Cosy corner to curl up

If you’re a bookworm, you probably have lots of books. And students are bound to have lots of them. Despite the fact that we have entered the era of digital books, for many of us, flipping pages physically and the inhaling the smell of a book means a lot. For some, book-reading is a hobby; for others it’s almost obsessive.

For bookworms, the space where they are reading the book matters as much as what book they are reading. Creating a cosy little book corner in your homes doesn’t really require much. An ideal room for a book lover would be one with high ceiling to accommodate big shelves. Also the room has to have good ventilation, so that your books don’t smell musty and old. “Humidity is perhaps the biggest enemy for any book collector or lover,” says Sunil Kumar, an architect. It is necessary to make sure that the books are stored in a dry place and the shelves are placed accordingly, he says. Too much heat can dry out the pages causing stiffness in them. Some types of paper can crumble with too much stiffness.
Proper lighting

In the reading room, one should plan the lights very carefully as the intensity affects the eyes. Sufficient lighting is the most important factor to be considered while creating a book corner. There should be proper facility for natural lighting to seep in. “Light should enter from all sides allowing the reader to move around the room,” says Sunil. In other words, wherever you go with your book in hand, the light should follow! For maximum pleasure of reading and for easier concentration, reading lamps should have proper quality and quantity of illumination and light should fall comfortably on the open page.

The kind of furniture you chose to place in a book corner completely depends on your taste and space availability. A divan will be comfortable for the reader, as he can choose to take a short nap after reading a bit. If you have a French window, then a small mattress on the floor with bolsters on each side will make a good reading space. This also saves you from spending on expensive furniture. A simple cane rocking chair would also be a good option. Bean bags and overstuffed couches are also popular additions and make for comfortable reading.

Again depending on the space you have, select your shelves. Choose from recessed, free-standing and hanging shelves depending on your personal preferences. Only make sure that the books are within reach and in a dust-free environment.