Reading corners are personal spaces where you can truly be at peace with yourself. Here are some ideas on how to convert a part of your house and create a cozy reading corner.

Setting up a reading corner at home may seem like a trivial matter, but it is the first step towards a healthier lifestyle, away from screens and distractions.

Your everyday life is hectic and, in the rare moments of peace, the first thing you do is check your smartphone. The same book for a month has been on your bedside table; you remember reading it when you go to sleep, but after a few lines tiredness takes over. Once again, the bookmark will remain fixed on page forty-three.

Allocating a specific area of the house only and only for reading will help you isolate everything else and really concentrate.

How to furnish a reading corner in your home that is comfortable and beautiful to look at? Here is a collection of ideas to set up a relaxation area in which to relax with a novel and a cup of tea!

Setting up a reading corner in the Living Room

If you are lucky enough to have a comfortable living room, this is the most obvious choice for setting up a reading corner in the house. On the other hand, the living room is the place where you spend most of your time. It is likely that the room already contains the elements we need: a bookcase, a seat, a support surface...If there are, you will only have to arrange them in the most congenial way to set up your reading corner in the living room.

Let's start from the base. The lounge is usually a large room. We need something that visually insulates the space, so start by choosing a nice carpet, preferably round. Once the carpet placement is done, you will have to arrange a comfortable seating space that would go well with the entire décor.

How to choose the perfect seat?

Comfort above all: reading corners are oases of relaxation to be used for our passions. That's why the ideal reading armchair is soft, enveloping.The classic seat that has now taken the shape of your body.

If you like to curl up, choose a model large enough to allow you to curl up with a plaid on your knees, but if your living room is small (or if you want to furnish a relaxation area in a niche) you can choose sofas for small spaces. If you prefer to stretch your legs, instead, make sure to add a footrest: it should never be missing in the furnishings of a relaxation area!

Accessorize your reading corner!

Now, what's the best companion with a book? Easy: a cup of steaming tea or a pot of strong coffee! To avoid placing it on the ground, get a low table to be placed near the armchair. The ideal candidate would be a container table or, at least, with a second shelf. This way, you will have additional support for your book and your reading area will be properly equipped.

Style and functionality: Picking the Right Bookshelf

Make sure you always have a small library handy by placing your reading corner near a shelf, bookcase or shelf.

Personalise Your Lighting Set-up

Don't forget to think about the light: if the room is not bright enough (or if you have a habit of reading in the evening) start looking for the perfect lamp. A floor lamp with an adjustable spotlight to be placed next to your reading chair will be an optimal solution.

If your living room is bright enough, take the opportunity to create a reading corner by placing a sofa under the window. The internal window sill will become an extra shelf!

Add some Greenery to your Reading Corner!

At this point, only one thing is missing from your reading corner in the living room: green and luxuriant plant. Having at least one plant in the living room gives you many benefits: it purifies the air from the radiation emitted by household appliances, relaxes the eyes and, according to many studies, makes our mind more open and creative. Furnishing with plants is an authentic cure-all and will make your relaxation corner at home even more colourful and welcoming!

Windowsill reading corners

Windowsills are very practical corners where you can create your own special reading space. Whether you live in an apartment or a house, you can create a beautiful reading corner full of natural light. Because it’s so close to the window, this is the ideal place to create your reading corner if you have the time to read during the day.

Add a variety of comfy cushions to make yourself nice and cosy, and so that you can lean against the wall without hurting your back. We also recommend that you get a big blanket as well. If you want to read right next to the window at night, you’re sure to feel the chill.

Bedroom Reading Area

Maybe you don't have a big enough living room. Or maybe, simply, the sleeping area is your favourite relaxation room. To furnish a reading corner in the bedroom, the premises may be the same as in the living room: armchair and coffee table. Unless you prefer to furnish a relaxation area on the ground, directly on the parquet.

In this case, the situation changes! Even more important will be the carpet: choose it nice soft, long-textured, and then get a sea of cushions. A good alternative solution could be a very low seat like a chaise longue, but you can also choose a reclining meditation chair from our store, padded armchairs are also ideal for a relaxation room!

Obviously, we cannot think of using a high shelf for books: they would not be at hand. Better a low cabinet with shelves, or a shelf placed at the right height.

Finally, how to beautify your reading corner in the room? We are leaning towards a timeless Boho-chic setting, so if you like the genre, choose themed accessories: fringes, dream catchers, lanterns...all that your imagination suggests. Do not forget to add an aesthetic ‘bed’ tray in natural wood as a support surface.

Reading Corner for Children

What about the children at home? It is known that contact with books is important from the first years of a child’s life, even before being able to read. If you want your children to create a good habit of surrounding themselves with books, why not set up a small library for them too?

Creating a children's reading corner is not difficult. First of all, aim to create a cosy atmosphere, in which your children feel protected and safe. Try setting up a small tent in a corner of the bedroom: for them, it will be like entering a secret niche, a place where they will feel they can take refuge with their favourite books. Choose a well-lit spot in the room and cover the tent floor with rugs, blankets and pillows.

To arrange the books, we recommend setting up some shelves at the child's height. Choose possibly shelves for paintings, with the raised edge, and arrange the books so that the covers are visible instead of the ribs: If your children are still small, images and colours will guide them in choosing the book. It is important that they can independently find the book they want to browse, without the need for an adult to do it for them.

The reading corner of your children, at this point, is complete. But if you really want to overdo it, why not make the atmosphere even more fabulous? A forest-themed wallpaper or tree-shaped stickers will make them feel immersed in nature. You can also pick up posters or artwork based on your child’s favourite characters or genres.

Creating a DIY reading corner

If you have a certain dexterity and are looking for original ideas to set up the reading corner, this is the solution that you will like the most. This time, forget about armchairs and rugs. A window large enough or something that makes for a comfortable reading space would be the best place to try out your DIY skills.

What you need is a good number of pallets and your toolbox. The first thing to do is to file any splinters and treat the wood with a transparent protective spray. Give the wood time to dry and then proceed to set up your niche.

The DIY reading corner that we will try to create has the shape of a storage bench. The pallets will be placed in a horizontal position, one on top of the other, and fixed with screws and nails. The beauty is that the benches will not only serve as a seat but also as a bookcase: you can put your favourite texts directly in the middle of the boards. Otherwise, why not build even small shelves on the sides of the window? In this case, the pallets destined for the books will have to be positioned vertically.