Decorating & Design
May 20, 2024
15+ Book Nooks To Get You Through Your Summer Reading List
Skip screen time and get a head start on your summer reading list with inspiration from these book nooks. These homeowners and designers carved out space in bedrooms, dens, gardens and awkward corners to create the ultimate reading spot. From built-in window niches to breezy outdoor hammocks and cottage day beds, these reading nooks will inspire you to curl up with your favorite book (and beverage) in hand. Scroll down and get reading!
“There’s a custom daybed in the great room for afternoon naps and reading to the littles,” says Lucy Penfield of Lucy Interior Design.
“Every bunkie interior should provide a few universal amenities: hooks for wet bathing suits, comfy mattresses, a nighttime reading light and a window with a beautiful view,” says designer Tommy Smythe. This artist shed designed by Glenn Ban in East Hampton, New York was made for reading and summer daydreaming.
“Design decisions were centered on maximizing the incredible views,” says designer Kelly Reynolds of this Vancouver condo. A sofa bed in the guest suite is a great spot to take in the view with a favorite read.
This coat closet was transformed into a whimsical reading nook by removing the door and hinges, and building a custom bench. The addition of a modern wall sconce pulls it all together.
An angled corner in this cottage dining room is ideal for watching wildlife and reading. Floor-to-ceiling corner windows frame the view of the water in both the living room and principal bedroom and create indoor-outdoor flow.
A wrap-around window seat off the dining room of this cottage kitchen offers plenty of space to curl up with a book on hot or rainy cottage days.
The light-filled reading nook in the hallway of this Victorian house has an original brick feature wall. Designer Jaime Polan Zimmerman’s childhood table and chairs were re-stained to match the new oak floor.
“The chaise is a great spot to read with a cup of tea and cosy blanket,” says the homeowner of this luxe principal bedroom designed by Tom Design Studio.
In this Mill Valley, California, home, designer Rita Konig creates a library-like sleeping nook outfitted with art, books and an essential reading lamp.
A reading niche in this cottage living room was the perfect place for a pair of armchairs. Oversized glazing brings the outdoors in.
In the principal bedroom of this B.C. cottage, a Herman Miller Eames lounge chair has the best seat in the house, facing a private deck that overlooks the ocean.
A multipurpose space off the dining area of this Florida home serves as an office, den, reading area and bonus bedroom, thanks to a daybed with caned side panels. “I like to play with texture in all of the spaces I design because it gives instant depth,” says designer Emily Griffin.
This screen-in porch is the centerpiece of the owners’ outdoor cottage lifestyle: a place to read, sip cocktails and, above all, linger. “They live out there until the snow flies,” says designer Cynthia Ferguson.
In this garden, a hammock is nearly hidden by Hollywood junipers and magnolia trees, creating a jungle-esque environment for a good long read or nap.
A reading nook in the hallway of this Quebec cabin designed by Blanc Marine Interieurs features an antique bench paired with a new linen-upholstered cushion.
Les Ensembliers created a lounge area off this country living room as a designated space for games, reading, playing guitar and conversing.
In this historical Nova Scotia summer house, an antique settee is surrounded by art, books and plenty of pattern.
A generous window seat in this principal bedroom designed by Collective Studio is a comfy spot for reading or watching the leaves fall.