My fellow, avid readers! Take a break from your favorite form of escapism, diving into different worlds and beyond, and lend me your eyes for a small duration of time. As we can all surely attest for, there’s nothing like a comfortable space to settle into and flip through the pages of a mind-gripping adventure. Surrounded by snacks and beverages, it is your time of relaxation you most look forward to. Whether it’s a rainy day, hearing the soft pit-pat of droplets at the window or after a hard day’s work, eyes eager to consume the pages, the setting is important. So today, I’d like to discuss how to create an excellent ambiance, the perfect reading nook to sprawl out while you dive in.

Perfect Reading Nook: Comfort

Create an environment worthy of killing an entire novel in one session. That’s the key component to having the perfect reading nook. Make it so you don’t have to leave it all, make it so you don’t want to leave ever. Yup. We’re talking premium escapism, folks, featuring only the best qualities. If you’re like me, you want maximum comfort. Pillows, comforters, mattresses, the works.

Home Tweaks

Surround yourself with soft, seriously. I like to sprawl out when I read, every limb relaxed, my only worry in the world is what’s going to happen to so-and-so when he finds out this guy did this. If you’re in a chair, let it be one you can sink in. If you’re one of the lucky ones (I envy you) and have one of those built-in nooks set in by a window, you’re set. Lighting included, which we’ll get to here in a bit.
Also, if you’re like me, you want to be surrounded by books when you read. This is why Barnes & Noble or the nearest library is my second place. The still, quiet atmosphere, silence only broken by the turning of pages, the rich, distinct aroma of scalding-hot coffee, and the furrowed eyebrows of a fixed expression — the world of focus & retention. Create a space that encourages a deeper sense of thinking.

Turn off your phone or throw it out the window. Leave all electronics the next floor down. Put technology on the back burner and let literature take hold. Let this be your space. Calm, soothing, relaxing. Furthermore, since you’re not going to want to leave, best bring the food with you. I’m serious, listen, if I know I’m about to read for a good long while, I’m bringing the pantry and the pitcher. Absolutely surrounded by snacks.

Perfect Reading Nook: Lighting

Natural light is the best light for reading, to me at least, but there’s only a few seasons where reading outside is plausible. So, as I mentioned above, if you have one of those areas you can nestle in by the window, build your perfect reading nook there. Think about it. You have the light to guide your eyes, and a a view to contemplate each chapter. These spaces were literally made for projects like these. But what if you don’t have such a space, you ask?

Then make sure your reading nook is underneath a well-lit area. Not too dim, but not too bright, either. Remember, you’re trying to create an ambiance here. This is  an environment dedicated for you to seek solace and demolish the last 34 pages you’ve been neglecting cause your favorite character has been foreshadowed to die since Chapter 4. Best get to it. Hey, he or she might live. If you’re reading Game of Thrones, probably not. SPOILER.

If it’s late at night, turn on a lamp and light a few candles. Literally, do whatever is necessary to plunge on. If it’s mid-day, a bit overcast outside, and there’s windows in your reading area, pull those blinds happen.
When I was younger, I used to have one of those book lights, so I could read late at night, way past my bedtime. I’d make a little fort, gather up my findings from the Scholastic Book Fair and read until I fell asleep, forefinger acting as a bookmark. Dive into these childlike instances and make this reading nook your own. It’s your space.

Perfect Reading Nook: Colors

Honestly, with this, it’s all up to you, but I do have a few suggestions. Since I’ve been so outspoken about creating a soothing environment, it would be logical for me to say to stick with neutral colors. The off-whites, gentle-grays, soft-blues, cool yellows, ya know, those subtle colors.

But like I said, you should make this your own. You want to grab a romance novel and head into a red room, by all means, be my guest. Use dark and ominous tones if you’ve thumbed through H.P. Lovecraft a time or two. Decorate each wall with the colors of the Hogwarts houses if you’re a Potterhead like I am.
But if you’d like to stay on the safer side, go neutral. It’s a tried-and-true kind of thing.

Alright, everyone. There’s my take on how to make the perfect reading nook. I hope I’ve generated enough interest for you to take some of these ideas into consideration. Good luck in all of your page-inscribed adventures, and I’ll see you on the other side!

Builders Surplus is a full service renovation company with locations in Louisville, Kentucky, and Newport, Kentucky, which also serves Cincinnati, Ohio. We are one of the leading providers of kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling, flooring and tile installations, windows and doors in Louisville, Newport, and Cincinnati. We specialize in interior design, kitchen design, quartz countertops, granite countertops, marble countertops, bathroom vanity tops, building materials, and home improvement. Interior Design and measurements come as a free service to our clients.
We sell building materials ranging in every price point, from unfinished kitchen cabinets to top of the line Wellborn cabinets. In addition to interior design, we also offer installation services. If you have any questions or would like to set up a free design consultation with one of our interior designers, we would encourage you to do so. We love sharing our knowledge with clients & potential home renovators. We write about interior design, home decor, decorating ideas, and home improvement. We hope you’ll check back in for our next article! Happy Renovation!
Written by: Chris Chamberlain