Over a huge library or an integrated window seat with an amazing perspective, what I crave is that the time, mood and space that are conducive to sinking into a fantastic book. So for this first installment in a new series on simple pleasures, we’ll look at some completely creative yet doable approaches to carve out space and time for reading at home — and just for fun, I’ve thrown in some book suggestions. I hope these nook and book pairings will help inspire you to find your own perfect reading mix.
Rebekah Zaveloff | KitchenLab
Find your reading style. Just as in decorating or fashion, not everybody has the exact same taste in books. I have a friend who loves reading dessert cookbooks most importantly, a person who loves graphic novels and yet another who adores love novels by the cage. Don’t apologize for what you really love! On the flip side, you never know until you try this, what you may like. Wander around a publication every now and then, and explore a section that you do not usually visit to enlarge your horizons.
Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects
Reading Round the Home
1. From the kitchen. There’s something incredibly soothing about reading in the kitchen, while a pot of soup bubbles on the stovetop and warm smells emanate in the oven. Adopt the comforts of the kitchen by setting a reading nook up.
If you already possess a breakfast table, simply sit there. If not, maybe you may match an armchair in a long table or a fresh corner . A tall stool with a comfortable seat, pulled right up to the counter, could do.
Genre pick: Cookbooks as pleasure reading. Also food travel humor and writing.
2. In the bath. Desire total and total solitude while lost in a book? Lock the doorway to stop little ones or roommates from bugging you, fill out the bathtub and see till you get so pruny, you can’t stand it. Some sort of shelf to go across the bathtub where you can set your book is essential. Floaty, draping shower curtains around the bathtub (plus a few candles) will go a long way toward developing a beautiful atmosphere.
Genre pick: Travel to another time or place using a historical novel, some literary science fiction from Jasper Fford or some of those “rediscovered fiction” out of Persephone Books.
Lauren Liess Interiors
3. In bed. If you prefer stealing a little time to read before falling asleep or (not that I’ve done this) pretending you are still asleep so that you can read first thing in the morning, the bed is where to be. And really, what could be cozier or more comforting than reading in bed? The important thing here is to get company, supportive pillows to prop up on, a soft blanket and a table holding your drink within arm’s reach. A mug and a pot of tea or carafe of coffee for easy refills aren’t such a bad idea, either.
Genre pick: Indulge yourself in a late-night readfest using a can’t-put-it-down mystery, thriller or romance novel.
Corynne Pless
4. With twinkle lighting. If you have been booking your fairy lights for vacations and children’s rooms, then you have been missing out. A strand of white lights costs only a few bucks and can alter a dark, dull corner into a perfectly enchanting place for sitting and reading. String them up right overhead, and they should offer enough light to read by. Otherwise, add another strand, but do not turn on the overhead lighting — it will destroy the mood.
Genre pick: Escape the ordinary with a novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez or another magical realist.
Hudson Interior Design
5. Library style. If you like turning through large, beautiful design and photography books, or taking notes as you read, a solid dining table paired with cushy yet upright seats is what to search for to fill your reading place. Doubling up the dining area using a room to shop and read oversized books can do the job beautifully — a pendant lighting over the dining room table could offer decent lighting, and a buffet or china cabinet can house your preferred large books.
Genre pick: Anything in the art, crafts, design, backyard or photography section will do beautifully.
RTA Studio Residential Architects
6. In the loft. Earn like Jo in Little Women and creep off into the loft to eat apples and see in peace. In case you have the distance, a daybed will permit you to read then (yawn) slowdown and have a little rest. Otherwise, a thick pillow or mattress on the ground, supplemented with plenty of cushions, will do the job. If you do not have an attic but want to create a reading place using a similar feel, search out a concealed corner — a shed or maybe a rarely used cupboard could make a unique reading hideaway.
Genre pick: Reconnect using a childhood favourite like Little Ladies, Little House on the Prairie or Charlotte’s Web.
Tracery Interiors
7. Outdoors. On a cold day, bundling up to read out can be a refreshing change. Carry out your book to the porch, deck or patio, together with a thick blanket and a hot drink if there’s a nip in the air. A swing or rocker may be meditative, but be certain that you pull over a tiny table or stool to set your beverage.
Genre pick: A biography or memoir of triumph over adversity. There’s something about reading the narrative of another individual’s struggles while sitting outside in the bracing atmosphere that makes one quite thankful for life.
Lauren Liess Interiors
8. Beside a window. Any sunny window in the home is fair game for a reading nook. If you do not have a window seat, place a cushioned bench or an armchair directly next to the window. Bare windows can be wonderful, depending on the exposure and solitude. If either is not ideal, add sheer curtains to soften the lighting and see. A less-often-used area is best, and that means that you won’t be bothered. Try the bedroom or formal living or dining area (if you have one) for potential sunny areas where you can set up shop.
Genre pick: A thoughtful nonfiction name that you can dip in and out of while sometimes staring from the window.
Tell us : What are you currently reading? Do you have a book nook in your home where you love to see? Please share a photograph of your favorite reading place in the Remarks.
More: How to handle a growing book collection