5 Nap Nooks That Take Lounging to the Next Level

While winter may look a little different this year, one thing is certain: It will involve a lot of time indoors. Already, many of us have improved our homes to make them as functional as possible—installing a second dishwasher or soundproofing our Zoom rooms—but there’s also something to be said about upping the cozy factor. 

And what’s more comfortable than a nook for reading a book or taking a Sunday afternoon nap? Sure, you could just lay down in bed, but daytime snoozing feels better when you’re within earshot of a Christmas movie, by a roaring fireplace, or overlooking a tense game of Monopoly (bonus points for a great view). 

The Bookworm Hideaway

Architect Gil Schafer understands the essence of a quaint cottage. So when he was tasked with upgrading an old YMCA camp for Mark and Blythe Harris in Mill Valley, California, he made sure to add a built-in nook in the great room with blanket storage underneath and shelves for paperbacks. Interior designer Rita Konig then stepped in with Pendleton blankets, plaid pillows, and duck-egg–hued shiplap to make sure this would be a corner they’d never want to leave.

The Napping Spot With a View

In this wood-paneled room by Commune Design, a blue cushioned pillow serves as the base for a cozy reading corner. Limewashed walls and shibori pillows add a lived-in texture, while a basket of blankets and book-filled shelves set the scene for a relaxing weekend. 

The Architectural Niche

Sometimes you have to let the architecture dictate the room. This is exactly what Nick Blaine and his partner, Paul Denoly, cofounders of Hawkins New York, did when renovating their upstate New York farmhouse. Here, they painted a recessed nook a deep burgundy in contrast to the lighter paneled room, inviting people to curl up for a while.

The Sprawling Sectional

A mid-century post-and-beam house in Los Angeles was the ideal place for Frances Merrill of Reath Design to install a low-slung L-shaped daybed in a colorful striped fabric. With warm wood paneling, plum-hued beams, and a rainbow of breezy linen curtains, it’s the perfect spot to hide away for hours.

The Dark and Cozy Corner

This isn’t your typical townhouse. In last year’s Kips Bay Show House on New York’s Upper East Side, Damian and Britt Zunino of Studio DB created a moody corner by painting the walls of a tiny room a dark blue-green and building a curved banquette, punctuated overhead by a dramatic pendant lamp by Apparatus Studio.

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