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Reading nook window


12 Window Seat Ideas for the Perfect Reading Nook

Design: Mindy Gayer, Photo: Lane Dittoe

There's a certain genre of architectural detail we always dreamed about having in our homes as children—and window seats fit in squarely. Something about curling up on a window seat with a good book and a cup of cocoa just felt transportive and storybook-like. Others, like the private library complete with rolling ladder, are less practical—though no less dreamy.

This detail started popping up again on Pinterest and Instagram not too long ago, and with the window seat back on trend, we couldn't be happier. Unlike the child-sized ones we pictured in the past piled high with pillows, these modern window seats are as cozy as they are practical: situated with storage, placed in prime real estate for pulling off boots in a mudroom, and act as smart, stylish additions to our homes.

Window seats are officially back on our home design wishlist—right at the top, where our kid-selves would've wanted them. Read on for some of our favorite window seat ideas to bring into your home.

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Design: Gillian Segal Design Inc., Photo: Tracey Ayton

This sun-soaked seat is one of the sleekest bench designs we've seen. We love its understated-yet-traditional silhouette, flanked by the symmetry of double doors and, of course, matching sconces.

But, these light fixtures aren't just window-dressing. The pivoting arms help point light exactly where it's needed—like on the page of your favorite novel—to prevent eye strain and help you finish "just one more" chapter before bed.

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Carbon Shack/Home Front Build

This window seat is positive proof that any little alcove can be transformed—and, indeed, it should be. This nook packs a surprising amount of functionality into a minuscule footprint, offering shelves, three deep drawers, and just enough room to thumb through a favorite tome in cozy comfort.

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Design: JDP, Photo: Amy Bartlam

A deluxe take on a window seat if we ever saw one, this spacious built-in practically stands in for a second couch. The little "room within a room" is flooded with gorgeous light, making it a compelling spot for a coffee date.

Printed window treatments are the finishing touch to this textile-packed, eclectic corner—and we have to say, we're fully enamored with the entire look.

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Design: Kate Lester, Photo: Lauren Pressey

When your home has an oceanfront view like this one, it would be a crime not to have a dedicated space for admiring it. The custom tufted awning-stripe cushions echo the coastal vibe, evoking the iconic stripes of beach umbrellas in a more muted, natural way, while the other textiles lean a little more nautical in style.

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Liz Caan

Homes with dormer windows often have small alcoves where each window is placed—and it can be tricky to decide what to do with that square footage, since only the narrowest furniture will fit. We're in favor of turning the entire dormer into a mini-hideaway, complete with window seat and a slim pedestal table for resting your coffee or tea.

This space takes the whole "interior escape" idea to the next level, styling it with contrasting wallpaper and a dedicated overhead light fixture—moves that almost make it feel like a glamorous dollhouse grown to adult-size.

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Liz Caan

Duplicates always make more of an impact, so it's no surprise we're loving this living room layout. A built-in bench seat under one window echoes the loveseat to the left, an almost-matching set that mirrors the floor lamps in the space as well.

This look goes to show that you can achieve the look of a window seat without springing for a custom-constructed version just by picking an apartment-sized couch or loveseat that fits the profile of the window overhead.

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Liz Caan

We're not all lucky enough to be blessed with an imposing quarter-circle of windows, but for those who are, an equally beautiful window seat is the way to show it off to its best advantage. This stunning traditional-style bench offers plenty of room for side-by-side tea time, and we truly couldn't picture anything more elegant.

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Design: Maestri Studio

We'll never pass up an opportunity to incorporate some handy concealed storage into a custom-built home project, and adding a window seat is no exception. In this stately slate gray and white space, the campaign-style drawers on this bench seat feel right at home.

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Design: Mindy Gayer, Photo: Lane Dittoe

Built-in media centers, or bookcases that have a dedicated space for your flat-screen, have been gracing our Pinterest feeds for a while now. But, what we're really loving are those built-ins that add some texture and personality with the way they're arranged.

This striking example uses narrow trim in a designer-favorite blue gray shade to bring a little coastal-casual depth to this wall. And of course, it incorporates a miniature window seat perch for looking out at the gorgeous nature that surrounds the home.

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Design: Mindy Gayer, Photo: Vanessa Lentine

Tucked in a little corner by the front door, this window seat is moonlighting as a landing pad. Whether you're coming or going, having somewhere plush to sink down and put on your shoes is always appreciated—and in a modern farmhouse style home like this one, it just feels right.

The rich natural character of wood detailing behind the bench lends a little added depth and visual interest to this little nook.

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TKTK

In a striking shade of blue, these bookcases are scene-stealing enough—but look a little closer and you'll find not one, but two window seats. We can picture curling up on either one to gaze dreamily out the window on rainy days or summer evenings, and it's made all the better by having another space to invite a friend along.

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Cathie Hong Interiors

While there's plenty of style inspo in "new traditional" takes on the window seat, we couldn't resist throwing this modern-glam version into the ring as well. With cool curvy sconces, plenty of velvet, and cylindrical bolsters on each side, we've never seen a luxe look that felt so cozy and comfy.

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The perfect reading spot is not easy to find. Comfortable reading chairs and lounges can do the job – but the avid reader knows they need a proper setting. These 50 nooks and crannies consider the wants of the lover of a good read. Whether you’d like to hole up in a library wall, lounge against a sunny window ledge, hang in a hammock or outdoor bed, or find a unique reading space all of your own, we’ve got a spot inducing page-turning in mind. Take a gander at our selection to see which style of reading – and reading position – works best for you.

This simple white wooden ledge lets your legs stretch out to full capacity. Framed by two bookshelves, it offers a handy place to grab your next read.

Colour and pattern ramps up a notch with this green and gold design. A large window lets in light to a sunny seated area and retro Turkish rug.

Increase your indoor-outdoor flow with a window seat in the open air. Extending onto a patio, a row of planted ferns link beautifully to the creeping vines in the opposite window.

The minimalist would love this reading nook design. A simple white squab with geometric white window adds all the lighter elements for a peaceful read.

Curl up with a book with this functional cranny. Tucked beside a portrait-shape window, French drawers underneath provide a place for necessities.

Make the most of a corridor library with a printed squab and cushions at the end. A floral print sits next to a wooden ledge, giving off a tropical look.

Look up at the forest with this wooden-slatted design above your book. A velvet, olive green triangle extends the forest.

A walled library with an opposing glass panel needs a stunning chair to make the space. This textured suede find with matching ottoman does the trick.

Coat your lounge corner in glass windows and a soft stone chair, for a gorgeous seat suitable for turning pages.

Hide away in your own world with a wicker cane teardrop in your room. A little white inlet hides a blanket, a book, and you. Enjoy the gentle motion of a rocking chair combined with the comfort of a daybed.

Find an innovative way to read your favourites in a white plaster tunnel. Mid-century dark wooden bannisters and a stone carpet floor frame the look.

A spot next to a window is made grand by a wooden scoop seat. This reading nook acts as a functional window and design feature.

Cover our favourite Rattan Papasan chair in fur and cushions for an elegant, and well-travelled, look beside a book.

Invite the tropics beside your bookcase with this woven cane chair and rustic-looking ottoman. A fur rug, cushion and draping fern complement it nicely.

A relaxing look in segmented leather and wood, this Eames-Style lounge chair and matching ottoman work a treat in an all-wooden library.

Olive green and light wood are a perfect reading match in this Husk Chair Replica. A matching standing ottoman provides a place for the feet.

A luxurious, multi-panelled bookcase extends to the ceiling in this high-paned library design. A golden-hued chair is a perfect, minimalist fit.

Hang a white mesh hammock off the side of your bookcase, for a secluded and interesting reading experience.

This innovative library hides in a mini loft. A futon bed acts as a soft reading space, plopped afront a short bookcase wall.

Complement an art deco feel with this leaning find in leather and wood. Set on simple furnishings, it provides a statement within a comfy place to read.

Want a place to read and hide away? This sliding compartment blocks off your secret reading space from view. Inside, paisley wallpaper and groovy accent colors create a cool retro atmosphere – the current furniture keeps things contemporary, but a mid century modern sofa would complete the theme for a bolder look.

Under the stairs is a perfect place to read. This nifty nook clads it in wood, teal and under-seat shelving.

Make an artwork of your reading space with a die-cut hole in the wall. Your favourite books can stay in its walls, with a few in-built shelves.

Make your reading nook the feature of your bookcase with this simple white and wood enclave design.

Can’t choose between a bed, couch or seat? This chocolate dream offers all three, as it nestles into the corner of two book-lined walls.

Build an igloo inside your house with this minimalist reading dome. An array of cushions and pockets of light add interest to a cranny you could read in for hours.

Use a sloped space to full effect, by placing a reading nook inside. This white-bedded space opens itself up to the world with a skylight window.

Invite other readers into your space, with a large green square standing out from the library. Surrounding shelves offer plenty of books for discussion and sharing.

An artpiece, book shelf and comfy seat in one, this unique structure can sit wherever you desire to read.

Accentuate a long room with an inviting book nook placed at the end. Two windows, rows of accessories and multi-coloured cushions create your happy place.

Create a playhouse and reading space in one with this cute nook for the kids. A light-wooden ladder and flower pot act as a welcome greeting.

Complement your modern, Scandinavian-look home with a Grant Featherston-Style Contour Wing Chair. Grey cotton with orange buttons hark over to a standing orange floor reading lamps lamp.

Take the high road with this high-winged chair, a subtle place for relaxation in muted grey. Its rolling balls move the seat into your perfect reading location.

A quilted square chair beckons the next reading session, afront a patchwork wall and under a grasshopper living room lamp.

Extend your legs upon the perfect middle ground between sitting and lying down. This leather and steel chaise lounge chair finds a sunny spot beside the bookcase.

A wicker cane weave is comfy, stylish and practical. Working well with wooden bookcases, it offers a comfy angle for an in-depth reading session.

White leather on wooden legs creates a circular design, perfect for curling up with a book. Throw a fluffy blanket over the top for a touch of everyday glamour. Including multiple tables is a smart touch, keeping condensation from an icy carafe away from beloved first edition novels.

Able to adapt to many interiors, this mustard wingback chair makes a seated stand beside an elongated marble fireplace. A zigzagging wooden floor adds detail.

Break the traditional reading nook brief with these hanging hammocks, a splendid idea for a shared space. Hung by chains from the ceiling, they can adjust to your desired height.

This warm and cozy setting embraces Victorian ambiance. A grand fireplace centers this space – the classic mantle design and ornate fireplace screen making a bold traditional impression. Stretching out on the red chair would be the perfect way to wind down with a good book in the evening.

Sleep among the books with this unique bed between the shelves. Elevated in a mini loft-style, the ceiling forms a traditional shape above the straight and winding bookshelves.

Set your favourite spot outdoors with a light cane chair and matching reading table. Potted ferns and hanging plants coalesce in a space drenched with light and greenery.

Bring the outside inside with a chocolate brown chair among potted ferns. A token lambskin rug paves the way to and from the bookshelf.

Have a pool? Create a spot to dry off and read, with an inbuilt seating arrangement to the side. A white stencil table offers a handy place to leave your book for the next dip.

Doze off in the garden after a good reading session, as green walls surround your every gaze. This matching green chaise makes an L-shape beside a table and chair setting.

The minimalist garden would benefit from this simple white square and chair, backed by a full row of bamboo.

Build a secret place in the garden with this elongated wooden chaise. Plants hang over the top, bringing your reading session a few steps closer to nature.

Read on, over and beside a pond with this hammock hanging from varnished posts. Lilypads dot around, and moss creates a soft bed under, a bamboo square with food table beside.

Live like a caterpillar inside a hanging mosaic structure. Keep out the bugs with a pretty mesh overlay, or let the sun speckle your skin through its many geometric openings.

Create a reading event wherever you are with this portable PVD dome. With plants inside and outside, it’s a modern alternative to a conservatory, gazebo, greenhouse or hot tub cover.


Are you a book lover? Don’t forget to check the links below then.
32 Comfortable Reading Chairs
40 Fabulous Floor Reading Lamps
Home Decor For Book Lovers
50 Unique Bookends For Book Lovers

30 Most Beautiful Reading Nooks

Let these beautiful reading nooks, niches and alcoves inspire you to find a place in your home that will be the door to the magic of books.

In times of living at the speed of a web browser, it is extremely difficult to focus.

A nice little hiding place designed for one purpose - reading - can be helpful in combating digital distractions. For example, the temptation to check how many likes a new Facebook status has received).

All of these reading nooks can be found on Houzz, a photo-based social network for people interested in interior design and decorating ideas.

The page dedicated to each item that is published on Houzz contains questions and answers (such as what materials were used and where to buy them) and usually a very long discussion section.

Once you have a decent reading area, grab a good book, grab a coffee, and make sure you don't allow Facebook or Twitter to be used here.

Eclectic Village Reading House

This colorful and cozy reading nook is located in the long hallway between the living room and the kitchen.
This is the perfect place to relax and read without being too excluded from the rest of the house. These beautiful pillows were embroidered by Christine Nicholas herself.

Contemporary Bedroom Reading Nook

As part of a modern Toronto home, there is a small seating area under the window, ideal for reading.
Window wall pushed back to accommodate bed. There are three drawers underneath for additional storage space.

Rustic Reading Sleeping Nook

The rustic bedroom on the top floor of the lake house has a window area converted into a reading area. The couch serves as a bench for storing things.

Attic Reading Nook

Reading space in a traditional loft-style bedroom in Minneapolis. This is an example of how to creatively embrace sloped walls.

Window Reading Corner with Mountain View

An extremely cozy place with great mountain views, the perfect place to bring out the escapist in you.

Reading Nook Under Stairs

The area under the stairs is often lost - unless it is turned into a cozy and beautiful reading nook like this one.
Bookshelves slide out at the bottom like a drawer to reveal more storage space. The small door on the left leads to a secret hideout for the kids. To the right is the door to the ladies' room.

Under stairs reading nook

This is another very unconventional idea for hiding under stairs. Perfect for playing and reading, this curved space is like a cavern with subdued lights.

Sitting Reading Window

This example shows that creating a comfortable reading space is not an expensive thing. It's just a matter of adapting the area around the attic window.

Beach house reading nook

Beautifully designed reading area in a beach house. The triple window is wide enough to accommodate a regular sized daybed.

Rooftop Reading Room

This upstairs cozy reading space features a built-in bed. This is part of a magical forest retreat.

Window niche reading

A window seat is an unexpected place to read, but look how great it is! To get there, you will have to use a short ladder.
This sunny place, somewhere in the middle of the house, separates you from everyone and everything.

Read while sitting and look at the metropolis from above

The built-in wardrobe has a wall-to-wall window. Here is a place for reading. The wardrobe is modern, stylish, in natural colors.

Minimalist Reading Nook

This attic reading nook features a lounge chair that wraps around a round window, plinth LED lighting and storage drawers. No other details that could potentially divert attention from reading.

Built-in window reading area

The upper pantry, originally intended for teenagers, has been replaced with a seating and reading area to match the corner window.

Nordic House Reading Nook

The reading bench in this cabin is the perfect place for every reader to relax. Natural wood and finishes, contrasting red cushions and a curtain to further separate them from reality.

Nursery Cozy Reading Nook

The window alcove was designed to be cozy and comfortable enough to read all day long. Sunny, bright and evoking positive feelings.

Bedroom with built-in reading nook

Cottage bedroom remodeled to include a hidden reading nook at the back of the double bed.
The whole room is kept in white. The only color accent is paper from old books on the bookshelves.

Outdoor reading nook

Surrounded by brick walls, this outdoor reading area is a great place to relax with a good book. The upholstered bench gets some privacy thanks to vintage shutters and vines.

Alcove Traditional Reading

The Window Reading Area is part of the living room of the historic Percival Thompson House.
A reading alcove in natural tones with decorative pillows matches the exotic painted style of the room.

A cozy reading nook in a modern bedroom

Stone fireplace sides form a reading alcove, part of a modern and stylish bedroom.

Modern Fireplace Reading Place

The style is reminiscent of the bedroom nook we just talked about, but it's a completely different place and a completely different author.
While many reading nooks are close to a source or natural light, this one is close to a heat source. The seating area, or rather the nest, is next to the fireplace. Imagine reading a book here on a freezing winter!

Contemporary bedroom and reading nook

A reading nook in the middle of a closet wall is a good idea for a San Francisco rooftop penthouse.

Reading niche in modern children's room

It is located inside the recessed attic space and is designed for a double mattress. A little hideaway for your son or daughter.

Children's room and cozy reading nook

Eclectic reading area with built-in shelves. Great use of space, shapes and colors. Great idea for a kid's room.

Playroom and cozy reading nook

The reading arbor is located at the end of the cute playroom, next to the magic round window.

Traditional style reading nook and library

A great idea to turn an unused cupboard into an ideal reading space. There are top-down bookshelves on each wall, and plush seating in the center.
With all the important books within reach, you don't have to leave this cozy and functional reading space all day long.

Bedroom with reading bench

This bedroom reading nook can be used as an extra bed. Made in a transitional style, it is filled with large accent pillows.

Modern style reading window

The modern home's reading space is located by the terrace window and sliding door. The reader sits on the edge of the fictional and real world. Great for reading and meditation.

Village hall and reading nook

Walk down the rustic wooden hallway, open the curtains and you will find a cozy sleeping and reading nook. Great idea to use all the free space in the lake cottage.

Reading in the sunny corridor

Reading corner in the corridor again (see it on the left, flooded with sun?). This time, not wooden, with subdued evening light, but catching every ray of the sun and every moment of the day. Happy people live somewhere near Santa Barbara.

Bonus

Turn any area into a reading nook. This photo shows how easy it is to make a cozy reading space. You don't need an interior decorator for this.

All you need is a bean bag, a lamp and a couple baskets of books and magazines. Throw in some pillows, make yourself some coffee... and start reading!

How to arrange a reading area in any corner of the house

How to arrange

In today's world it is easy to do without books - any work can be quickly downloaded to any gadget. But reading corners are still indispensable.

1. This nook in the living room was obtained by adding a balcony. Designer Olesya Sitnikova created a separate area here, ideal for reading, and a vintage Japanese screen makes it especially cozy.

2. Customers Ivan and Natalia Trofimov from Blockstudio chose an unusual place for the reading area - in the combined kitchen-dining room. At the same time, it is extremely functional: a comfortable chaise longue, shelves, a stand for magazines, directional light. It is not surprising that this is the favorite place of the hostess of the apartment.

Blockstudio apartment in Moscow, 77 m². Photo: Sergey Ananiev. Stylist: Natalia Onufreychuk.

3. An armchair under the stairs, as in this project by Anastasia Komarova, is most likely not the place where you want to spend the whole evening reading a fascinating novel. But leafing through a magazine while other households are preparing for a joint publication, you can definitely be happy there. Just think how many family conflicts can be avoided with the help of such a corner!

Guest house in the Moscow region designed by Anastasia Komarova. Photo: Mikhail Stepanov.

4. Iconic furniture models often look monumental, as a symbol of the owners' involvement in the great history of world design. But not in the Minsk apartment of designer Maria Stepanova: it is clear that the Eames deck chair is absolutely in its place here and is used for its intended purpose. The designers wanted the chair to hug the rider like a baseball glove - a ball. These are the perfect conditions for reading.

Maria Stepanova's apartment in Minsk, 75 m². Photo: Sergey Krasyuk.

5. Designer Valeria Dzyuba has found the right use for the staircase hall in the attic floor of her two-level apartment. The chair of Gaetano Pesce works here both as a sculptural object and as a “nest” in which you can hang out for some interesting reading for a long time. And the living light from the attic window will make this process especially pleasant. This area of ​​the house will definitely not be “dead”.

6. This corner is part of a classic composition: a sofa plus a couple of armchairs facing the fireplace or TV. Having added a floor lamp and a table to one of the armchairs, decorator Irina Tatarnikova also received a full-fledged reading corner. This is a good option for small rooms that cannot be divided into different zones, especially since a multifunctional space always looks more interesting.

Apartment in Moscow designed by Irina Tatarnikova, 113 m². Photo: Mikhail Stepanov.

7. In the apartment designed by Ariana Akhmad and Tatyana Karyakina, everything is tied to large windows, behind which fir trees are green. And this daybed in the bedroom is designed primarily to enjoy the views. But when you get tired of admiring the conifers, you can read there with no less pleasure. Fortunately, in addition to the window, there is also its own source of artificial light.

8. In the country house of the entrepreneur and collector Oleg Baibakov, which was designed by Gulya Galeeva, a separate area in the office is allocated for reading. The fireplace is located not quite usually - not in the center, but in the corner of the room, but it is within easy reach of the bookshelves. The only thing that can be added to this composition is a floor lamp or some other local light source: lamps mounted in the ceiling may not be enough for comfortable reading.

The house of the collector Oleg Baibakov in the Moscow region, designed by Gulya Galeeva. Photo: Stéphane Juliard. Stylist and producer: Natalya Onufreychuk.

9. Decorator Inna Soltmann's apartment is almost completely furnished with vintage furniture, and this part of the office is no exception. Most often, a floor lamp is paired with a reading chair, but an ordinary table lamp on a high table perfectly replaces it. But it is inconvenient to hold a cup of tea at such a height, so a second table is added to the composition, lower, on which, in moments of relaxation, you can also stretch your legs.

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