Have you lost that feeling where you are blissfully whisked away by a novel? Has pure escapism been replaced by meaningless words that simply wash over you as you find it difficult to associate with Chris Ryan’s latest protagonist whilst reading it tucked up with your hot water bottle? Whilst it is unadvisable and expensive to set sail to distant lands to experience the adventures of your favourite novels, you can recreate the atmosphere within your own home by creating a bespoke reading room tailored to your taste in literature. Here are a few tips as to how:

Dystopian Nightmares and Science Fiction

For fans of George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, the murky vision of the future often crafted in dystopian literature combines compelling stretches of the imagination with a subtle plausibility adding a haunting realism. The very nature of the dystopian novel ensures that each one is unique in its feel and the environment that it has produced. Create your own vision of the future and base your reading room design around that. Consider what tones and styles will be prevalent in 50 or 100 years and tune your design towards that. Channel the cold, personality-free atmospheres that were woven throughout the aforementioned classic novels.

Tales from the Deep South

Disney has ensured that the World has a fascination with turn-of-the-century deep-south USA and this setting has provided the basis for many of the 20th century’s best loved novels. Classic authors such as Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, Harper Lee and William Faulkner have concentrated many of their efforts in the lazy south. Using whitewashed hard wood furnishings such as wooden cabinets, the ‘deep south’ reading room should represent an authentic representation of a simpler age. Eschew modern trappings and technological advances for homemade lemonade to complete the sensation.


Tales from the Crib's Crypt

For those who love to terrify themselves, creating the perfect atmosphere is of utmost importance. It is nigh-on impossible to become fully enveloped in a scary plot if you can hear the dull tones of a team time TV quiz in the background. Make the room as enclosed as possible and block any natural light. Where possible read only by the light of a candle, unless this causes you to strain your eyes and potential cause yourself health issues. Decorate the room with old, rustic furniture such as grandfather clocks and china cabinets to create a spooky, neglected feel. These items of furniture can often be found at second-hand shops and auctions.

Thrill Readers

Fans of cop novels and intense thrillers are usually attracted to the genre by strong (yet often flawed) protagonists. Recreate the living style and standards of one of your favourite protagonists. If the protagonist is the classic ‘married-to-the-job’ detective, try and recreate the soulless interior of his office or a more traditional police station office cubicle. This will give you the impression that you are at the heart of the action and could be called upon at any moment. A high gloss desk complete with faux paper work and pictures of loved ones would really hammer home the desired impression.

The True Romantics

If you like to lose yourself in the likes of Mills & Boon, then you can truly escape to an archetypal romantic setting. Become enrapt in the love nest of vagrants of the heart: the palatial villas of Greek tycoons, the olive groves belonging to Italian counts or the luxury yachts of Arab sheikhs. Choose your romantic lead anti-hero carefully and craft his dominion. The first-person narrative of the traditional romance novel allowed for complete and total escapism into the literary works. A well-stocked wine rack is a necessity, allowing you to enjoy a glass whilst enamoured with your hero of choice.

(CD/MH)