15 Bedroom Sitting Area Ideas for Creating a Cozy Nook in Any Size Space
There’s something so cozy and welcoming about a bedroom sitting area. Whether you’re craving a dedicated spot to lay out your clothes or a larger nook for reading with your morning coffee in hand, you’ll want to take a look at the 15 clever setups below for inspiration. There’s a solution for every bedroom size and style, from building out something custom to just squeezing a seat into an empty corner. And that means, yes, small-space dwellers, you can most definitely enjoy a bedroom sitting area, too! You just have to get a little bit creative and follow these designer-approved ideas.
How to Fit a Sitting Area into a Small Bedroom
When you’re short on square footage but still want to work some type of seating arrangement into your bedroom, it’s all about using any sliver of space you can find. Designer Zandy Gammons of Miretta Interiors recommends placing a shallow bench at the foot of the bed or even opting for a pair of stools there.
“The end of the bed and corner spaces in bedrooms are usually just empty space otherwise,” she says. Back a petite chair or compact ottoman up into a corner — a small spot to perch is better than nothing.
Bedroom Sitting Area Ideas
1. Incorporate an Ottoman
Grab a comfy accent chair and an ottoman, as designer Alexandra Kaehler did here. Place them against one of the empty walls in your bedroom to fill blank wall space. An ottoman is an excellent pick for a bedroom, as it can serve as both a footrest and a side table — just place a tray on top to accommodate mugs and the like. Bonus points if the ottoman has a hidden storage compartment for blankets and linens.
2. Make It Matchy
If you’re someone who always appreciates a matching moment, take a cue from this bedroom seating area that Kaehler also designed by coordinating your drapes with your reading chair. The best part here is that the textile possibilities are endless. If you’re not wild about bold patterns, you can always pick a fun solid that speaks to you.
3. Go Monochromatic
For a slightly less matchy-matchy look, try a monochromatic approach, and choose a sofa or seating fabric that’s reminiscent of your wall color. Why not try a moody blue like designer Rachel Cannon did here? The dramatic color will help you nail those cozy vibes in no time.
4. Get Textural
Use a reading chair as an opportunity to add more visual interest to your bedroom. While this sleep space that designer Paloma Contreras created certainly features plenty of eye-catching materials already (jute, grasscloth, and brass, to name a few), the addition of wicker seating provides even more of an earthy, organic feel that reads as serene and soothing.
5. Try a Chaise
Chaise lounges are great for those who love to stretch out and kick back while they read. Place one at the foot of your bed, and when you’re not curled up with a book, you can sit there as you lace up or take off your shoes. This tufted chesterfield style chaise that designer Peter Dunham selected is a timeless pick.
6. Take a Cue from the Living Room
If your bedroom is sizable, you can make like designer Megan Molten and create a living room-like setup, complete with a love seat and coffee table. This arrangement makes it easy for two people to sit together and read while enjoying each other’s company. The neutral velvet sofa complements this bedroom’s calm, neutral vibe perfectly.
7. Skip the Coffee Table but Keep the Sofa
If you don’t quite have space for a coffee table, you can still make use of a sofa or love seat in the bedroom on its own. Just be sure to then style a side table beside it, as designer Traci Connell did here. It will make the sofa more functional and ensure the setup doesn’t look out of place.
8. Go with Lucite
If you’re trying to incorporate a side table with a thin frame to minimize visual clutter, lucite is an excellent material to work with. It’s a small space favorite, thanks to its airy quality and complements a wide range of aesthetics. While designer Sara Hillery styled this lucite piece in a traditional bedroom, it would also fit into a more contemporary space wonderfully.
9. Stick with Classic Accent Chairs
Pick out a set of accent chairs you like and place one in front of each of your bedroom windows, as seen here in this space by Gammons. The chairs are patterned and playful, drawing the eye over to this portion of the room, but they’re not too heavy in design or material, allowing plenty of light to still filter into the space.
10. Customize Your Window Seat
Take a basic window seat to the next level and really build it out so that it’s a comfortable place to sit and read or relax for hours on end. This one that designer Gray Walker put together is shaped more like a trundle bed in that it’s wide and features drawers for extra storage on its bottom.
11. Enjoy the Best of Both Worlds
Make use of a seating solution that also functions as storage. In one of my very first postgrad apartments, I purchased a secondhand bench that offered space for novels and coffee table books on the bottom but also doubled as a chic perch. You could easily DIY something similar to this piece using MDF board, paint, and cute fabric.
12. Separate Work and Rest
If you have a workspace in your bedroom as these NYC apartment owners do, don’t solely rely on that chair when it comes time to chill; no one wants to zone out in a desk chair! Instead, place another more plush accent chair somewhere nearby. You’ll appreciate having a “change of scenery,” if you will, once your nine-to-five is over.
13. Say Yes to a Peacock Chair
What’s cooler than a peacock chair? Use your bedroom seating to make a major style statement. This type of chair, as shown here in a UK home, is great for any boho or eclectic space. While quite large, peacock chairs are lightweight, making them easy to move from room to room should you want to rearrange your furniture down the line.
14. Enjoy the Sunlight
Capitalize on a bedroom with large windows, as seen in this historic brownstone, and place your chair of choice right up against the window for an indoor-outdoor feel. In this case, going with a simple, low-profile chair was a smart decision to fully allow the architectural details to take center stage.
15. Don’t Forget Artificial Light
If your bedroom is on the darker side, don’t worry. You can still brighten it up by installing an overhead pendant light above your chair, as seen in this Jersey City apartment. This design move will also help to better define your seating area within the scope of your bedroom, making it feel like its own little nook.