Cate Holcombe’s 8-year-old daughter loves to read, so when it came to decorating her room, finding a cozy spot to curl up with books was the top priority.
That’s when she came up with the idea of a reading nook.
“I decided I could take advantage of the sloped ceiling in one corner of the room, and incorporate it into the tent design,” the interior designer told TODAY Home. “I figured out a simple way to hang the fabric so it would close completely if she wanted to tuck herself away to read or play.”
The first item on the to-do list was finding the right fabric. Holcombe chose a pretty linen floral for the inside of the tent, buying 23 yards of it for this particular design. To create the outside walls of the tent, she purchased 10 yards of a solid fabric that paired well with the floral pattern.
On a budget? Holcombe said to check with your local fabric store to see if they’re selling discontinued or overstock fabric, where you can find great options for less than $10 a yard.
To create the outer walls of the tent, she stapled the fabric to a wood strip, which she attached to the ceiling.
Her biggest challenge was sewing the fabric together to make it look like one big square.
“If you look closely, you can see that the corners and edges don't line up,” she said, adding that she’s not a seamstress.
There was one corner that looked messy, so she whipped up a scalloped trim piece to go along the top edge. It hides the mistake and adds a sweet detail!
Once the tent was in place, it was time to decorate. She added wooden bookshelves, a comfy armchair and a plug-in tassel sconce to create the perfect reading environment. There’s also a pink rug and lots of fluffy pillows for extra comfort.
So, what does Holcombe’s daughter think of her new space? “She loves that she can curl up with a good book, and hide away from her little sister,” she said.
See more pictures of the whole room makeover and the complete tutorial for the reading nook at Cate Holcombe Interiors.
