There are a few fundamental features of a good reading nook and not just any space in a home can be suitable. Reading is best done comfortably and without distraction, meaning that a space that isn’t cosy or quiet won’t work. It should also be aesthetically conducive to focus and enjoyment too, ensuring that residents are inclined to read there, instead of simply leaving the space empty.

With this in mind, we’re sharing some of the best and most creative design ideas for reading nooks that will not only ensure you read more but that, when you do, it’s more enjoyable than ever before.

Read Around Books

It may seem like a simple suggestion but it can be remarkably useful for residents to create their reading nook within the same space as, or even among, their books. This not only serves to create a literary aesthetic, one that helps to immerse the imagination between pages, but also ensures that readers have practical access to their books and that a hobby is contained to a single space, instead of being spread across a home.

Reading nooks can be built stylishly into shelving areas, just as shelves can be installed upon and around furniture dedicated to reading.

Distraction-Free Privacy

Being disrupted can interrupt a reader’s flow, whether it is a distraction from other residents or noise from outside the home. As such, a reading nook is best established in a private and well-insulated area. While this is potentially possible within certain areas of a house, especially lesser-used and relatively quiet areas, many are turning to buy log cabins and annexes instead.

These structures are easy to set up in a garden, affordable, and can offer a personalised and cosy reading space that is distraction-free!

Options For Comfort

When reading for more than an hour, a body is likely to shift position. If a reading nook isn’t designed to accommodate a variety of positions, not only will it be unsuitable for those reading for long periods of time but it may also be uncomfortable for different readers too.

Think about the central furniture being used, such as a sofa or chair, and search for modular options, those that can allow for reclining or with cushions and blankets that ensure comfortable and warm settings are easy to create.

Adjustable Lighting

Some of the best reading nooks are those that make use of natural lighting, such as spaces established near or around large windows. However, this isn’t always practical during the winter months and for those who enjoy reading in the evening.

Artificial lighting plays an important role in a reading area and should be accommodating for reading, ensuring that it can illuminate the page at all times of day, and cosy too. This could mean choosing adjustable lighting, which allows readers to change the level of light according to their needs, as well as reducing brightness shortly before heading to bed. It can also mean opting for a warmer light, as cold, bluer lighting tends to be less cosy.