Our Favorite Cozy Reading Nook Spaces

A good designer knows that the trick is to utilize every corner of the home—  

—under the stairs, behind the sofa, you name it. No matter how insignificant that area by the window of your bedroom or opening in the hallway may seem, sometimes giving those spaces a little lift can ignite design magic.  

One of our favorite ways to bring more form and function to a design is adding a cozy reading nook. Not only do reading nooks provide extra seating space and charm, but they are pretty simple to carve out in your own home. Even if you don’t have the perfect spot for an added window seat or built-in bench in your home, you can still create a reading nook within your living space or your bedroom. All you need to turn an unused corner into a cozy reading nook is a seating space or chair, a light for function, and a nearby surface to set drinks or books down.  

Scroll through for some inspiration from some of our favorite reading nooks we’ve designed and styled over the years. Plus, at the bottom, a step-by-step guide to creating your own cozy reading nook at home. 

 

EXPLORE THE SPACES

No. 01 | Chic Living Space Reading Nook

No. 02 | The McGee Home Hallway Window Seat

No. 03 | SM Ranch House Playroom Reading Bench

No. 04 | Office Corner Reading Lounge

No. 05 | Cozy + Layered Corner Lounge

No. 06 | The McGee Home Primary Bedroom Reading Corner

No. 07 | Beck Pines Window Nook

No. 08 | Textural Primary Bedroom Reading Nook

No. 09 | Light + Bright In-Home Retreat

No. 10 | Coastal Reading Settee Corner

No. 11 | Moody + Layered Built-In Reading Bench

No. 12 | Beckham Project Bedroom Corner Nook

No. 13 | The Pine Brook Home Guest Room Reading Corner

No. 14 | The Northridge Remodel Window Nook

No. 15 | Mountainside Retreat Bedroom Reading Nook

 

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

Step 01 | Start With a Cozy Chair or Bench

Step 02 | Find Good Lighting

Step 03 | Add in a Side Table or Shelf

Step 04 | Soft Textiles for a Cozy Finish

 

No. 01 | Chic Living Space Reading Nook

No. 02 | The McGee Home Hallway Window Seat

Explore more of The McGee Home here.

No. 03 | SM Ranch House Playroom Reading Bench

Explore more of the SM Ranch House here.

No. 04 | Office Corner Reading Lounge 

No. 05 | Cozy + Layered Corner Lounge

No. 06 | The McGee Home Primary Bedroom Reading Corner

Explore more of the space here.

No. 07 | Beck Pines Window Nook

Explore more of the Beck Pines Home here.

No. 08 | Textural Primary Bedroom Reading Nook 

No. 09 | Light + Bright In-Home Retreat

No. 10 | Coastal Reading Settee Corner 

Find design tips from the space here.

No. 11 | Moody + Layered Built-In Reading Bench

No. 12 | Beckham Project Bedroom Corner Nook

Explore more of the Beckham Project here.

No. 13 | The Pine Brook Home Guest Room Reading Corner

Explore more of the Pine Brook Home here.

No. 14 | The Northridge Remodel Window Nook

Explore more of the Northridge Remodel here.

No. 15 | Mountainside Retreat Bedroom Reading Nook

Explore more of the Mountainside Retreat here.

A Step-By-Step Guide for Getting a Cozy Reading Nook of Your Own

“Our mission to Make Life Beautiful has taken on various meanings since we started this journey,” Shea notes, “but our goal from the beginning has been to inspire people to make their homes a more beautiful place, and it remains the same. We want to continue to inspire people to create beauty around them and believe that good design has the power to draw us in and spend more time with the people we love. It all starts with love at home.”

Carving out a cozy corner in your home is a good way to create a bit of additional beauty inside your home and make it a place where the ones you love feel welcome and comfortable. Continuing our aim to Make Life Beautiful, here are the four steps we suggest taking in order to make an underutilized corner or nook in your home into a space to curl up and feel loved.

Step 01 | Start With a Cozy Chair or Bench

Step 02 | Find Good Lighting

Step 03 | Add in a Side Table or Shelf

Step 04 | Soft Textiles for a Cozy Finish

Step 01 | Start With a Cozy Chair or Bench

The first thing you need to create the perfect reading nook is a cozy chair, ideally one with a place to rest your arms and enough depth to curl up for a long, post-read nap.

Step 02 | Find Good Lighting

Once you have your favorite chair, adding some sort of lighting is key. A floor lamp is a perfect way to add some height, and with its small footprint, can be utilized in a lot of different spaces. If you have the space to incorporate a side table, then perhaps a table lamp is your best option. Or, if it’s a built-in nook with neither, take a look at wall-mounted sconces.

Step 03 | Add in a Side Table or Shelf

You don’t need a large side table to do the trick, but it’s always ideal to have something large enough to hold a candle, drink, and/or snack. We tend to choose side-tables with more solid bases for nooks because they don’t compete with the legs of the chair. A good workaround for a reading nook built into a wall is to install a wall-mounted shelf, or if you’re building from scratch, design a nook or shelf built into the wall into your blueprints, much like you would in a shower.

Step 04 | Soft Textiles for a Cozy Finish

Last but not least, adding a cozy throw is a must! This is especially important for enjoying chilly early mornings and settling in for quiet evenings. If you can’t get that picture-perfect, lived-in drape, then don’t worry. Just fold and place your throw on the back or over the arms for easy styling.