the covers!
Your cloth napkins are so pretty. Your daughters are so lucky. They look like Liberty ones! You could sell them.
I’m so glad you found jeans on the post you linked. You have to let me know how they worked out!
Hope you’re having a lovely weekend Molly!
Oh I am going to try your chili too!! xo
Thank you, Kim! Never thought I would end up with a pink chair in my bedroom, but there we are! It is the loveliest soft shade. I had fun arranging the books! And yes, I can’t resist old books with their beautiful covers. They are works of art. I have so much fun picking out fabrics for napkins, mixing and matching the patterns. I chose these to go with a beautiful Coral and Tusk embroidered table runner. Have a great week!
My reading is always right before sleep in bed. I really can’t fall asleep unless I read at least a few pages. Sometimes I have a night book and a day book going at the same time.
My daytime spot is my chair next to the fireplace. I have a standing lamp over my shoulder and a place for a cup of something or a glass of iced tea.
I love your dedicated space. So well thought out and cozy and pretty.
Our local library has twice a month books sales. It’s a permanent set up in a series of rooms that hold all types of books for 50 cents on up. It’s a treasure trove and I try never to miss one. I will be there at 12 o’clock sharp today.
Hi Karen! Sounds like you have arranged the perfect “reading nook” in your home. And yes, I am the same way now with reading before bed. Like I said, it helps me detach from the day. Good luck at your library book sale!
I have commented a couple times how much I love this space, especially the faux fireplace. Also, the colors – the linen slipcover is so pretty! Great post.
Thanks, Lynda! The faux fireplace was one of the few things that made the journey from Maryland to Maine. It took me a while to find a spot for it and then to make it look right there. But it was worth the time and effort! Thanks for reading and taking time to comment!
Molly, every corner of your house is magic … you have the golden touch. I’ve admired your faux fireplace, book stack for the longest time and can’t think of a cozier place to curl up with a book. That swivel chair was well worth the wait. And I envious over HomeGoods pillow. I have bad HomeGoods juju … maybe I need to shop with you. Anyway, I do love to put my feet up when I read … better yet fully recline on my sofa. That is my guilty pleasure … reading in front of the fire, covered with a cozy blanket. And this week we’ve had the wet and stormy weather to make it the only activity I wanted to engage in. Ha! Thanks for the recipe ideas. Especially that pan cookie … I never met a cookie I didn’t devour and the bigger the better. Oops, was it meant to be shared?!!! xo
Hi Juliet! You are so kind. Thank you! I don’t usually have a lot of luck at HomeGoods, but every once in a while I find something! It is really the only big store we have besides Walmart. And I have even worse luck there, ha! The cookie is meant to be cut up in slices, but hey, you do you! 😉 Sounds like you are getting more rain this week — enjoy your cozy reading time!
Hi Molly- I love your reading nook so much! I am curious where you ended up putting your Peloton? I know you like riding it. I love reading your blog. I am vegetarian too so the recipes are inspiring as well!
Hi Laura! I moved the Peloton into the waterside guest room. Not ideal when I have guests, but it works most of the time. And I still have the water view when on the bike! I am so happy you enjoy my blog! Yay for veggie love!
You have used the bedroom space brilliantly, much better than the before photo. I absolutely love the color of the fireplace, it is so joyful. I, too, love to mix wicker or old pieces within a room. I could very easily see some William Morris wallpaper in your cozy snug. Do you have any somewhere in your home.
Thank you! That part of the bedroom is kind of skinny, but it is nice to have the sitting area there. And yes, it took me a while to figure out that the mantel needed a dark paint — I had white on it originally and it was so blah. I love old wicker. I have a lot of it in the bedroom! I don’t have any William Morris wallpaper, but I did have a W.M. bedding for the holidays!