Need a nook? 4 cozy spaces to create for your homefeatured
I was originally going to call this one “nooks to create for this upcoming season,” but then decided to scrap that. Because, quite honestly, regardless of season, regardless of holiday-esque decor, a nook is a nook is a nook (is necessary).
So for this- and every season- I invite you to create one of these cozy spots in your home to just be…and, you know, try to Just Be.
Let’s begin!
The Porch Nook
Unless you live in a part of the world that gets crazy hot or crazy cold (which, uh, I do), it’s nice to utilize porches, decks, and patios as much as possible. (In Chicago, if we get a span of 6 “pleasant” months, we’re stoked.) And during those pleasant times, isn’t it nice to be able to waltz on out into the space with a book or a cup of coffee without having to do a ton of prep work? (…Yes.)
The perfect ingredients:
- All [or most] weather seating, like a wooden bench, wicker chairs, wrought iron stools…
- Indoor/outdoor cushions (mix n’ match patterns, you guys!)
- A table-esque thing, such as a wooden pallet, a smaller bench, a stool or, you know, an actual table
- Something lovely! A candle (citronella or otherwise), a hardy potted plant…
The best outdoor spaces are primed for someone to just pop on out with a beer, a book, and a throw blanket- no other prep work required! (Our tiny back patio is juuust the right size for a small café set, some quick-drying cushions, a bottle of wine…and even a spot for my husband, if- if!– I extend the invite.)
The Book Nook
The necessity of a book nook is my hill to die on (or, I suppose, one of my various hills), and I think they’re fantastic all over the dang house. Whether they’re in a kid’s room (with a floor cushion and a milk crate full of board books) or beside a 1930s divan and a rolling library ladder (hey, a girl can dream), a spot to sit and take a side trip is always welcomed real estate.
The perfect ingredients:
- A cozy seat– the snugglier the better
- A spotlight lamp with soft lighting (whether from a floor fixture, an angled overhead, or something majestic like these hanging lanterns)
- Lightweight blankets (and a blanket basket, you guys)
- Perfectly sized bookshelves, whether small and modular, large and imposing, floating and staircase-shaped (or a combination of ALL)!
- Books n’ books n’ books n’ books
The world’s best book nooks are the ones where it looks like someone just left in the middle of a good book, and will remain momentarily (with a snack) to settle in for more chapters and characters and worlds. (I made the mistake of snuggling into one of our book nooks to finish this post…and accidentally read a chapter of Agatha Christie’s “The Unexpected Guest.” Whoops.)
The Bedside Table Nook
Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve loved nap time. A soft nest, time to arrange my favorite things just so, and a good Little Golden Book or four. (Throw in a sippy cup and it’s nap time heaven.) Adulting requires even more comfort, believe it or not, and a great place to start is the first and last place you see each day.
The perfect ingredients:
- A lamp that makes you happy (<— Yes, a thing.)
- Hidden ways to charge your devices and store your bedtime necessities. (Got you here, peeps!)
- A smallish stack of words: Something you’re jonesing to read, something that makes you happy to re-read (and re-read), a pretty journal, a crossword…
- A coaster (in case your sippy cup has evolved into something way more awesome)
- A diffuser– the candle’s grown-up (and fireproof) little sister. (I have this one, and love to snooze to a blend of lavender and lemongrass.)
The nightstand is no place for paperwork or chew toys or anything that doesn’t encourage relaxing with a few pages before dozing off for a bit. And while it’s a lofty ideal to say that the only things allowed in your bedroom are those which promote a sense of calm, it’s certainly doable for the flat surface beside your pillow.
The TV Nook
For some peeps, time catching up on their shows (or, as my nana would say, her programs), is sacred self-care time. So why not take it a step further and create a TV-watching sanctuary, one that feels like a break from the chaos of the outside world? (Tall order for a couch? Nah.)
The perfect ingredients:
- A cozy and clean couch (or love seat or easy chair or beanbag)
- An odd number of comfy, complementary pillows. (An even number looks too precise- I dig the look of 3 or 5- and never be afraid to mix patterns, based on one or two similar colors!)
- An easily washable, easily fall-asleepable throw blanket
- Two baskets: a smaller one for remotes, and a bigger one for other living room stuff that, really, should be put away soonish
Listen, your brain knows when it’s time to relax, and when it’s surrounded by chaos (outside of reality TV drama) it won’t fully chill out. Keep your media space decluttered, dusted, and distraction-free. Any media cabinets and toy/pet/work bins that can be closed up? Do it. For the next hour, it’s just you and those Real Housewives- and they really need you. (Among other things.)
Get ready to get your nook on, friends!
(And then get ready to do…absolutely nothing at all. Ahhh.)
Which nook does your home need?
Comment below!
