7 Ways to Create a Cosy Reading Nook This Autumn (For You and Your Pet)

A cosy reading nook doesn't need a spare room. It needs one proper chair, a real reading light, somewhere for your books to live, and, if you share the house with a dog or a cat, a spot for them right next to it.

Autumn is the easiest time to set one up, since the nights are drawing in already. Here's how to build one, using furniture that's actually in stock now.

In this article

• 1. Start with one proper chair, not a spare one
• 2. Get the lighting right
• 3. Give your books (and blankets) a real home
• 4. Add somewhere to put your feet up
• 5. Build in an actual pet corner
• 6. Layer in texture you already own
• 7. Pick a spot that will actually get used
• FAQ

1. Start with one proper chair, not a spare one

The biggest mistake with a reading nook is building it around whatever chair was already spare. A dining chair gets used for ten minutes and abandoned. You want a high back and proper wings, so it blocks draughts and gives you somewhere to rest your head, not just your seat.

A high-back accent chair in a plain fabric works in almost any room. For more presence, a Chesterfield-style wingback armchair with nail head trim makes a statement and does the same job.

Reading chair pick

Grey High-Back Accent Chair

A padded high back and wide seat built for sitting still a while, in a neutral grey that works with almost any room.

From £84.99 Shop the chair →

2. Get the lighting right

Overhead light is the enemy of a reading nook: flat, too bright for the evening, and lighting the whole room instead of just your book. What you want is a task light beside the chair, at shoulder height, with a warm bulb rather than a cool white one. A lamp with built-in shelves solves two problems at once if space is tight.

Reading light pick

3-Tier Corner Floor Lamp with Storage Shelves

A soft reading light built into a corner floor lamp, with three shelves underneath for your book, glasses and a mug. Also in oak, natural, white and rustic brown.

From £35.99 Shop the lamp →

3. Give your books (and blankets) a real home

A stack of books on the floor looks temporary, because it is. A small bookcase beside the chair turns the corner into a proper destination. It doesn't need to be large: a narrow 5-tier shelving unit fits a fraction of the floor space of a full-width unit, and the open shelves suit a folded blanket just as well as books.

Book storage pick

Narrow 5-Shelf Bookcase

Five open shelves in a narrow footprint, in a heather greige and ink black finish that suits a warm autumn palette.

From £37.99 Shop the bookcase →

4. Add somewhere to put your feet up

A footstool sounds optional until you've sat in a reading chair for an hour without one. Pick one that doubles as storage rather than a fixed footstool with no lid. Our compact folding storage ottoman cube tucks under a side table when not in use, and hides spare blankets or unread books inside.

5. Build in an actual pet corner

If a dog or cat keeps trying to get onto your reading chair, give them their own spot in the same corner instead of just moving them. PDSA's advice on dog-friendly homes recommends exactly this: a quiet bed or den where a dog won't be disturbed, which a reading nook already is by design. For a cat, a tall cat tree gives them a perch above the room, which most cats prefer to floor level.

Pet corner pick

Tall Cat Tree Activity Centre

Multiple platforms and a covered hideout in a grey finish that sits comfortably next to a neutral chair.

From £67.99 Shop the cat tree →

If it's a dog rather than a cat sharing your corner, our plush cushion dog bed does the same job at floor level, and comes in three sizes.

6. Layer in texture you already own

You don't need new soft furnishings to make a corner feel finished. A knitted throw over the chair arm and a cushion or two you already own does most of the work, especially in warm neutrals that suit autumn light. The furniture makes the corner function; the layering makes it look considered.

7. Pick a spot that will actually get used

The most common reason a reading nook stops getting used is nothing to do with the furniture. It's the location. A corner out of the foot-traffic path, near a window for daytime light and not facing the television, gets used. One squeezed between the sofa and the door does not.

• An unused stair landing is often bigger than it looks and rarely serves any other purpose.
• A box room too small for a bed can easily fit one chair, one lamp and a narrow bookcase.
• An alcove beside a chimney breast works precisely because it's already slightly separate from the rest of the room.

See our guide to creating a hotel-style bedroom at home, our guide to home furniture, and our guide to pet furniture if pets need more than just this one corner sorted.

Frequently asked questions

How much space do I need for a reading nook?

Less than you'd think. One chair, a lamp and a narrow bookcase fit into roughly a metre and a half square, which is why a stair landing or an underused alcove usually works better than a busy living room.

What's the best chair for a reading nook?

A high-back chair with wings or a tall backrest, rather than a low sofa seat, so you have somewhere to rest your head. Fabric is more forgiving than leather if a pet will share the corner.

Can I really fit my pet's bed into the same corner?

Yes, and it's worth doing deliberately rather than letting them claim your chair instead. For a cat, a tall cat tree uses vertical space instead of competing for floor space.

Do I need special lighting, or will a lamp I already own do?

Any lamp at shoulder height with a warm bulb does the basic job. A dedicated reading lamp with shelves underneath is worth the upgrade if your existing lamp is too dim, too high, or too far from the chair.

What should I avoid when setting one up?

Overhead-only lighting, a chair with no back support, and placing it directly opposite the television, which turns a reading corner into an overflow sofa within a week.