Disclaimer: Furniture Retailer’s incoming…. When I moved into my current flat with a double bedroom that was just barely bigger than an oversized walk-in closet, I soon realised that furnishing it would be like playing a game of tetris. Except in this version of Tetris, many of the pieces don’t actually fit.
Yep. Lesson learned hard. You see, I had bought the flat specifically because it advertised “A cozy double bedroom.” Ha!
Don’t get me wrong, the bed fits. And nothing too large will fit.
What I didn’t realise was that there would be furniture Tetris involved.
Small bedrooms suck because they make you think about things you never even considered before when it came to YOUR space. Look, I’m the type of person who always talked about wanting a formal reading nook. You know, those cute Instagram worthy reading corners with a cute chair, nice lighting, and maybe even a small table to put your tea.
News flash. Once you’re living in a bedroom that’s roughly the size of most people’s closets… All those aspirations are laughable.
For months I would stack pillows against my headboard and convince myself that was my reading nook. *Spoiler Alert* If you read in bed when you are already exhausted you will autumn asleep. Every. Single.
Time. I would pick up my book and read for maybe 3 pages before my eyes would start to glaze over and I would autumn asleep. Then I would wake up at 2am with my book covering my chest, and a crick in my neck that would last days.
Fast forward to one afternoon when I was browsing around a furniture store. I will admit I didn’t even realise it until after I left the store. I hadn’t even been shopping for chairs.
I was actually over that area looking at skinny bedside tables that didn’t jut out and block your door (Side note: Still haven’t found one of those either). As I was walking through the showroom, I noticed this cute little chair tucked in the corner that I thought MIGHT work. I realised this chair wasn’t trying to be anything other than… just a chair.
The Habitat Skandi chair (yes, this is the chair I bought) is only 68cm wide and 70cm deep. To give you some perspective, the majority of chairs measure between 80-90cm wide. Therefore it goes to show you why this felt like a GAME CHANGER if you have small spaces.
Now don’t get me wrong. The design isn’t super unique. However, the height of the seat is only 42cm.
Seating height is something I didn’t truly appreciate until I found this chair. If the seat is too low you will sink down into the cushions and struggle to see your book. If the seat is too high you will be sitting with your feet dangling like a child.
I will be honest. I am not sure that I have ever seen another armchair that cheques *ALL* of these boxes. Don’t get me wrong though, the fact that it was both comfortable AND pretty played into my decision as well.
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This chair comes in the CUTEST sage green fabric that reminds me of eucalyptus! It’s not that obnoxious “Look at Me I’m Green!” kind of green. It’s more of a soothing moss green that feels calming, but is unique enough to feel intentional in your room vs. a bunch of random things thrown together.
Once I finally got the chair and put it in my bedroom (size: 3mx3.5m), I then realised my real predicament. My bedroom layout ispretty finicky. The bed takes up about half of one wall.
The skinny wardrobe gets shoved into any remaining corner. The window is oddly placed. So, for most furniture arrangements you end up blocking either the natural light OR your radiator.
Thankfully the size of the chair remedied most of those concerns. I was able to shove it into the opposite corner by the window, but not directly in front of it. The skinny arm allowed me to maintain access to my radiator controls without doing circus tricks to reach them.
Plus, the chair backs aren’t bulky, so it didn’t overwhelm the room like an oversized sofa chair would. Of course, creating the ideal reading environment took a few more tweaks. For starters, the ceiling light bulb gave terrible lighting.
It actually cast shadows over my book that made me look like I was being interrogated, not cozying up with a good read. I opted for a small clamp-on brass reading light that attaches to the windowsill behind the chair. I spent £35 on it from a local lighting shop and honestly think it was money well spent.
Because the arm can move independently from the light, I can point it in any direction I need to without casting additional shadows. I finished it off with a couple smaller items. I grabbed IKEA’s FROSTA stool, but turned it on its side.
Now it’s the perfect height and width to store my current book, cup of tea and/or whatever else I happen to accumulate throughout the night. I threw a cozy blanket over one of the armrests. It created a warm and inviting feel to the space, which helps.
My room can look a little sterile when it’s chilly outside. The crazy thing is how much this teeny tiny reading nook changed my nightly routine. Instead of laying in bed mindlessly scrolling on my phone or wasting time on my laptop I started finding myself gravitating toward my chair around 8pm.
There is something about designating an area for reading that allows you to be more intentional.
Rather than reading as a way to pass the time. You actually make reading an EVENT.
It wasn’t the cheapest chair at £280, but trust me when I say it was worth every penny. And if you do the math on how often I use it vs. the initial investment… it costs me roughly 50p per night to use! That’s cheaper than going to the films and is WAY better for my sleep schedule than trying to read in bed with every light turned on.
Granted, it isn’t the comfiest chair if you plan to spend hours reading. My back starts to nag at me after about 2 hours of continuous reading. However, if you’re looking for an average read-a-book-for-an-hour-before-bed type of chair… this is it.
The chair is firm enough that I find myself concentrating on what I’m reading instead of falling asleep mid chapter. My favourite part is when people come over, that section of the room doesn’t feel wasted. It feels like I actually though about how I wanted to arrange my room vs. just tossing in furniture that would fit.
Sometimes the smallest changes can make the biggest difference when it comes to the vibe of your home.
