DIY: Constructing my Cozy Book Nook!

Follow along as I create a hidden bed for napping, reading or hiding.

In my studio, I have a pretty large closet that has been stuffed with who knows what for way too long. 

It all started with a big studio cleanout in January.

This is the now empty closet that inspired my book nook.

Looking into the closet.

 

Looking out from the closet.

 

My parents have a hidden bed in their house and my art teacher did too. This must have inspired me during my big studio clean out a few months ago.

We aren’t the first owners of this home. Over the years this part of the house has been reconfigured, so that this particular closet has a big window…

And is the exact size of a twin bed mattress! It was asking to be a hidden bed all along.

I tried to convince my family this was a great idea, but ultimately it didn’t matter that they shook their heads. This is MY studio and I can do whatever I want. Haha.

 

STEP 1 

Clean out all the “stuff”. Be ruthless. The small amount I saved such as beautiful frames and some empty canvases that will eventually be used can all be stored under the bed.

 

STEP 2  

Hunt down cozy wallpaper. This was hard. There are SO many choices. I landed on this mural from Wallism because it reminds me of a storybook. This was a splurge, but I saved a little since I only needed the mural to go ¾ down the wall since the bed will take up space.

STEP 3  

After choosing a forest scene I thought it only made sense to paint the ceiling a sky color. I found some blue paint in our basement that had a pop to it (because I do not want this nook to be too traditional). I painted the ceiling and included the molding all the same blue because it just didn’t seem right to have that white.

STEP 4  

Install wallpaper. Surprisingly in all our home projects my husband and I have never installed wallpaper. This is because we call my mom who in the 80s wallpapered many rooms in her house while I was growing up. 

I decided to tackle this myself. How hard can it be? 

I prepped the walls which was a little tricky since it is painted wood paneling. After reading some reviews I purchased this paste from Amazon. It wasn’t too hard! Is it perfect? No. 

 

 

STEP 5  

Find someone handy to build a bed support. I wanted the bed to be a little higher than a normal bed, so I can maximize the storage below and to make it fun to climb into. Luckily my husband can build anything! He used four 4x4s and a big piece of plywood. Nothing fancy since it won’t be seen at all.

STEP 6  

Stuff in a twin bed. This was tricky. It was quite a tight fit. I probably should have used one of those foam mattresses that come in a box and expand, but we had a traditional extra twin on hand with springs inside.

STEP 7  

Install a fun new light fixture. I found this one at LampsPlus. It happened to be an “open box”, so it was discounted.

 

STEP 8  

Accessorize!

Shade: I knew I would need a shade in here so it doesn’t get too hot. I found this dark bamboo shade on Amazon.

iPad Mount: Having Zoom meetings in the nook was top priority. With such a pretty background and a quite comfortable spot I thought to install this iPad holder on the wall that can adjust to where I sit.

Bookshelf: Eventually I will have a bookshelf up near the ceiling to hold my overflowing book pile in my studio. I found these pretty gold brackets to hold up some wood we’ve had in storage.

Pillows: I dug through my quilts and throw pillows and was able to make this little space very cozy. I decided to add two new pillows to the mix. One beautiful custom bolster pillow case (I already had the bolster) and one funky crewel round pillow case from India that fit a round pillow I already had. Both found on Etsy!

 

 

Shelf: We already had this little black shelf which is perfect for holding art supplies and a can of Diet Coke.

Overall this project was fun and easy and very affordable. The only expensive item was the mural. I haven’t done any reading in here so far, but the Zoom meetings have been a success. 

If you want to find a place to hide, nap, maybe read then go take a look at your closets!

 

Happy Reading!