Cuddly Nooks for Every Room
How to create intimate spaces for reading, relaxing, or conversation in any home
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You may wish you had a large, expansive home, yet still crave a small nook — a place where you can tuck yourself away to read, reflect or just relax. Houzz contributors have come up with many ways to create just such private getaways by transforming a deep closet, using space under the stairs, furnishing a corner, creating a lofty window seat, and more. Could one of these ideas work for you?
An alcove way up high. Who says window seats have to be chair-level? Climbing a short ladder up to this fun window seat separates you from everyone and everywhere else. I would feel like a little bird perched in my nest.
Convert a deep closet into a hideaway space. If you don't need the closet in a home office or guest bedroom, turn it into a sitting area. Take off the doors and add built-in drawers across the bottom of the closet to create a bed-height bench and provide extra storage. Install good overhead lighting and shelves for books, then paint the interior and trim in a warm color. Throw pillows that invite family and friends to sit, read and relax finish off the space.
Close off one end of a room with a drape. There's no need to add a physical wall to create a separate space. A drape works just as well, and an added bonus is the warm cozy feel that all the fabric creates when it is pulled closed. Place a chair, chaise, or window bench behind the curtain and relax.
To get this look, use a ceiling rod bracket from Country Curtains with a 3/4" rod, add rings and hang a drape or drapes.
To get this look, use a ceiling rod bracket from Country Curtains with a 3/4" rod, add rings and hang a drape or drapes.
Carve out space under a stairwell. Many times this area is wasted space or relegated to storage, but an upholstered bench and lots of soft pillows turn it into the perfect nook.
A light color palette keeps a potentially dark little space airy and bright. Retain some of the storage capability with built-in drawers underneath for storing extra blankets and books.
A light color palette keeps a potentially dark little space airy and bright. Retain some of the storage capability with built-in drawers underneath for storing extra blankets and books.
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| Use furniture layout to create a floating nook. Start with a focal point, such as a fireplace or wall of bookcases. Place two comfy chairs in front to create an L-shape. Finish by adding a rug under the chairs. This physically separates the space even though there are no walls. |
Place two wingback chairs facing each other under a window or against a wall to create a cozy conversation area. This works because when you're seated, you are looking at the person in the chair in front of you, not at the space around you. An ottoman or table between the chairs is both functional and helps soften the look.
Do you have a double-door closet in your upstairs hallway? Turn it into a reading area. Loft areas and open hallways also work well as small library spaces.
by Crate&Barrel
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Nooks need a light source. If the nook is built into a wall or is otherwise very tight, you may not have room for a floor lamp. Go for a wall sconce instead. If you can't hardwire one into your nook, try a plug-in like this antiqued sconce from Crate and Barrel.
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by ARCHIA HOMES
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| Use knee walls (half walls) to separate a little library nook in a larger space. Surround the space with shelves filled with books and display items, then make it cozy with a rug and comfy chairs. |
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| Use lighting to highlight a cozy spot. Adding a floor lamp directly behind or next to a chair in a corner illuminates just that small space and turns it into a separate area within the larger room. |
This is a great option for a floor lamp. Not only is it beautiful and unusual, but its three-way switch allows you change the ambience in the space by controlling the amount of light it puts out.
Create a kitchen nook. Are you in the kitchen a lot? If you have room, add one or two upholstered chairs and a small round table to remind you to sit and relax for a moment.
by Craig Denis
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Try an angled chaise in an empty corner. Set it so it doesn't jut out into the room, but instead touches the adjacent walls. The small triangular area behind the chaise is just big enough to fit a small table and lamp.
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| Separate a seating area in your bedroom. Simply turn your chairs away from the rest of the room. They can look out the window or toward a wall of bookcases. |
| Pull back from the conversation. If your furniture is centered in the room, pull an upholstered chair back in a corner away from the central seating. Add a lamp and table, and you have a little reading nook. |
The ultimate private nook. This classic design is the very definition of a "nook." The built-in benches with their high sides facing the room add privacy, but the small space doesn't feel dark or too enclosed. Wish I had a spot in my home for this!
Do you have a special reading nook at home? Share a photo below!
More: Window Seats for Winter (or Whenever)
Do you have a special reading nook at home? Share a photo below!
More: Window Seats for Winter (or Whenever)
Ideabook published on Oct. 3, 2011.
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You are right, two small comfy movable chairs and a small table means that you can take your nook to the room that suits you most. We move ours in the cooler months to our kitchen from our back porch.