Mostly it has been a collection area for crap.
On a good day, it's empty or just contains a couple of stray toys or a Rubbermaid tub. On a bad day (which is most days) it is a catch all for shoes, things needing to go upstairs or to the garage or to Goodwill or to the garbage. It is right next to my sewing table so in my dream world it would be filled with Martha Stewart-esque built ins to house my fabric stash, not an uninspiring pile of junk that sucks out my creativity. But this is real life, not my dream world, so it has been the item that sat at the bottom of a to do list that would seemingly never get checked off.
Until Saturday. DIY to the rescue! The weather outside was gorgeous. Max was napping. Henry was running around outside, and Design Milk had posted to Instagram their 5 favorite reading nooks.
Light bulb.
I literally sprinted into action and within the hour, and for under $5, I put this bad boy together.
I can't promise that you could pull this off for $5 because you probably are organized and responsible and have less unused junk sitting around your house. But it is possible to pull this off on the cheap.
Here's how I turned 8 square feet into the cutest space in our house.
THE GOODS:
Any good reading nook needs reading material, so I drug an underutilized cheap Target closet organizer out of Henry's closet down under the stairs, creating the nook. This would be less than $20 if you had to purchase it. A myriad of other items would work here - wooden boxes, crates, etc. Just something that would hold books.
Henry immediately asked if it was finished.
Um, no.
Next I added 2 carpet tiles that I had laying around. The benefits of being an Interior Designer. Mine are by Shaw Contract (thanks Cari!) but you can buy similar ones retail from Flor. Or just use an old rug or a blanket. Something to make it soft an cozy.
So far so good.
Now layer in cushy items like throw pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals. I just happened to have a bolster pillow lying around that just happened to be the exact width of my carpet tiles minus the depth of my bookshelf. This was MEANT TO BE.
Henry was satisfied with it at this stage, but I wasn't done yet.
Any good reading nook has some privacy, so I grabbed an old twin sized duvet cover from our linen closet. I might swap this out with fabric made to size later, but this works great for now. I grabbed a picture hanging kit that had some eyelet screws in it and a nail. I screwed 3 eyelets along the underside of my stairs and nailed 1 nail to the front stringer of the stairs. The photo will help this make sense.
Then I took 4 old leftover curtain hooks from our old house, took the rings off 3 of them, and secured the clips to the eyelet screws. On the 4th I left the ring and looped it over the nail. One day I might add a few more nails down the front of the stairs to further enclose the nook, but for now I want to be able to keep an eye on those boys!
This is probably the most important step to take this from being an OK space to a really spectacular one - LIGHTING. As a designer, it's one of the best tools we have in our arsenal to create mood. Color and texture can go a long way, but lighting can make or break a space.
I had a desk lamp lying around (sense the theme here?) from Target that I bought a few months back. I hated it. The light was way too harsh and direct. I went to return it, flipped it over, and saw the base had a hole on it. BECAUSE IT WAS ACTUALLY A SCONCE. That changed everything. I had plans to hang it elsewhere, but it really just begged to be right here in this nook.
I also layered in outdoor patio lights and secured them to the underside of the stairs using command hooks. This step was the only thing that cost money, because we were out of hooks. One trip by the Hubs to Home Depot, and BAM. Lighting was hung.
A word of caution - lights + fabric can sometimes equal disaster. Monitor the kiddos extra closely when the lights are plugged in, and unplug when not in use to keep your house from going ablaze.
The finishing touch was the framed art and mirror. I like it when kid's spaces feel like miniature adult spaces, and the wall art was the icing on the cake. The print was an Andy Warhol sketch that I had in the closet (doesn't everyone?) but it could just as easily be a photo or a kid doodle.
The mirror was a Target clearance buy from a year ago that I couldn't pass up, even though I didn't know where I would put it. I'm not a compulsive clearance shopper, so it's kind of bizarre that I had it. But it's Max's favorite part. Please disregard all of the drool and finger prints on the mirror. There was no point in cleaning it because he insisted on making out with it through the entire photo shoot.
For some extra security, I used the Command Hook picture hangers to secure them to the wall in addition to a nail. Max has put his entire body weight into it and hasn't managed to remove it. But it's only been 72 hours, so we'll see.
I still need to bolt the bookcase to the wall to keep the giant beast baby from knocking the whole thing over. I also think the space seriously calls for some bunting, so that might be on the list as well.
All in all, I can't believe I pulled off this awesome space for 5 dollars. And I wish I had thought of it a year ago.
Do you guys have any stellar small spaces at your homes? I'd love to see them!
Oh, and check out the related links below for how to's on some of the stuffed goodies and blankets I included in the nook.
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Here's how I turned 8 square feet into the cutest space in our house.
THE GOODS:
- small bookshelf or closet organizer or wooden boxes
- carpet or rug or blanket
- curtain or duvet or sheet or spare fabric
- hardware for hanging fabric - eyelet screws, nails, curtain hooks, etc.
- pillows and plushies and blankets
- lighting
- small artwork
Any good reading nook needs reading material, so I drug an underutilized cheap Target closet organizer out of Henry's closet down under the stairs, creating the nook. This would be less than $20 if you had to purchase it. A myriad of other items would work here - wooden boxes, crates, etc. Just something that would hold books.
Henry immediately asked if it was finished.
Um, no.
Next I added 2 carpet tiles that I had laying around. The benefits of being an Interior Designer. Mine are by Shaw Contract (thanks Cari!) but you can buy similar ones retail from Flor. Or just use an old rug or a blanket. Something to make it soft an cozy.
So far so good.
Now layer in cushy items like throw pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals. I just happened to have a bolster pillow lying around that just happened to be the exact width of my carpet tiles minus the depth of my bookshelf. This was MEANT TO BE.
Henry was satisfied with it at this stage, but I wasn't done yet.
Any good reading nook has some privacy, so I grabbed an old twin sized duvet cover from our linen closet. I might swap this out with fabric made to size later, but this works great for now. I grabbed a picture hanging kit that had some eyelet screws in it and a nail. I screwed 3 eyelets along the underside of my stairs and nailed 1 nail to the front stringer of the stairs. The photo will help this make sense.
Then I took 4 old leftover curtain hooks from our old house, took the rings off 3 of them, and secured the clips to the eyelet screws. On the 4th I left the ring and looped it over the nail. One day I might add a few more nails down the front of the stairs to further enclose the nook, but for now I want to be able to keep an eye on those boys!
This is probably the most important step to take this from being an OK space to a really spectacular one - LIGHTING. As a designer, it's one of the best tools we have in our arsenal to create mood. Color and texture can go a long way, but lighting can make or break a space.
I had a desk lamp lying around (sense the theme here?) from Target that I bought a few months back. I hated it. The light was way too harsh and direct. I went to return it, flipped it over, and saw the base had a hole on it. BECAUSE IT WAS ACTUALLY A SCONCE. That changed everything. I had plans to hang it elsewhere, but it really just begged to be right here in this nook.
As you can tell, I was already having difficulties keeping the boys out of here. Something about little kids and little spaces. All three of us in 8 square feet and a hammer was entertaining.
I also layered in outdoor patio lights and secured them to the underside of the stairs using command hooks. This step was the only thing that cost money, because we were out of hooks. One trip by the Hubs to Home Depot, and BAM. Lighting was hung.
A word of caution - lights + fabric can sometimes equal disaster. Monitor the kiddos extra closely when the lights are plugged in, and unplug when not in use to keep your house from going ablaze.
The finishing touch was the framed art and mirror. I like it when kid's spaces feel like miniature adult spaces, and the wall art was the icing on the cake. The print was an Andy Warhol sketch that I had in the closet (doesn't everyone?) but it could just as easily be a photo or a kid doodle.
The mirror was a Target clearance buy from a year ago that I couldn't pass up, even though I didn't know where I would put it. I'm not a compulsive clearance shopper, so it's kind of bizarre that I had it. But it's Max's favorite part. Please disregard all of the drool and finger prints on the mirror. There was no point in cleaning it because he insisted on making out with it through the entire photo shoot.
For some extra security, I used the Command Hook picture hangers to secure them to the wall in addition to a nail. Max has put his entire body weight into it and hasn't managed to remove it. But it's only been 72 hours, so we'll see.
I still need to bolt the bookcase to the wall to keep the giant beast baby from knocking the whole thing over. I also think the space seriously calls for some bunting, so that might be on the list as well.
All in all, I can't believe I pulled off this awesome space for 5 dollars. And I wish I had thought of it a year ago.
Do you guys have any stellar small spaces at your homes? I'd love to see them!
Oh, and check out the related links below for how to's on some of the stuffed goodies and blankets I included in the nook.
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