Create a Cozy Reading Nook in Your Studio Apartment
After six years of living in my 600 sq. ft. studio apartment, I am finally refreshing this space and am focused on creating a place that I truly love. I’ll be spending the majority of this year at home, so it’s worth the effort to invest in pieces that are comfy, cozy, and won’t break easily. Unfortunately, that rules out everyone’s favorite store (including mine) — Ikea. I love their prices, but I hate their terrible instructions and the fact that every piece I’ve owned has broken down in under 5 years.
While I’m parting with Ikea, that doesn’t mean in any way that I’m some how richer. I’ve just have gotten better at saving and planning, plus I’m a lot more patient nowadays. Refreshing your home does takes some time, from finding quality pieces that you’ll love for years to saving up enough money to purchase it. So to be nicer to my bank account and easier on my budget, I’ve decided to focus on one section at a time, starting with my “reading nook”.
The definition of a nook is a part of a room which is separate from the rest of the room, or a secluded spot. (defined by yourdictionary.com)
In planning my reading nook, I realized I did not have a corner to utilize or a cozy spot in front of a large window, like most examples seen on Pinterest. However, I do have an empty wall that’s about 3FT wide in front of my bed.
After settling on that designated area, I proceeded to measure out exactly much space I wanted to use, as I didn’t want any of the furniture to block the small walkway I have. I had about 3.5FT (in length) to work with, which basically killed my dreams of having a love seat and coffee table as it’ll stick out well beyond the allotted space. Instead, I decided upon a chair, foot rest, and side table as my reading nook essentials.
Tip: make sure to write down what pieces you want for your nook and try your best to stick to the list/your budget! We all know that we never walk out of Target with just one thing, hah.
Now here’s the fun yet long and grueling process — finding the right pieces. The search took longer than expected, as I really wanted specific pieces that were made of wood. After much research (aka Pinterest, Instagram, in-store visits, and searching every home decor website), I found the perfect items at Rove Concepts.
Tip: before finalizing any purchase, ask yourself 3 questions:
Can you find it elsewhere for cheaper and if you do, does this company price match and vice versa? Are there discount codes available or beneficial payment plans? Never hurts to ask.
What is the exact measurement of this piece? Measure it twice to be sure that’ll fit in your space.
Is this piece going to be something you’ll love for a long time? Investing means committing to pieces that’ll last years to come so I personally try to avoid trendy items.
I was introduced to Rove Concepts earlier in the year, as I had attended an event in their Melrose store. I loved the pieces they had on display but since this was just a showroom, I didn’t get to see everything they had. After browsing their website though, I fell in love with these 3 items:
I triple checked the measurements and found them to be suitable for my area before placing an order. While I originally wanted the Poul Pouf in yellow, I ended up with coral since they were sold out (and it’s still sold out). The order process was super easy and straightforward. I opted to pick up the products from their Buena Park warehouse, since KSOLE has a truck, and saved myself the $300 shipping cost ;) I got my items in less than two weeks, although it was ready to be picked up a week after I placed it. I just didn’t have the time to drive to Buena Park until a week after that.
Best part? The chair came carefully packaged and assembled. Didn’t need to be put together at all! The side table just needed the legs to be screwed on and the pouf, obviously, was ready to be used. All the sizes of the items were as expected and after adding in a couple baskets for books and blankets, I created a reading nook that I absolutely love. I’m usually in it majority of the day and have taken a habit of bringing my laptop over to work from there too. It’s just that cozy!
To summarize, here are the steps to create a cozy reading nook for your studio apartment:
Find a space that you can utilize. It doesn’t need to be large or in a corner, just one that’ll fit a chair at minimum.
Measure out exactly how much space you want to use for your reading nook. Make sure to always pay attention to the dimensions of the furniture you’re interested in placing there.
Research. It may take awhile before you find the right items but that’s ok. It takes time to find what you want and what you know you’ll love for a long time.
Save up. Furniture isn’t cheap so plan and budget accordingly for the items you want. Also don’t forget to comparison shop and see if there are discounts available.
Purchase! Commit and buy, and don’t forget to see if you’re able to save on S&H costs.
Arrange and decorate. Once you have all the items, go ahead and play with the space. Re-arrange as much as you need and decorate however you please.
Now enjoy and relax!
Disclaimer: This post is a collaboration with Rove Concepts, however all opinions stated are 100% of my own and there are no affiliate links in this blog post.
