11 Cozy Reading Nook Ideas for Your Home (Pinterest Inspired!)

Cozy Reading Nook Ideas

From reading corners to window seats, these cozy reading nook ideas will inspire you to create one in your home.

A cozy reading nook in your home is the best!

It’s a place to kick back with a book in a comfy setup that’s ready to go whenever you have some downtime to read. Plus, if you’re looking for motivation to read more, an inviting reading area is the way to go. You may find that you’re scheduling time just to hang out in your new cute space.

If you search Pinterest, you’ll find gorgeous ideas for book nooks. I’ve included some of my favorite pin-worthy images on this list. However, avoid getting overwhelmed by picture-perfect design elements because …

It’s easy to create a cozy book nook almost anywhere in your home!

From small spaces to random corners, even in a closet (see #1 on the list), all it takes is a few important pieces, and you’re all set. So, grab your favorite page-turner book, and let’s get started!

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Where can I put a cozy reading nook in my home?

Cozy Reading Nook Ideas for Your Home

1. Take Over a Closet

Do you have a closet holding a bunch of clutter that you could clear out and donate? If you answered yes, you’ve found a great spot to hide a cozy book nook.

An empty closet provides a great space to fit a small chair or a built-in bench with storage. You can keep the doors or add curtains to make it feel like a secret hideaway.

Since you’ll be surrounded by walls, plan for adequate reading light. Ditch the fluorescent and opt for a warm overhead light fixture. Or you could add a bunch of fairy lights.

“All in all, a DIY closet reading nook project is easy, inexpensive, and a great weekend activity.” 

Book Riot

2. Find a Window

Take advantage of a pleasant view and beautiful natural light for reading.

With window reading nooks, you have two options. You can create a comfy window seat, or you can create a cozy seating area with a plush chair.

If you put in a window seat, choose a soft cushion with easy-to-clean fabric. Add a variety of pillows but not so many you don’t have room for yourself. Also, floating shelves work great for storage.

If you decide that pushing a chair against the window works best, remember to place a side table for your steaming mug of tea and snacks. Crates or baskets work great for storing your books and cozy throws.

A cozy reading nook is only the beginning of living your best reading life!

Live Your Best Reading Life!

READ, RELAX, & REPEAT DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. PLUS, A FREE DOWNLOAD – UNTIL NEXT SUNDAY BOOK CLUB KIT!

3. Discover an Odd Space

A reading nook can be just that – a nook. Or a cranny! If you can fit comfortably reclined in the space with a book, you can make it work.

Get creative. Walk around your home and look for odd, unused spaces with reading nook potential. Is there an area under the stairs that you could transform? Is there a decorative cut-out in a wall that only needs a few pillows and lighting to make it a book nook? What about that awkward space you always fill with clutter?

Remember to incorporate soft seating and good lighting. And have fun with some personalized decorative touches. Soon that odd space is a welcoming, cozy space you never knew you had.

4. Explore the Outdoors

An outdoor reading area can be a relaxing oasis. When deciding on your decor, make sure you buy furnishings and extras that can handle any type of weather.

Can an outdoor reading area be cozy? Absolutely! Choose weather-resistant materials like a durable rug and water-resistant pillows. Add a string of lightbulbs, a few lanterns, and potted plants to warm up the space.

Even if the weather is good a few months out of the year, having an outside area ready for reading is a luxury on a beautiful day. Porches, decks, and patios offering shelter allow you to get outside and read more often.

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5. Add a Built-in Bench

A built-in bench provides the perfect foundation for a reading area. Add one anywhere you have a spot. You’ll often see built-in benches placed in a window for a cozy reading nook.

But windows aren’t the only place built-in bench book nooks can exist. Do you have a bare wall? Is there a landing with wasted space? Find narrow areas to anchor the bench and build your cozy reading space.

Built-in benches are great for storage. Keep your mini-library of books, extra throws, and a couple of small pillows inside the bench when it’s not in use.

6. Make it Portable

If you just can’t settle on any location in your home suitable for a reading nook, go with the portable option.

Buy an adorable cart and load it up with all your reading essentials. Stock it with books. Place a cozy fabric storage container for extras like bookmarks.

Now any comfy spot in your home can become a temporary reading nook. Sit in a chair by the window during the morning hours to sip your coffee and page through your favorite book. Then, at night, wheel the cart beside and snuggle under the covers to finish the chapter.

7. Use a Floor Area

A comfy floor pillow or a bean bag chair is all you need to set up a fun reading area. If you have floor space with little to no traffic, consider transforming it into a “camping spot” for reading.

Much like the reading cart, a floor pillow can be versatile in its location. Set it in a corner. Place it under a window with gorgeous natural light. Or push it next to an existing bookshelf.

Where there’s floorspace, there’s reading area potential!

Consider upping the cozy factor by adding pillows, blankets, and a tote with reading supplies. You can drape fabric from the ceiling to anchor the space and add a little privacy as you read.

8. Transform a Corner 

Corners make great reading spaces because you can hide away from potential distractions. There’s something safe and secure about being surrounded by two walls on either side – especially if those walls display your favorite artwork.

Choose a chair that fits well in a corner, like one with a round back. Or, take your floor pillow and position it in the corner. Also, bookshelves can help you establish your reading space. Plus, if you have room, consider adding a narrow side table for your mug.

9. Hang a Swing or Hammock

Hang out – literally! Ditch the chair and anchor a swing or hammock in your reading corner.

A hanging chair or hammock adds whimsy and fun to your reading nook. You can enjoy the gentle sway as you flip pages. (Just make sure you securely install it to avoid injury.)

Hanging chairs, swings, and hammocks work for reading nooks both inside and outside. Remember the swing’s motion when placing extras near it, like end tables with drinks. Otherwise, gather your book, a comfy pillow, and a cozy blanket, and escape into a book.

10. Go Fireside

It doesn’t get much cozier than sitting by a fireplace reading a book on a chilly evening!

If your home has a fireplace, take advantage of it by setting up your reading nook right there. Make sure to set your reading chair either facing or adjacent to the fireplace. You want to be close enough to enjoy the fire (but far enough back not to break into a sweat).

Make sure you have all your reading essentials in place ahead of time. Place a stack of your favorite books or your reading device and a blanket in a nearby tote. Also, place an end table nearby to rest your drink (hot cocoa is recommended).

Then, light the flame and read by the firelight!

11. Set Up Next to a Wall of Books

A built-in bookshelf in your home practically begs for a reading nook. Instead of assembling your chairs or couches at the far end of the room, select a comfy chair and place it against your home library.

Or, remember that floor pillow? Toss it next to your wall of books. Add a sturdy pillow to lean against and a soft throw to keep warm. If you want to have your mug or snack near you, set a tray beside you as a sturdy surface.

Now when you take this seat, you’re only an arm’s reach away from your favorite book. How convenient!

What should I put in my reading corner?

Now that you’ve decided on one of the cozy reading nook ideas, it’s time to set it up. These five cozy reading nook essentials are the basics for creating a space that you may never want to leave!

For more cozy reading nook essentials, shop my curated list of 23 Cozy Reading Accessories (Snuggle Up with a Book!) and find what you need fast!

5 Cozy Reading Nook Essentials:

  • Comfortable Seating
  • Small Side Table
  • Ample Lighting Source
  • Storage Area for Books
  • Cozy pillows and throws
5 Cozy Reading Nook Essentials ideas in front of a comfy chair with a throw draped over it.

3 Easy Steps for Creating a Cozy Reading Nook

It’s time to put it all together. Create a cozy reading in three easy steps:

  1. Decide on a small space in your home. Choose an area that’s out of the way yet has “cozy potential.” (Get inspiration from the 11 cozy reading nook ideas listed above!)
  2. Gather your reading nook essentials. All you really need is a comfy chair and adequate lighting.
  3. Find a book you’re excited to read and enjoy often!

Live Your Best Reading Life!

READ, RELAX, & REPEAT DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. PLUS, YOU’LL GET A FREE DOWNLOAD – UNTIL NEXT SUNDAY BOOK CLUB KIT!

Audry Fryer is an author and professional freelance writer from Pennsylvania. Formerly a teacher, Audry wrote her first novel while her toddler son and twin babies napped. As her children have grown into teenagers, she has continued to expand her writing career. Audry lives with her family and a pug named Pickles in a quiet corner of Southeastern PA.
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