Left Under the stairs is a classic nook location.
Here, rattan and macramé add texture to
the understated decor. The flooring is from
Carpetright. Bottom Peake also uses colourful
fabrics to make her reading niches stand outLockdown fuelled a demand for stylish
reading areas. Square-eyed from screen work
in the daytime and streaming films in the
evening, born-again print fans have been
taking inspiration from the #bookstagram.
On Pinterest, searches for “book nook” were
up 75 per cent last month compared with
October 2020, with the platform reporting
750 times more searches for “bookshelf
inspiration” as pinners plan their real-life
reading niches. The #booknook brag,
featuring a pic of artfully arranged rainbow
spines and inviting seating, is set to be the
latest social media boast post.
Like reading itself, the best book nooks are
an escape from beige reality. Frieda Gormley,
co-founder of House of Hackney, has created
a flight of floral fancy in one of the bedrooms
of her Cornish property, with clashing
patterns and tasselled textiles. “I love reading
and want to make sure I’m fully immersed in
whatever world I’m diving into,” Gormley
says. “Almost any little corner in the house
can be turned into a book nook — by
a window, in a hallway, the corner of the
bedroom. With a chair or a few cushions on
the floor and a lamp, it’s a simple way to create
a sense of privacy and cosiness.”
The interior designer Sarah Peake, of
Studio Peake, is sketching out several book
nooks for her new home. “The idea is to have a
few books within reach of a comfortable spot,
whether it’s an armchair or a daybed, so you
can grab something to curl up with on
a whim,” she says. “I like to incorporate a cosy
place to read in most rooms I design, then
I use an interplay of bright colours and
patterns to make the nooks stand out.”
So what are the key ingredients for cooking
up a book nook? If it’s set within a panelled
alcove or window seat, all you need is a
collection of cushions and throws. Start with
fashion designer Giles Deacon’s new literary
blanket — he has just launched a lambswool
and cashmere throw inspired by Anne
Brontë’s 1840s gothic novel The Tenant of
Wildfell Hall (£590; peterreed.com).
And, of course, pretty books will form the
heart of the ensemble. Stylist Lisa Dawson
has created a nook at the top of the stairs in
her barn in York, building an MDF bookcase
into the banisters and filling it with orange
Penguin classics. The colour is picked up in
decorative glassware, a tasselled table lamp
and rug. “Making a feature of the books was
the aim. I wanted guests to be able to reach for
a book, light the log-burner and relax on the
Thomas Loof, Alexander James sofa.” (And then #bookstagram it.) ■
The Sunday Times Style • 103