Creating a reading nook with a pocket door

One of the genius solutions the pocket door provides is creating small, intimate spaces in areas where this otherwise wouldn’t be practical when using a traditional hinged door. The pocket door slides effortlessly into a wall cavity and disappears from view, therefore opening and closing space as necessary. In comparison, the hinged door acts as a permanent barrier, and even when open it blocks out light and restricts physical movement and what you can do with the space immediately behind the door. The pocket door eliminates this problem and enables you to ensure that no space is wasted in the home, and creating cosy retreats like a reading nook is one of the options this opens up.

With a pocket door it is possible to section off space in a large room to create new rooms or to create temporary spaces. So you can create a small home office in a larger living or dining room, or in an upstairs spare bedroom, or you can create an en-suite, a separate toilet or valuable storage space, or downstairs you can create a pantry, cloakroom or utility room. One of the more unusual uses of a pocket door is to create a reading nook, and increasingly people are finding new uses for the pocket door and finding ways to efficiently use available space for new or temporary uses, and the reading nook is one of them.

What is a reading nook?

A reading nook is a small and peaceful space that is dedicated to reading. It is usually positioned away from the general hustle and bustle of the home, and therefore can sit in an alcove, bay window or sectioned-off end of a room. It can be designed to be relaxing, comfortable and cosy, with good lighting and accessibility for things like a drink or book storage. A reading nook is somewhere to escape to on a quiet weekend or on a day-off, and may even be somewhere the kids choose to study. The great thing is that the pocket door makes it really easy to create, and you are able to transition from an open room to a private, personalised space, just by retrieving a pocket door from its wall cavity.

How to create a reading nook with a pocket door

• Permanent or temporary? Do you want your reading nook to be there all the time, or a space you can create by sliding closed the pocket door on a flexible basis as and when you need it? You can have either, but this will dictate where you locate it.
• Light – If you are fortunate enough to be able to locate your reading nook where there is an external window, then you have all the natural light you will need. This is perfect for a reading nook and really makes it a personal space you can’t wait to retreat to. If you have decided to have a flexible reading nook, then you have more control over where this is located, and therefore you might choose to position it where there is a window. If you don’t have this luxury, maybe choose glass pocket doors, as this allows light to shine through the door and means you can benefit from light from other areas. This doesn’t have to compromise your privacy as you can opt for frosted glass or a satin opaque finish. If you aren’t able to create sufficient light, a wall socket would be handy so you can use a small lamp for that ideal, cosy reading space. This will be required in the winter months anyway.
• Comfort – Using the space created by the pocket door you can install some appropriate seating. This can be a window seat, a bench, an armchair or even just a large beanbag. The best thing is that you don’t need any available floor space at all, so can maximise what you have.
• Storage – Once you have your comfortable seating sorted out, the next thing to consider is storage. You probably won’t have the space to make this a proper study or a library, but you may wish to keep some books stored there, so make good use of the wall space above your seating. Again, the pocket door won’t encroach on this area and you can fit bookshelves which protrude, as long as they are not an obstacle to your reading comfort. You could also consider storage underneath your seating, further maximising the available floorspace. Storage is also required for essential items like a cup of tea or coffee, or on special occasions a glass of wine. Can you fit a small, floating shelf on the wall next to your seating? This doesn’t have to be big and won’t need to carry much weight.

A reading nook is a cosy and warm design element that can be built into a home, and can be a hidden feature that visitors don’t even know about. That is the beauty of the pocket door and how it can create flexible spaces and can integrate and link different spaces to bring a new dimension to your home. So check out our range of pocket door systems at Pocket Door Shop and start creating your own personal reading nook today.