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It isn't a separate room. It doesn't even have a door. But it's mine.

I'm a mom.

And like a lot of moms, I spend a surprising amount of my life thinking about what everyone else needs.

What we're having for dinner.

Who needs to be where.

What needs to be bought.

What needs to be cleaned.

What someone forgot.

What needs to happen tomorrow.

Even when no one is actually asking me for anything, there's usually a list running somewhere in the back of my mind.

And somewhere along the way, I realized I wanted one little place in my house that didn't need anything from me.

So I made one.

It's Not Really a Reading Nook

I call it my reading nook, mostly because I don't know what else to call it.

It's in my bedroom. It's not behind a door. It's not tucked into some beautifully renovated alcove. And no contractor came in and built me a Pinterest-worthy window seat surrounded by floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

It's just a little area that I've made mine.

There's somewhere comfortable to sit.

My books are there.

The things I like are there.

And when I sit down in that spot, there's a subtle feeling of stepping away from everything else for a little while.

I read there.

Sometimes I have coffee there.

Sometimes I scroll on my phone.

Sometimes I don't do much of anything.

And I've decided that counts too.

I Didn't Need Another Room. I Needed Something That Was Mine.

For a long time, I think I associated having your own space with having a lot of space.

A home office.

A craft room.

A library.

Some beautiful little room with a door you could close behind you.

But most of us don't have an extra room sitting around waiting to become our personal retreat.

I certainly didn't.

What I did have was a corner.

And it turns out that was enough.

There's something about having even a small designated space that changes the way you use it. Reading nooks don't have to be elaborate—a comfortable chair, warm light and a few things you enjoy can be enough to define one.

The rest of the bedroom belongs to our life.

That little spot feels like it belongs to me.

And I didn't realize how much I would appreciate that distinction until I had it.

Motherhood Can Make Everything Feel Communal

When you're a mom, very little is completely yours.

Your time isn't always yours.

Someone needs something while you're eating.

Someone needs to tell you something the second you pick up a book.

There are people in your bed, things on your counter, somebody's stuff in your car and conversations happening through the bathroom door.

And of course I love my family.

But loving the people you share your life with doesn't mean you never want to be alone.

Those two things can exist together.

Wanting twenty minutes where nobody needs anything from you doesn't mean you don't want the life you've built.

Sometimes you just want to remember what it's like to be you inside of it.

Quiet time can give us room for reflection and a break from constant stimulation, which is one reason even small periods of solitude can feel restorative.

That's what this little corner gives me.

The Rule: It Doesn't Have to Be Productive

This may be my favorite part.

I don't have to accomplish anything there.

I'm not going there to answer emails.

I'm not folding laundry while I sit there.

I'm not organizing something.

I'm not using the time to finally get around to that thing I've been putting off.

I can read three chapters.

Or three pages.

I can drink coffee while it's still hot.

I can browse for my next book.

I can sit under a blanket and watch something completely ridiculous.

I can do absolutely nothing useful.

For someone who spends a lot of her life checking things off lists, that feels surprisingly luxurious.

What I Put in My Little Space

I didn't buy everything at once.

And I don't think you should.

Part of what makes a personal space actually feel personal is letting it come together slowly.

Mine is built around the things that make me want to stay there.

A Chair I Actually Want to Sit In

This is the important part.

Not the prettiest chair.

Not the chair that perfectly matches the bedroom.

The chair you'll actually curl up in.

Little Escape Pick — $

A comfortable accent chair that gives you a designated place without taking over the room.

[Shop the Little Escape Pick →] Comfy Reading Chair

Little Escape Upgrade — $$

A larger chair or chair-and-ottoman combination made for putting your feet up and staying awhile.

[Shop the Little Escape Upgrade →] Oversized Round Chaise Lounge

A Soft Blanket

Because apparently I cannot read a book without a blanket.

It doesn't matter if it's actually cold.

There needs to be a blanket.

Little Escape Pick — $

A soft washable throw that can permanently live on the chair.

[Shop the Little Escape Pick →] Sherpa Fleece Blanket

A Little Table

Big enough for coffee.

A book.

My glasses.

Maybe a candle or a small plant.

Definitely not big enough to become another surface where the entire family deposits their belongings.

That's important.

Little Escape Pick — $

A small side table that fits beside a chair without taking up much space.

[Shop the Little Escape Pick →] Adjustable Side Table

Good Lighting

This made a bigger difference than I expected.

I wanted warm light—not the big bedroom light blazing above me while I'm trying to relax.

A floor lamp, little table lamp or rechargeable lamp can make a corner of an otherwise shared room feel visually separate. Designers similarly recommend layered, directional lighting for reading spaces.

Little Escape Pick — $

This is the one I purchased and it works very well.  I was nervous when I had to put the frame into the shade but it looks nice and the lighting is perfect!

[Shop the Little Escape Pick →] Modern Floor Lamp

Little Escape Upgrade — $$

A floor lamp that gives you proper reading light while still making the corner feel cozy.

[Shop the Little Escape Upgrade →] Boho Floor Lamp

Books Within Reach

Obviously.

I like having the books I'm currently reading—or planning to read—right there.

Not every book I own.

Just the little stack I'm excited about right now.

A basket works.

A small shelf works.

A pile on the floor works too.

There are no reading-nook police.

Little Escape Pick — $ Book Basket

A small book basket for keeping your current reads beside the chair.

[Shop the Little Escape Pick →]

One or Two Things That Are Just Because I Like Them

This is where I think the space becomes yours.

Not because something coordinates.

Not because an influencer said every reading nook needs one.

Because you like it.

Maybe it's a candle.

A plant.

A framed picture.

A ridiculous mug.

A little ghost because you love paranormal books.

A stack of old magazines.

Whatever makes you look at the corner and think, that's me. 

You Don't Have to Have a Reading Nook

Maybe you don't read.

That's okay.

Make a coffee corner.

A knitting chair.

A journaling spot.

A place to do your crossword.

A little table by a window where you drink tea.

A chair where you put your headphones on and listen to music.

It doesn't really matter what you call it.

And you don't need a spare bedroom.

You don't need a big house.

You don't even need an entire corner.

You just need enough room for somewhere to sit and the decision that this particular little space is yours.

And Yes, People Will Still Interrupt You

Let's be realistic.

My little corner doesn't have walls.

There is no lock on the imaginary reading-nook door.

Being seated there does not suddenly render me invisible to my family.

Someone can absolutely still walk into the room and ask me a question.

But that's okay.

Because the point was never to create a perfectly silent sanctuary where nobody could find me.

The point was to make a place in our home where I could find myself.

And somehow, this little corner does that.

Maybe You Need a Little Corner Too

Look around your house.

Not for an empty room.

Look for three or four feet that nobody is really using.

The corner of your bedroom.

A spot beside a window.

The end of the living room.

That awkward space you've never quite known what to do with.

Put a chair there.

Add a lamp.

Grab a blanket.

Bring whatever you're reading.

Then sit down.

It doesn't have to be beautiful enough for Pinterest.

It doesn't have to be finished.

And it definitely doesn't have to be big.

It just has to feel like yours.

Sometimes we spend so much time creating a home for everyone we love that we forget we're allowed to make a tiny piece of it for ourselves too.

I did.

And it's become one of my favorite little escapes.

The Little Edit

Thoughtful finds, everyday ideas and little ways to make life feel a bit more special.

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