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

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

5 Cozy Reading Nook Essentials:

• Comfortable Seating
• Small Side Table
• Ample Lighting Source
• Storage Area for Books
• Cozy pillows and throws