Build your own Bespoke Reading Corner
In lives dominated by work and technology, a responsibility-free afternoon or even 5 minutes quiet time is a luxury that everyone deserves. If we dedicate a space in our homes to peaceful activities such as reading, it can serve as a reminder to slow down and take time for self-care.
Reading has been shown to strengthen your brain, help prevent age-related cognitive decline, reduce stress and can prepare you for a good night’s sleep.
A special place in your home will allow you to curl up with a good book and escape for a few hours. Keeping the following tips in mind, you can create a cosy reading nook for you and your family.
Finding the Space
You don’t necessarily need a whole room to be dedicated to reading. A reading corner can be almost anywhere that you want it to be in your home. It can be a quiet corner of your lounge, dining room or bedroom.
You could make the use of a window seat, an attic space, a hallway that is seldom used or even in a cupboard under the stairs.
Anywhere can be utilised as your reading corner – you just need to make it into the perfect place where you can relax.
The Reading Chair
The perfect reading chair should be one that you can sit in for long periods of time and will provide good support for your neck, back and arms. A large chair enables you to move about whilst remaining comfortable. Your chair, ideally, should be supportive, substantial and durable. Sufficient lumbar support is particularly important especially if you are sitting for extended time frames.
Many reading chairs have large arms that are big enough to rest a book on. Oversized chairs with deep seats are the ultimate in comfort and can be dressed to provide even more cosiness. Whether you decide on fabric or leather is entirely up to you.
A chaise is a great option –you can really unwind while reading- as is a snuggler chair or a recliner chair. Each of these will help to raise your comfort levels and allow you to spend your free time in relaxation.
Whichever option you choose, each piece will be expertly crafted using the finest materials and each can be customisable to suit your taste. Whether it is the colour, leg colour and design or different luxurious and tactile fabrics using detailing such as piping and intricate stitching.
Book Storage
Whether you are an intense reader of one book at a time or you jump from one title to another depending on your mood, you will need a space to keep all your books.
A bookcase close to your reading chair will provide optimal convenience. Displaying your books in a bookcase will add to the overall decoration of your space. How you want to organize them is up to you. Built-in shelving, standard bookcases, floating wall units or repurposed furniture are some of the options that you can use to make your own personal library.
Storage bench drawers, storage bins, baskets or a floating shelving unit can be used to organize books, cushions, throws and any other reading corner items that need to be tidied away.
Lighting
Getting the right lighting for your reading nook is important for your eyes and also for creating the right ambience; comforting, welcoming and serene.
Having your reading corner near a window or a source of natural light will give you the best lighting. If the reading nook is in a dark corner or you are reading at night time, there are a multitude of options to provide sufficient lighting levels.
Simple reading lamps, wall mounted and floor standing lamps are great solutions for a space that does not have much natural light. Wall lights are excellent if you don’t want to take up room on a side table or floor space.
Built in overhead lights, a hanging pendant or lamp can beautifully illuminate a reading nook. A table lamp with a flexi arm, so that it can be positioned where you want it, can focus the light on your book.
Put Up Your Feet
Cushioned footstools or ottomans allow you to put your feet up while you are unwinding. If they have storage options then they can also be utilised to store any pieces that need to be tidied away. A smaller stool will support your feet or a larger pouffe can support your entire leg.
There are plenty of matching chairs and stools available so check which ones best suit your needs, style and budget.
Leave Room for a Table
It can be difficult to hold a cup of tea and turn the pages of a good book at the same time so having a side table within arm’s reach of your seat is perfect.
You can put a beverage on there, place your book down or include additional lighting if you have a table lamp.
Chic Accessories
Cushions and throws elevate the cosiness of your reading corner. Cushions can be strategically placed to add support to your back while you are reading. Blankets and cushions can help you to snuggle up with a good book by adding softness and texture.
Accent details, such as pillows and a blanket, will give your space character and enhance the ambience that you wish to create. You can add pops of colour or co-ordinate your cushions with your existing décor.
Personal Touches
Adding personal touches to your reading nook will help to bring it to life and will help to create a rejuvenating and restful atmosphere.
Introducing faux plants can breathe life into the space and artwork and photos will speak of your personality and style.
Even the way you organize your books can add individuality- by colour, by height, genre or just in alphabetical order. Standing books vertically, laying them horizontally or even having the books leaning at quirky angles can add something different to the look of your reading area.
A feature wallpaper can help to define your reading corner from the rest of the room. This can be particularly important if the reading area is an open plan space and you want to identify it as a separate space.
Love Your Space
In the end, you just need to love your space and create an area that inspires you to spend some time engrossed in the pages of a good book.
At Cousins, we have a range of products that can inspire you to get creative with your space and help to establish a welcoming reading corner.
As with any aspect of choosing the most suitable solutions for your reading corner, we would recommend that you speak with one of our experienced experts either in-store, on the phone or via Livechat.
