Over the last few weeks I’ve made some serious progress on bringing my dream book nook to fruition. My boyfriend would say I’m manifesting the book nook by working my ass off at my job — which holds true seeing as I work so that my books have a better shelf life. I’ve bought three of my essentials, which were all listed on my 15 Essentials for the Reader in Your Life post from November:
- The Rug
- The Bookshelf
- The Chair
I’m excited about all three so I wanted to give you a sneak peak of the items I’ve snagged:
The Rug – 5×5′ Round Safavieh Monaco Risto Abstract Area Rug
Bought on Walmart.com
When I told my roommate my plans for our third bedroom and mentioned wanting to add an area rug to the ensemble, she suggested looking at Walmart’s selection. We have a super cute durable area rug in our living room which she also bought from Wally World so I decided to take her word for it.
There are SO many rugs on Walmart’s website in every size you could ever imagine that it took me a couple weeks and a lot of scrolling to decide which one I should buy. I knew I wanted the rug to be a constant source of color in my nook, and I knew I had found the perfect quirky colorful compliment when I spotted this Bohemian patterned piece.
With the rug’s total coming to under $100 dollars, it turned out to be quite a steal!
The Shelf – Espresso Collapsible Ladder Bookcase
Bought on Facebook Marketplace
If you’re ever on the hunt for a good deal for something you need for your home, you should really check out Facebook Marketplace. It’s a virtual Penny Saver/Garage Sale with pretty much any item you can think of. I rarely jump on the Marketplace myself, but I was lamenting to my boyfriend about how expensive bookshelves are and he suggested I just take a look.
I stumbled upon this ladder bookshelf within about five minutes. It was $35 and the perfect nook size. I’m an overthinker by nature, so I typically mull over life decisions like furniture purchases for at least a couple of days (if not a couple of months), but the marketplace doesn’t give you that chance. When you find the perfect bookshelf you’ve got jump before someone else beats you to it.
I had this shelf in my possession within two hours, and that, my friends, is the fastest I’ve ever bought a piece of furniture in my life.
The Chair – Crosby Mid-Century Armchair, Chenille Tweed, Silver Gray, Pecan
Bought on westelm.com
If you follow The Book Nook Chronicles Instagram page, you might already know that I officially did it and bought the proverbial book nook chair, the piece of furniture that inspired the inception of this blog. This piece was an investment to put it lightly, but with it handmade here in the U.S. in the exact color I’ve dreamed of, I know this will be the lifelong centerpiece in my nook.
This is my first furniture purchase with my own money that wasn’t a reused item. It feels like a milestone in life, being established enough to buy my own piece of furniture without parental influence or cost limitations (to a point).
This piece is wholeheartedly my own. I will be the first person to sit in this chair, but hopefully not the last. It will be a place I’ll read a my favorite novel and discover new favorites; a place I will introduce my future kids to their first books; a place to tell stories and make them. A home within a home.
In February, “the chair” is expected to arrive on my doorstep and I can’t wait.
You’re probably think, “Erica, that’s awesome! But what else could you possible add to the nook once you have all the basics?”
Once all of the heavy hitters are in my home, I’m going to slowly incorporate smaller items that will make the space exude “Erica-ness” in every corner. Here are a few items you’ll get to watch me find and/or create while I work on building my personal escape from reality:
- A Homemade Accent Pillow: When I’m not reading, I’m probably cross-stitching in my down time. I’m currently on the hunt for the perfect cross stitch pattern for a book nook accent pillow. Once I’ve found it, I will take you along for the ride of making the perfect pillow!
- A DIY-Bookshelf Insert: If you’ve never seen these epic bookshelf inserts, you really need to check out these intricately crafted pieces of art on Etsy. To save a bit of cash, I plan on buying one of the DIY options and putting it together myself and will review the process for any of my fellow book nerds interested in trying one of these inserts out.
- Vintage Bookends: Finding the perfect bookends will take some time but I plan on searching through antique stores and Etsy postings for quite a while before buying these.
- A Litograph Blanket: I have wanted a Litographs blanket since I discovered the site, but have never been able to pick just one. I’m honestly afraid that once I buy one, I won’t be able to stop buying them all. This might trigger a lifelong collection of fuzzy fiction-covered blankets to go with my already started lifelong collection of hard-covers, and I’m okay with that.
That’s all I have for you today as I still work through Advance: The Ultimate How-To Guide For Your Life by Gary Burnison. I hope this post helps give you a better visual of my dream nook. I can’t wait till I can show you a picture of the real pieces together in one place!
The Book Nook Chronicles 