22 Reading Nook Ideas for Turning Any Space Into a Cozy Escape

Dark blue home library with velvet chair and window area — Photo:
Barr Joinery & Lucy Walters

Whether you’re working on an ambitious reading list or just trying to commit to spending one evening a week opening a book rather than scrolling social media, a cozy reading nook makes the experience so much more delightful. It doesn’t have to be fancy—all you need is a dedicated space with a comfy chair or a sumptuous sofa, a small table, and a reading light.

You can tuck a reading nook into a larger room, hide it in a hallway, or build it into a window seat for the type of hideaway that brings all of your childhood dreams to life (can you imagine spending an afternoon with Anne of Green Gables in your very own cushioned window?). Ready to pour over the inspiration? Here are 22 reading nook ideas for the coziest of quiet afternoons.

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Bring In Coastal Blues

Coastal inspired reading nook with wallpaper — Creative Tonic / Julie Soefer Photography

Sandwiched between two built-in bookcases, this reading nook combines everything you need in the ideal book-focused hideaway. There’s storage, comfortable cushions, unique lights, and a vibrant color that makes it feel as if you’ve been transported to another place.

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Opt for a Nancy Meyers-Inspired Nook

Window seat reading nook with white walls — Julia Lynn Photography / MDI Luxury Design

If a Nancy Meyers movie had a reading nook, this would be it. With its palette of off-whites and more off-white, classic trim molding, and natural light streaming through the windows, this is the spot where you curl up with the latest Elin Hildebrand novel and transport yourself to a romantic summer vacation.

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Go Breakfast Adjacent

Reading nook tucked in a breakfast area — Erika Bonnell Interiors / Angela Newton Roy

In this space, which is right next to a table and chairs, you can eat breakfast, then transition to the reading nook to finish reading the paper or pick up your book of the moment. Relax into the soft pillows and let your workday wait.

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Add White Shiplap and Black Sconces

Nautical reading nook with shiplap — GreyHunt Interiors / Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Shiplap and a sconce that feels like it would be right at home in a New England fishing cottage give this reading nook a sophisticated nautical look. Located in a hallway right outside a living space, it’s a charming way to utilize a passthrough.

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Swoon Over Regencycore Patterns and Motifs

Blue regencycore reading nook — Creative Tonic / Julie Soefer Photography

Still need to finish reading Bridgerton? This seems like exactly the right place to crack it open. Incorporating Regencycore trends like rich textiles and beautifully soft color drenching, this space is as relaxing as it is regal.

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Utilize an Awkward Space

L-shaped reading nook — Jess Isaac / Alex Yeske Interiors

You can create a reading nook in a tiny space—all you need is a little ingenuity. Rather than carve out a straight-across bench, which would have made for a child-size reading nook only, this space has an L-shaped reading space that uses every square inch of this quirky corner.

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Go for a Mid-Century-Inspired Look

Mid century inspired reading nook with boucle chair — Tina B Foto / Isy's Interiors

A bookcase with open, rounded lines, a Danish-inspired dresser, and a curvy boucle chair give this reading nook a mid-century-inspired look. It feels light, airy, and simple while still appearing purposefully styled.

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Tuck Yourself Away With Plenty of Arches

Arched wood reading nook — Julia Lynn Photography / MDI Luxury Design

An arched entryway sets the stage for an arched bookcase in this dramatic reading nook. With enough room for a U-shaped banquette, a modern ceiling fixture, and even a pony wall entryway, this is the ultimate in quiet hideaways.

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Add Extra Space

Oversize window seat — Sarah Shields Photography / Susan Yeley Homes

If you have the space, why not double the size of your reading nook banquette? Rather than just enough room for one person to sit a spell, this charming spot has room for a gaggle of cousins all getting lost in a storybook for the afternoon.

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Hide Away at the End of a Hallway

Hallway reading nook — Steve Hershberger / Four Brothers Design + Build

The best place to put a reading nook is in a tucked-away spot that would otherwise be forgotten. This nook at the end of a hallway has an arched entryway, simple sconce, and under-banquette storage to give it an intentional look. It’s the place that all the kids will fight over, each wanting a turn to escape into their favorite book.

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Add a Timeless Leather Chair and Neutral Color Palette

Leather chair in reading nook — Tim Lenz / Barrett Oswald Designs

With a leather chair, ottoman, and classic cocktail table perfect for setting down a drink or your book, this reading nook is as classic as they come. Built-in shelves with both open and closed storage add to its timeless look.

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Try a Reading Nook Within a Room

Reading nook in living room — AhA Interiors

A reading nook doesn’t have to stand alone. In this living room, a reading nook is created by placing a comfy accent chair right next to the built in-shelves, adding a magazine rack, then framing it with a sweeping mid-century lamp. Since you’re not facing the TV, this vignette seems to stand on its own.

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Create a Nook Within a Collected Library

Warm library reading nook — Eric Staudenmaier / Harvest Architecture

With a warm, slightly bohemian-inspired look, this library reading nook offers a cozy place to get away. The red patterned rug, brown wood furniture, jumble of colors within the built-in bookcases, and the classic leather chair appear as if they’ve been collected over time, yet they work together perfectly.

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Try a Comfortable Bedside Spot

Blue velvet chair — Creative Tonic / Julie Soefer Photography

Right by the bed seems like the ideal place for a reading nook. A comfortable chair in a sumptuous fabric makes the transition from morning to day so much easier. You don’t even need to get out of your pajamas—just grab a book and ask someone to bring you coffee. That means you’ve started the day, right?

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Bring the Outdoors In With Bold Patterns

Garden reading nook — Creative Tonic / Julie Soefer Photography

Covering a space in a bold pattern is a gorgeous way to set it apart from the rest of the house, and that’s exactly what you want when creating a reading nook. This green space feels calming, as if you’ve stepped right into a garden, except you don’t have to worry about mosquitos and humidity.

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Go for a Moody Vibe

Moody library — Jennifer Barron Interiors / Molly Culver Photography

For a more dramatic reading nook aesthetic, paint the space in a dark, moody color, add a leather couch, and lean into the library-like vibes. A lighter print rug keeps this room from looking too dim, yet it feels like the type of space where you’d light a vanilla and sandalwood candle while opening up the latest issue of your favorite magazine.

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Bring In Two Comfy Chairs

Two gray chairs in a reading nook — Jennifer Barron Interiors / Molly Culver Photography

There’s nothing better than sharing a quiet moment with a friend, both reading your own books while sitting together and enjoying a relaxing afternoon. This space feels light and airy, with the contrast of the traditional lines of the wood secretary and the modern art adding an unexpected look.

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Add a Bedside Window Seat

Light blue bedroom window seat — Lucas-Eilers Design Associates L.L.P. / Julie Soefer Photography

A window seat in a bedroom is a dream, especially when it’s draped in a soft palette of blues. This is the ultimate serene reading nook, where you can imagine hiding away for an hour or two on a sunny afternoon.

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Color Drench Your Reading Space

Color drenched library — Julia Lynn Photography / MDI Luxury Design

This reading nook is truly a reading room. With floor-to-ceiling bookcases and tufted leather furniture, it looks like a traditional library drenched in color. This is where you can truly spend an afternoon letting your imagination run wild.

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Go for Jewel Toned Colors

Jewel tone reading nook — Benjamin Johnston Design / Julie Soefer Photography

A rich aubergine velvet accent chair and ottoman, a deep peacock blue pillow, and details in gold give this reading nook a rich look that contrasts perfectly with the light wood paneled walls.

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Incorporate a Sweet Serene Corner in the Nursery

Vibrant nursery — Creative Tonic / Julie Soefer Photography

Parents know there will be so many memories made in a nursery reading nook, so creating a special one is so important. The vibrant, Florida-inspired colors of this nursery feel both bright and serene, and the pink reading chair and ottoman stand out just enough to feel like their own space.

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Incorporate a Curved Sofa

Kidney shaped sofa in reading nook — Benjamin Johnston Design

Make your living room a flexible space by selecting furniture that can work as a place to gather—but is just as conducive to curling up with a book. With lines that sweep around in a U-shape, a curved sofa like this makes you feel like you’re in a contained space, just right for daydreaming and, of course, reading.

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