How to Create a Cozy Reading Nook

Katherine Tran
DecorMatters
Published in
4 min readJan 16, 2020

With hectic households and busy schedules, a free afternoon or a few minutes to relax is never taken for granted. A cozy reading nook is a perfect way to dedicate a space in your home for peaceful leisure activities, such as reading a book, drawing, or flipping through a magazine while waiting for your face mask to do its thing. In order to achieve the ideal relaxation spot, we have the reading corner decorating ideas and tips to help you create your cozy corner dedicated to your needs and personality.

A girl with light denim jeans resting her leg on a fluffy sitting chair with a book and a cup of coffee in her lap.
📷 Lara

Find the ideal spot

A reading nook does not have to interfere with your home design plan or layout drastically because it does not require a lot of space. Most often, cozy reading nooks are created in random empty corners of a room, such as a bedroom or living room. It is best to find a spot that can give you some peace and quiet when needed and will not distract you to do other things, especially when considering reading nook ideas for living rooms because it is typically one of the busier areas of the house. Finding the ideal spot is essential before gathering furniture, home decor accessories, and more.

A loveseat with gray cushions and decorative pillows on a wood frame under open shelving with art prints and house plants.
📷 The Merrythought
A kids room reading corner with a white reclining seat and wood framed wall art with wood shelves with books on the wall.
📷 Jeri Darline Sparrow

Comfy furniture

The key to relaxation is soft and comfy furniture pieces, whether that is a comfy chair you can sink into or a pretty accent chair that is big enough for you to have some wiggle room and looks good in your space. A loveseat or bench are also great options that can become daybed reading nooks if you would like more space to lie down or to share with someone, like your pet! The seating option you choose should be welcoming and inviting for cozying up in, taking a break, and impromptu naps. Additionally, side tables, bar carts, or some sort of furniture tables are useful for holding little trinkets, house plants, or a cup of coffee you are enjoying while resting in your comfy chair.

A corner of the room by the window with a black wall and bench, decorative pillows, and house plants.
A leather tufted accent chair with a white tufted ottomon in front with a tray and cozy home decor accessories on it.
📷 Ashley Nicole

Relaxing home accessories

Your cozy reading nook should have relaxing home accessories that provide good emotions and feelings, such as throw blankets, soft pillows, and candles. The environment that surrounds you affects your mood, so having relaxing home accessories as a part of your cozy corner decorating ideas are necessary to help you wind down and destress.

A vintage home decor corner with a vintage chair, gold framed wall art, and printed home decor curtains.
📷 Emily
A reading room with a tall bookshelf full of books across from a comfy sofa with decorative pillows and fairy lights on the w
📷 Lara

Decorate the walls

Another tip and cozy reading room idea to bring in relaxing and positive vibes to your space is to decorate the walls surrounding your reading nook. Wall art and wall decor are great ways to add visual elements to your cozy space. It also presents the opportunity to add personality and home decor that matches the interior design style of your space, which is beneficial in making you feel comfortable and happy.

A cozy reading corner with a beige accent chair and ottoman next to a tall bookshelf and rolling cart filled with books.
An accent chair with a white throw blanket and decorative pillow next to a cart with home decor accessories and books.
📷 Hanna
A person holding a book over a stack of books and books in a storage cart.
📷 Lara

Bookshelf or storage for books

A cozy reading corner needs some books! A bookshelf is the obvious storage design for all your books, but if you have a small space, it is time to get creative. You can always place and style some of the books you are reading at the moment or want to read in the near future on your side table, in a basket beside your chair, or on a bar cart.

We hope that our home design tips to create a cozy reading nook, which applies to cozy reading room ideas for adults to ideas for reading nooks for kids, have inspired you to design a space for yourself to relax and serve as a reminder that you deserve a break once in a while! If you are excited to design your cozy reading nook and want to visualize different areas of placement for one in your home, our free DecorMatters app allows you to take real images of your home and virtually decorate within your actual space!

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Katherine Tran
DecorMatters

Writer about all things interior design and home.