Boho Reading Nook Ideas for a Bedroom Corner
Turn an unused bedroom corner into a boho reading nook with four things: a seat, a plug-in light behind your shoulder, a small surface and soft layers, plus one plant and a basket for books.
The corner beside the window, the gap next to the dresser, the strip of floor at the foot of the bed: most bedrooms have one spot that holds nothing but a laundry pile. It takes four things to turn that spot into a boho reading nook, and none of them needs to be large.
Those four are a seat, a light, a surface and something soft. Choose them in that order, keep them in the colors the room already has, and the corner looks like part of the bedroom rather than an afterthought.
Pick the corner first
Three places tend to work in a bedroom, and each one suits a different kind of seat.
- By the window. Daylight for reading and something to look at. Angle the seat so the light falls over your shoulder, not into your eyes.
- At the foot of the bed. A natural home for a bench or a pair of poufs, since nothing else uses that strip.
- Beside the dresser. The dresser top becomes your surface, so you only need a seat and a lamp.
As a rough starting point, a patch of floor about 3 ft (90 cm) square is enough for a small chair. Lay a folded blanket on the floor to mark the footprint and live with it for a day before you bring anything in.
The seat sets the mood
The seat is the largest piece, so it decides how boho the corner looks. Choose by how you like to sit as much as by appearance.
A rattan or cane chair
The classic choice. The open weave lets light through, so the chair looks lighter than an upholstered one of the same size. Add a seat cushion and one pillow for your back.
Floor cushions or a pouf
Two or three large floor cushions stacked against the wall make the lowest, most relaxed seat. A knitted or woven pouf takes the least room of all and uses the wall as its backrest.
A small bench with cushions
Best at the foot of the bed. A wooden bench with a long cushion and two pillows doubles as a place to sit while you put on shoes.
A light behind your shoulder
Put a plug-in floor lamp just behind and to one side of the seat, so the light lands on the page and your head does not cast a shadow. A woven rattan shade gives a warm glow and scatters soft patterns on the wall, which is lovely for mood. For long reading sessions, a shade that is open at the bottom or a lamp with an adjustable head sends more light downward.
Use a warm bulb to match the rest of the room, run the cord along the wall where nobody will trip on it, and follow the lamp maker’s instructions. For a floor-cushion nook, a small rechargeable light on a nearby shelf does the job. The bedroom lighting ideas explain how this lamp fits with your other light sources.
A surface within reach
You need somewhere for a cup and the book you are not holding, and it should sit where your hand falls without stretching. Good options in the style are a wooden stool, a small round rattan table or a stack of three or four large books with a tray on top.
Aim for a top that is roughly level with the arm of the chair or a little below it. With floor cushions, a tray on the floor is enough. Keep the surface nearly empty: the cup, the book and at most one small object.
Softness: a throw and a small rug
One throw over the arm or the back of the seat makes the corner look used and welcoming. Pick a texture the room does not have much of yet, such as a chunky knit or fringed cotton. The guide to draping and folding throw blankets shows ways to place it so it looks casual, not dropped.
A small rug marks the nook as its own place. A round jute rug about 3 to 4 ft (90 to 120 cm) across is a common starting point for a single chair, with at least the front legs of the chair resting on it. Use a rug pad suited to your floor type so it stays put.
Tip
Sit in the finished nook for twenty minutes with a book before you call it done. You will notice at once if the lamp is too far back, the table too low or the cushion too flat.
One plant and a basket for books
A single plant is enough. A leafy floor plant in a woven basket beside the seat softens the corner and screens it slightly from the rest of the room. Choose a plant that suits the light the corner really gets.
If the floor is full, a trailing plant at height brings the green in from above; see the guide to hanging plants in the bedroom for ways to display one.
Before you hang anything
For anything fixed to a wall or ceiling, choose the fixing for the wall type or ceiling type and for the full weight of the pot, plant and wet soil, and follow the manufacturer instructions. Get help if you are unsure, and keep it away from the space directly above the seat. A floor plant or a freestanding stand is the simpler choice.
Add one low basket for books and magazines. It keeps the surface clear, and its size sets a natural limit on the pile.
Keep it in the room’s palette
The nook should repeat the bedroom, not start a new theme. Take two colors from the bed, for example cream and rust, and use them again on the cushion and the throw. Repeat one material as well: a rattan chair echoes a rattan mirror frame, a wooden stool echoes the bed frame.
In a tight room, favor pieces you can see through or over: an open-weave chair, a slim lamp, a low stool. The corner then adds warmth without adding bulk, and it stays a place you will want to sit rather than one more thing to walk around.
Frequently asked questions
How much space do I need for a reading nook in a bedroom?
Less than most people expect. As a rough starting point, a patch of floor about 3 ft (90 cm) square takes a small chair, a slim floor lamp and a stool. A pouf or a stack of floor cushions against the wall needs even less, so most bedrooms have a corner that will do.
What is the best seat for a boho reading nook?
A rattan or cane armchair with a cushion is the most recognizable choice and looks light because of its open weave. Floor cushions and poufs suit small rooms and a lower, more relaxed way of sitting. Choose the one you can sit in comfortably for half an hour.
Where should the lamp go in a reading corner?
Place a plug-in floor lamp slightly behind and to one side of the seat so the light falls on the page without your head casting a shadow. A warm bulb keeps it in line with the rest of the room, and a shade that sends light downward helps for longer reading.
