In our new farmhouse, we have decided that the smaller of the front rooms – the one with the cozy pot-bellied stove – will be the quiet room – the reading room as I think of it. We’ll have a comfortable couch and maybe a puzzle table. Lots of coasters on which to set warm drinks in winter, and a ceiling fan to keep the air moving and cool in summer. People will be encouraged to put their feet on the furniture, and a blanket will drape over every chair just in case the urge for a nap hits.
Bookshelves, of course there will be bookshelves. Maybe a giant bean bag with a chenille throw tossed over one side. And a wide chair and a half with an ottoman for comfort and snuggling.
We’ll also have a special “take a book, leave a book” shelf that’s open for everyone who visits.
I can’t wait to shape this cozy room, and I’d love your ideas. What definitely needs to be a part of a reading room? What needs to be left out? What colors do you think are fitting for a 200-year-old house and that invoke quiet and stillness?
Basically, what do you want to find in that room when you come to visit the new farm?