Are you looking to create your very own corner at home to help you relax and unwind?
In today’s fast paced lives, taking out time in the morning to read the newspaper or unwinding with your kindle at night can seem like a luxury.
But if you can create a reading corner for yourself, that you can define as your own, it will help you sit back and take a breath! It can be a corner of your house or an entire room but the important part is to make it unique and a space that reflects your personality.
Here are some tips to help you get started to create your own space:
A simple way to get started is by asking yourself – what makes you feel happy, soothed and cosy?
Sizing it right:
To have an ideal bookshelf with your book collection displayed, one needs to have the size of the shelving right. For the smaller books, 8” to 10” of shelf height and a depth of 9” is ideal and if you’ve got some coffee table books and encyclopaedias, make those shelves 12” in height and 12” deep. Remember to keep the deeper shelves towards the bottom, it won’t make the bookcase look heavy in the room.
Simply Lit :
A reading nook doesn’t necessarily require a lot of space. A chair with a footstool positioned near a window in an empty corner of a room. It allows you to soak in that Vitamin D and a perfect spot for your morning read.
Style follows function:
A deep armchair with a large lamp hanging from a wall bracket or a tall floor lamp leaping over you, add a throw to the mix with a side table to park that hot cuppa! Perfect corner to catch up on leisure reading as the sun goes down and also doubles up as a style statement
Whimsically yours – Always wanted to use that bold print in your house but too scared? With the basic setup in place, add your personal creative touch. It could be bright upholstery on the reading chair and while you’re at it, add some more interesting pieces to reflect your personality. Maybe a fun art piece, a musical instrument or a bar cabinet.
Define your space:
If you have a space crunch and are using a room for multiple activities, define your reading corner from the rest of the room by painting it in a different colour or adding bookshelves around your chair. This will give it identity and avoid the space feeling cluttered.
For the kids:
Create a corner for them to call their own. A rug on the floor with cushions or a swing in the corner of the room. Let them decorate the walls with their favourite book character posters or draw their own comic characters on the walls using Write and Wipe paint.
Use odd corners:
One of the most underutilised spaces in our homes is under the staircase.
A full height bookshelf with a built-in bench and add some recessed lights above to light it up for comfortable reading.
The author is a partner Interior Architect.
