Reading Corner Makeover – A Place to Relax

My reading corner makeover gives me the perfect spot to have a cup of tea and relax with my favorite gardening magazine.

I have a corner of my family room that is a great place to sit and read, but it is sorely in need of a facelift.

It has a really pretty chair but that’s about it. Not even the pillow matches it.  It was a prime candidate for some TLC.

The photo below is the way the corner looked before I started the makeover, pretty drab huh?  There was not a lot of character in the space for sure!

The reading light is good and there is a place for my magazines on the nearby table, but it needed something special to give it some oomph.

I knew that I wanted to make this into a really inviting and cozy spot, but also knew that I didn’t have hundreds of dollars for a makeover. With that knowledge, I headed off to do some shopping. 

What I loved most about my shopping trip was how quickly I found the items on my shopping list. I was looking for:

• A decorative pillow √ to add some character to the corner.
• Some candles √ to add some ambiance.
• Wall art √√ to set a mood.
• Window panels (and curtain rod) √√ for some privacy.
• Picture frame √ to hold my daughter’s picture.

My aim in shopping was to get enough items for my corner at a reasonable price that also really appealed to my sense of style.

Luck was with me on my shopping day too. I managed to find what I wanted on my budget and also was able to throw in a few more items than I had planned.  So cool!

One thing that I haven’t told you is that I forgot to take a picture of my chair before I headed out on my shopping trip.  

I was relying on my memory of the colors. Yikes!  I crossed my fingers and hoped that my memory would not fail me.

What I loved most about my shopping trip was that I started with a picture in my mind of my chair, a really blank slate. I had no real idea of how I wanted the look to end up.

As I shopped, the whole thing started coming together and each item that ended up in my cart went well with the last. By the end of the day, I had a really nice collection of wood, metal and earthy colors that coordinated so well for my reading corner and my chair.

I started with a great looking piece of wooden wall art.  I’m not normally into rustic pieces but this one had that touch of blue green in it that I knew would go great with my chair and I loved the chevron shaped pattern on it.

My chair also has a blend of shades of brown, so this wall art was perfect for the spot.

I decided that I wanted to add a pillow next.  I love the one I chose.

It has a light suede finish and look how it matches the blue in the chair! (How’s that for a good memory?)

There is a small table near my chair that holds my magazines, but the top of it was not decorated at all.

My husband and I have been antique shopping a lot lately, and I have developed a love of metal decorative table pieces.  I was hoping to find a nice metal candle holder.

Luck was with me!  Not only did I find a great-looking candle holder and candles, I also found a matching cork holder.

I’ve been saving corks for craft projects for a long time.  I am in love with everything about this one especially the grapes and grape leaves.

Can we say “let’s drink some more wine”???

Armed with my new decorative metal pieces, I shopped for a metal wall hanging.  The chair sits in a corner and I needed two items to decorate the walls above it.

I’m not sure what star I wished upon before I went shopping, but here was the perfect match…more leaves, same metal.  I’m in heaven right about now.

By now, almost everything was checked off on my shopping list but I still had money to spare on my budget, so I had money for some drapes.  Once again….more blue-greens and brown, and more metal.

How lucky can a girl get? 

My final stop was to get a wooden picture frame and another candle.  

I’m very fond of mason jar items and right around the corner, I found this mason jar candle – just waiting for its new home.  And the candle matched too.

The picture frame is perfect. I can’t get over how the wood color matches the color of the highlights in my daughter’s hair.

I was practically giddy by the time I finished my shopping trip.  I could hardly wait to get home, show off my finds to my husband and daughter, and start decorating.

The table that was a blank slate is now a blend of wood, metal and earth tones.  I just love the way it looks.

And the corner?  Well, judge for yourself.  I think I can safely say that it’s got character now.

I just love sitting here, reading my favorite gardening magazines and having my morning smoothie before I head off for my morning walk. What a way to start my day!

I love the way the wood, metal and earthy colors coordinate so well with the drapes and chair.   Those two pieces of wall art finish off the scene in a country chic style. 

This was a quick makeover! Overall, it took me a few hours to shop, and few more to make my corner go from drab to fab in just a day, just my kind of project!

Do you have an area of your home that could do with a face lift?  Tell me about it in the comments below!

Share on Social Media