A reading corner for under a hundred dollars
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The fantasy is a whole library. The reality, in most of our flats, is a corner — and honestly a corner is enough. Our reading nook lives in the gap beside the balcony door, a square metre that was previously home to nothing but a drying rack and good intentions.
The whole thing came together for under a hundred dollars: a second-hand armchair I reupholstered the cushion of, a clip lamp from the hardware shop, a small stool for tea, and a basket for the books in progress. The most expensive thing in the corner is the time we protect it for — no phones, by quiet agreement.
What makes a reading corner work isn’t the budget, it’s the boundary. One small place in the home that’s for one slow thing. In a flat where every surface multitasks, having a single corner that does exactly one thing turns out to be a small luxury — and the cheapest one we own.
Written by Renee Chiang
Writer & home stylist in Singapore. Writing The Folio Edit since 2019 — one home, one honest opinion, no sponsored posts. More about me →
