A reading chair can look beautifully placed from the doorway and leave you staring straight at the television once you sit down. In an open-plan living room, the challenge is giving reading a place of its own while keeping the corner connected to the people and furniture around it. Start with the view from the seat, then arrange everything you need within that setting.

The chair’s movement matters here. For example, Daedalus Designs’ Eames Lounge Chair replica pairs a swivel chair with a separate ottoman, while its lounge angle remains fixed. That combination lets you change the direction you face, but the footrest, lamp and side table still need to serve the position where you actually read.

Plan the chair, ottoman and supporting furniture as one reading corner. Image supplied by Daedalus Designs.

Choose what you want to look up at

Before moving furniture, decide how much of the room you want in view. Perhaps you enjoy reading while someone else sits on the sofa; perhaps the television catches your attention every time you lift your eyes. Those preferences suggest different chair angles, even within the same corner.

Try the edge of the main seating arrangement as a starting point. A chair turned partly toward a window or a quieter wall can keep the television out of your direct view while leaving the sofa group visible to one side. Facing directly into the conversation area makes more sense if joining in is part of the appeal.

Use a chair you already own to explore the position before buying anything. Sit down at the time you usually read and notice the view, the activity nearby and the route people take through the room. An empty patch of floor earns its place as a reading corner when you want to sit there during an ordinary evening.

Arrange the seat for your reading position

Choose the chair around the way you settle into a book. If you like your feet up, include the ottoman in the arrangement from the beginning; if you prefer sitting upright, give that preference priority when comparing seats. A handsome silhouette is a reason to look closer, but the seat still has to suit you.

Swiveling and reclining are different movements. With the chair described above, you can turn toward someone on the sofa, but you cannot adjust the lounge angle. Decide on your usual reading direction, then place the ottoman in front of you.

Leave a clear way to approach and get out of the chair. Check the space beside the sofa and nearby furniture while someone sits with their feet up. You should be able to walk past without squeezing between the chair and ottoman. If the ottoman interrupts the route through the room, change the chair’s position before settling the smaller pieces around it.

Bring the light to the book

The glow that makes a living room inviting may leave your book in shadow. Ambient light illuminates the wider room; task light directs light toward the activity in front of you. For this corner, judge the lamp by what reaches the open page.

Settle into your reading position and hold the book as you normally would. If your head or shoulder blocks the beam, move the lamp or adjust its direction. If a bright bulb sits in your line of sight, try another position and look up from the page as well as down at it.

Give daylight the same attention. A window beside the chair might be appealing in the morning, yet the arrangement also needs to work after sunset. Try it in both conditions, using the room lights as you normally would.

Locate the outlet before committing to the lamp’s final spot. Its base and cable belong in the furniture plan, particularly where people pass beside the chair. Solve the light’s position before filling that space with a plant or decorative object.

Give everyday objects a place to land

Put the side table where you can use it from the chair. Set a book and your usual drink on the surface, then sit down and reach for them. If you have to lean around the chair arm or stand up, try moving the table closer or to the other side.

If you use a table lamp, check the usable surface with it in place. A tabletop that looks generous when empty may leave little room for an open book. A floor lamp is an alternative when the side table is needed for those everyday objects and there is suitable floor space.

Once those pieces work together, look across the room for a visual connection. A wood finish can relate to an existing cabinet; a color in the chair or a throw can pick up a detail elsewhere. Choose a connection you like without making every finish identical. When browsing furniture at Daedalus Designs, compare finishes with the pieces you already plan to keep.

A rug can gather the chair and table into a distinct area, but an existing wall, window or change in furniture direction may already define it. Let those features help you decide whether the corner needs anything more.

Read there while the room is busy

Try the finished arrangement when the living room is in normal use. Read a few pages, put the book down, get up and return to the chair. Notice whether you can see clearly, reach what you need and stay as involved in the room as you intended.

Make the adjustment that experience calls for: turn the chair, bring the table within reach or shift the lamp. Then sit down with the book again before adding another thing.