Creating a reading nook: what lighting do you need to read comfortably

A successful reading nook depends on three things: a good armchair, a little privacy, and properly positioned light. It's usually the third point that's missing: you read by the light of the ceiling light, in your own shadow, and close the book after twenty minutes without knowing why. Here's how to light a reading space, whether in the living room or a bedroom.

Reading requires more light than living

The ambient lighting of a living room is around 100 to 150 lux. Reading, on the other hand, requires 300 to 500 lux on the page, which is three to four times more. In practice, this corresponds to a directed source of 400 to 600 lumens placed in the immediate vicinity, in addition to the general light.

So it's not a question of a more powerful ceiling light: increasing the general light illuminates the whole room without solving the page problem, and makes the evening much less pleasant.

Where the light should come from

The rule is simple: the source is placed behind the shoulder, on the opposite side of the hand holding the book, slightly higher. The light thus falls on the page without your torso or arm casting a shadow.

Two things to avoid: a source located in front of you, which enters the field of vision, and a source that is too vertical, which illuminates the top of the page and leaves the bottom darker. A wall sconce with diffusing glass, like this Art Deco sconce in iridescent glass, does this role well while remaining decorative during the day.

Wall sconce, table lamp or reading light?

The wall sconce is the most elegant solution: it frees up the side table and is placed exactly at the right height, around 1.50 to 1.70 m from the floor for an armchair. It does, however, require a power supply, and therefore a little planning.

The table lamp can be moved and plugged in anywhere, but takes up space and leaves a visible cable. The adjustable reading light, finally, is the most precise: its arm allows you to direct the beam exactly on the page. The detailed installation heights are in our article on the height and spacing of wall sconces.

The reading nook in a living room

The goal is to create an island: an armchair, dedicated lighting, and lower ambient light around. Keep a ratio of about one to three between the general light of the room and that of the page: too much contrast tires the eyes, not enough eliminates the cocoon effect.

If the armchair is installed in a corner, a pendant light lowered to the side works very well and avoids the cable on the floor, like this pink and chrome pearl pendant chandelier. Just make sure it is not in the line of sight once seated.

Reading in bed

In bed, the source is placed 60 to 70 cm above the mattress, which is about 1.10 to 1.20 m from the floor, and 15 to 30 cm from the side edge. Diffusing glass is essential here: you look at the source very closely and from an unusual angle, like with this milky white pleated glass sconce.

Provide a switch accessible from bed and, if you sleep with someone, two separate sources rather than a common ceiling light. The entire lighting of this room is covered in our article on the bedroom chandelier and sconces.

Color temperature and rendering

To read in the evening, stay between 2,700 and 3,000 K: beyond that, the light becomes cold and not conducive to relaxation. If you mostly read during the day or work on documents, 3,000 K give a little more sharpness without switching to clinical white.

Also aim for a color rendering index greater than 90: the paper looks sharper, illustrations keep their hues, and overall comfort is better. The details of the bulbs are in our article on bulbs, Kelvin and the dimmer.

Limiting fatigue: contrast and reflections

Two adjustments significantly improve comfort. First, lightly illuminate the wall behind the armchair: the eye then moves from a bright page to an illuminated background, and not to a black wall. Next, avoid shiny surfaces in the line of sight, glass frame or turned-off screen, which reflect the source.

If you read on a tablet or backlit e-reader, the principle remains the same: an auxiliary light in the room reduces the luminance difference with the screen. To highlight a nearby bookshelf, also see our article on lighting a painting or a bookshelf.

The most common mistakes

Reading by the ceiling light alone, therefore in your own shadow. Placing the lamp on the wrong side, the side of the hand holding the book. Choosing a cool white bulb to "see better". Installing a bare source without a diffuser, visible from the armchair. And forgetting the switch within reach, a detail that decides whether the reading nook will actually be used.

Composing your reading nook

Start with the location of the armchair, then choose the source: our blown glass wall sconces, especially the pleated glass models, diffuse a soft light ideal for reading. For a pendant light lowered next to the armchair, browse our blown glass chandeliers, and to balance the whole room, our guide to the living room chandelier.