Reading is a powerful way for children to build an appreciation for learning. What if you could encourage that by creating a dedicated reading space for them? A welcoming space can foster that interest — helping deepen your child’s relationship with reading and empowering them to be independent. We spoke to Yitzy Friedman, Principal Designer at YF Designers in Boca Raton, about how to make it happen.
Know As They Grow
“Before starting any design, it’s really important to start with who you’re designing for — their lifestyles, their habits and how they move through a space,” Friedman says. But because children change so fast, it’s important to have a space that can keep up with them. “You want to give them something that they’ll love now, but [that] they’ll be able to use as they grow.”
Designate A Space
“Children need a space that is really their own,” Friedman says. “In a house in general, everything is for the adults, right? So having a space that’s really for the children themselves, for each child to explore and to empower them to grow, is a really important thing. That doesn’t mean, though, that it has to clash with the design of the house.” Creating a reading space for your children doesn’t have to be difficult, Friedman says, and it can be coordinated to match the home decor already in place.
Doing so is as simple as adding bean bag chairs (ones with washable exteriors) to a corner of a child’s room or as complex as adding a built-in seating area. Friedman recommends adding a cozy, high-pile rug so children have the option to sit wherever they like. An easy way to make the space flexible is by swapping out smaller decor, like blankets and throw pillows that are also washer-friendly.
Remember The Essentials
A child’s reading space should have reachable bookshelves, Friedman says, and you don’t actually need too many — empty bookshelves are not an inviting look. The bookshelves should also have ends: this will make it easier to put books away without having them fall over, especially since children’s bookends are often not strong enough. Lamps are essential, too. Depending on whether you have a reading nook or a reading corner, light from the ceiling may not reach, Friedman says. And, of course, don’t forget the books!