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JOSH GRUBBS//Hearst Owned

25 Relaxing and Cozy Reading Corners

Because sometimes all you need in life is a comfy chair and a good book.

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Whether in a bedroom corner, arranged around the fireplace, tucked under the entry stairs, or built under a sun-filled window, every house is better with a cozy spot to escape to for reading.

1

Under-the-Stairs Nook

virginia mountain cottage staircase cove reading nook
Helen Norman, styling by Matthew Gleason

The custom-built cove tucked beneath the stairs in Amy Whyte’s Virginia cottage was built by her husband, Sean, whose builder eyes see every inch as an opportunity.

Get the Look:
White Paint Color:
Shiplap by Magnolia Home


RELATED: This Virginia Mountain Cottage Is Straight Out of a Storybook

2

Secret Hideaway

stefanie and scott turner's williamston, michigan farmhouse blue and white bed nook decorated with garland
Marta Xochilt Perez, styling by Matthew Gleason

Homeowner Stefanie Turner transformed a seldom-used pass-through into a secret hideaway complete with a fairy tale-worthy wallcovering. The beadboard-clad nook, which houses a queen bed, doubles as a guest room—and a linen closet of sorts. “Because our house is so old, there’s very little storage, so I designed the bed so you can lift up the mattress and stow away blankets,” says Stefanie.

Get the Look:
Wall Paint Color: Current Mood by Clare
Wallcovering: “Raphael Blue” by Sandberg Paper

RELATED: Tour the rest of this cozy Michigan farmhouse.

3

Cute Closet Phone ”Booth”

mike wolfe sitting room 0515
Brian Woodcock

American Pickers television star Mike Wolfe loves old phones, so, when he found this vintage one, he decided to turn his closet space into a phone booth. The colorful accent pillow echoes the red in the wall decor, helping to make the space cohesive.

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4

Rustic Nook

rustic reading and sleeping nook

Original knotty pine walls and scalloped trim make this tucked-in reading/sleeping nook feel right out of a ski chalet. Don’t forget a cozy wool blanket and tables for perching drinks and books.

5

Built-In Daybed

built in daybed
Bjorn Wallander

The owners of this Massachusetts house outfitted their son's room with a built-in daybed and bookshelves. The trim is painted Van Courtland Blue by Benjamin Moore.

6

Snug Space

wood, room, lighting, interior design, wall, furniture, hardwood, shelf, shelving, interior design,
Max Kim-Bee

The owner of this California home turned a 15-foot-wide section of hallway into a snug spot for reading with the help of Farrow & Ball's Hague Blue paint and an antique tobacco leather club chair. For a personal touch, she hung family photos in mismatched frames.

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7

Coastal Comfort

sitting area
Alec Hemer

A crab trap side table and a lamp—both from a local boutique—bookend this sitting area's Shabby Chic chaise lounge.

8

Sunny Corner

New Hampshire Farmhouse
Max Kim-Bee

The sap bucket next to this built-in daybed in this New Hampshire home holds three types of sunflowers, including a pale-yellow variety that the owner bred himself, named Reggie's Mix. The beadboard is painted in Benjamin Moore's Guacamole.

9

Arkansas Sitting Area

sitting area
Mark Lohman

A friend of the owner's sewed the linen slipcover for the sitting room's chaise lounge in this Arkansas home, purchased new at nearby boutique Vintage Cargo.

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10

Loungin’ Around

sitting room
Max Kim-Bee

The owner of this Texas cottage turned $10 cow-feed sifters found at the Round Top Antiques Fair and burlap fringe into artful sconces . Her husband fashioned the frame of the daybed using a $25 flea-market door and pallets. The pillowcases are made from old grain sacks.

11

Calming Colors

furniture, room, living room, interior design, white, property, blue, floor, home, wall,
Melanie Acevedo

Blue and white pillows and a custom roman shade (made with Christopher Farr fabric) reinvented an entryway as a reading nook in this Massachusetts home.

12

Repurposed Decor

living room
Lara Resen

In the living room of this circa-1970s New York farmhouse, John Robshaw throw pillows help cushion a radiator-obscuring bench and turn it into a relaxing spot. The insect photos, by Linda B. Horn, hang on a wall painted White Dove by Benjamin Moore.

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13

Charming Accents

sitting area
Victoria Pearson

Found at a flea market, a pair of cast-iron owl andirons nest in the fireplace of this California home’s bedroom corner.

14

A Place to Rest

building-character-sitting-area-0513-lgn.jpg
Victoria Pearson

The owners of this Washington estate assembled a nonfunctioning clock with $23 of rope and plywood, plus leftover paint and hands cut from scrapwood. A burlap T.J. Maxx pillow, only $10, contrasts with a leather armchair scored on Craigslist.

15

Punch of Patterns

patterned daybed
Christopher Baker

The owner of this Kentucky retreat built this daybed, which wears a Home Goods gingham sheet and pillows from Pottery Barn (the green and one and the striped bolsters) and Home Goods (the large patterned square).

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16

Funky Corner

the-next-chapter-armchairs-0313-lgn.jpg
Lisa Romerein

Decorator Sasha Emerson reupholstered her armchairs in cotton ticking and fashioned the window shades from linen chintz. Tweaking those traditional fabrics? An ad for a French furniture store, bought at Vintage European Posters in Berkeley, and a resin elephant table from the 1960s.

17

Luxe Library

distressed walls
Victoria Pearson

This Atlanta loft's iron daybed, draped with an antique cotton quilt, is more than 100 years old. The midcentury metal floor lamp came from a photo studio.

18

A Modern Spin

simple living area
John Gruen

In this Massachusetts cabin, an Ikea sheepskin softens a 1970s bentwood rocker, which belonged to the owner's father. The tin B was part of a gas station sign.

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19

Room with a View

Richardson chaise lounge
Stacey Brandford

Designer Sarah Richardson relied on natural textures and colors to add warmth to her reading nook.

20

Bold and Bright

master bedroom sitting area
Quentin Bacon

In this Georgia lake house, the owner's collection of vintage tramp-art mirrors hangs above a custom settee—enlivened by a Utility Canvas quilted blanket—in the master bedroom. Westbrook sourced the carpet, sewn with Turkish flour sacks, from Sullivan Fine Rugs.

Headshot of Michelle Profis
Michelle Profis
Digital Director

Michelle Profis is the digital director at ThePioneerWoman.com. 

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Genius Decorating Ideas for Every Room in Your House

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