Curl up in a cosy nook with a hot drink and your book of the moment – winter is here and it’s time to get comfy in the ultimate reading corner.
Location is everything
Although you can create a reading nook in just about any space in your home, one of the best locations is “somewhere near a window so you can have a feel of nature around you yet still keep cosy indoors”, says interior designer Christie Jensen of Scandi Interiors. “A fireplace or a heater close by will be ideal to keep you snuggled up and warm while you devour your favourite book,” she adds.
Scandi Interiors
Donna Toich, architect (and owner) at dt Architecture, also advises choosing a spot that has natural light, with plenty of sun in winter. “It should also be out of the main activity rooms and preferably free from a TV,” she suggests.
All you need for the perfect reading corner
Some of the essentials that are needed to create the ultimate reading corner include “a shelf or side table for your cup of tea or coffee, a reading lamp, cushions to prop you up into the perfect position and a clock on the wall”, says Toich.
Deborah Garth Interior Design International
Michelle de Villiers and Christi Milosevich, the owners of Botanika Design and Style, add that: “Good lighting is a must so make sure you have a well-lit room and add a standing lamp or working lamp to your reading area.” They include “a scented candle, a nice warm blanket or throw, some greenery to keep things peaceful and calm, and a nice rug” as other must-haves for this space.
Keep it comfy
A good reading corner must be comfortable so that you can spend hours getting lost in a great story. For this reason, De Villiers and Milosevich believe you must have an extremely comfortable chair and a potential foot ottoman.
At the end of the day, “the area should be warm and cosy”, says Deborah Garth, director of Deborah Garth Interior Design International. To create the perfect reading corner, especially for winter, she says the space should be “fired up with an open fire, underfloor heating or a radiator. Use a table ethanol fire piece and soft background music too. And if in a dedicated room, ensure the décor and colours are muted or softly coloured”.
Deborah Garth Interior Design International
Personalise the space
Apart from filling the reading corner with your favourite books, you should personalise it so that you always feel at ease in the space. “Personalise with a beautiful faux fur or linen throw and a substantial size scatter,” recommends Garth.
And finally, Jensen advises that you personalise this space by “bringing in your favourite colours, patterns and textures through the cushion and throw. And add personal accessories that have a special meaning or history, which can be displayed to create that special touch”.
Deborah Garth Interior Design International
Create a reading corner for the kids
Audi Snÿman, owner of Audi Snÿman Interior Design, offers her advice on how you can create a cosy reading space for your kids: “For children’s reading corners, consider using different toys to decorate the space. Include stuffed animals, toy cars, a flashlight, or a fairytale-inspired reading haven – the stuff of any booklover’s dreams. Add a reading space to a home office for children to cuddle up and read while mum or dad works. It will also hold an extra special place in the heart of a child. The entire space should quite literally bring the novel to life. Creatively using the space in a child’s room is a way of stimulating an interest in reading. One idea would be to repurpose spare cupboards, by removing the doors, adding a padded bench seat across the width of the closet, and then adding a wall-mounted light fixture. Built-in drawers underneath the seat and shelf space above mean the cupboard still offers storage. This is a perfect place for a child to curl up and get lost in books.”
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