A good reading corner needs very little floor: a chair, a light, a surface and somewhere for the books. Here is how to fit one in.
Find the corner
Look for a spot near a window for daytime reading, out of the main path through the room. The end of a landing, the space beside a bedroom window or the corner behind a sofa all work. If people pass close by, angle the chair so its back is to the traffic.
The chair comes first
Sit in it before you buy it. Your feet should rest flat on the floor and the back should support you without pushing your head forward. Arms are worth having for resting a book. A footstool adds comfort and doubles as a surface.
Light over the shoulder
Place the reading lamp beside and slightly behind the chair, with the shade at about shoulder height when you sit, so the light falls on the page and not in your eyes. A lamp with an adjustable arm takes up less floor than one on a table.
A surface and a shelf
A small side table, a ledge on the wall or a clip-on shelf is enough for a cup and the book you are on. Keep the next few books close by on a narrow shelf, and the corner will be used every day rather than once.
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