Best Armchairs for a Reading Nook or Bedroom Corner

Quick Answer: For a bedroom corner or reading nook, look for a compact-scale armchair with a supportive back, arm height that suits holding a book or a cup of tea, and a footprint under roughly 75–80cm wide. At Cambridge Beds & Furniture's Morrinsville showroom, the Helen and Turo armchairs are both built at this smaller scale and priced under $500, making them the two easiest fits for a corner that doesn't have room to spare.

Why a Reading Nook Needs a Different Chair to Your Living Room

Most people shop for an armchair the same way whether it's going in the lounge or a bedroom corner — and that's usually the mistake. A living room armchair often needs to hold its own next to a three-seater sofa, so bulk and presence matter. A reading nook chair does the opposite job. It has to disappear into a corner, not compete with the bed for visual space, and still feel good to sit in for forty minutes with a book.

Scale is the first thing to get right. A chair sized for an open-plan lounge can swallow a small bedroom corner whole, leaving no room to actually walk around it. The goal isn't the biggest, most cushioned chair you can find — it's the one that fits the gap you actually have, without turning your bedroom into an obstacle course.

What Actually Makes a Chair Good for Reading

A chair that looks perfect for a nook in a photo can still be wrong in practice. A few things matter more than they get credit for:

• Back height and support — you'll be sitting for longer stretches than in a dining chair, so the backrest needs to support your shoulders, not just your lower back.
• Arm height — arms that sit too low mean your elbows drop below the book or the mug on the armrest; arms that sit too high dig into your forearms. Somewhere in the middle is the sweet spot for most adults.
• Seat depth — a seat that's too deep forces you to either perch on the edge or slump against the back with your knees floating. A shallower seat suits reading posture better than a deep lounge seat.
• A recline, even a slight one — a completely upright seat gets uncomfortable fast; a slight backward angle lets you settle in without sliding down.

None of this shows up clearly in a product photo, which is exactly why it's worth testing a chair in person before committing it to a permanent corner of your bedroom.

Measuring the Corner Before You Shop

Before falling for a particular style, grab a tape measure. A reading nook chair generally needs:

• Width: most compact armchairs sit between 65–80cm wide across the arms — measure your corner's clear width, then subtract at least 15–20cm for walking space.
• Depth: allow the chair's full depth plus 30–40cm in front for your feet, an ottoman, or simply standing up without knocking your knees.
• Height clearance: check for windowsills, sloped ceilings, or wall-mounted shelving that a taller wingback style might clash with.

If your bedroom corner is genuinely tight — under about 90cm square — a smaller-scale chair like the Helen armchair will sit far more comfortably than a full-size wingback, which is built for a lounge footprint rather than a bedroom nook.

Chair Styles That Suit a Bedroom Corner

Not every armchair style translates well into a compact reading spot. A few that tend to work, and a few that don't:

Compact accent chairs — smaller-scale chairs built with a bedroom-friendly footprint are usually the safest choice for a corner. In-store, the Helen and Turo armchairs are both sized for this — neither is designed to anchor a large lounge, which is exactly why they suit a nook.

Fabric accent chairs — a softer, mid-sized fabric chair can also work in a slightly larger corner, provided the arm width doesn't eat into your walking space. The Newland and Willys styles fall into this bracket if your nook has a little more room to breathe.

Full wingback chairs — a classic wingback like the Lincoln armchair is a beautiful piece, but its scale and high back are built for a formal lounge setting. Unless your bedroom corner is genuinely spacious, it's usually the wrong proportion for a nook.

Velvet occasional chairs — these tend to be statement pieces first and functional reading chairs second. A velvet chair like the Marissa can work beautifully as a decorative corner piece, but check the seat depth and arm height against your actual reading habits before choosing it purely on look.

Fabric and Colour for a Calmer Corner

A bedroom reading nook generally benefits from a softer palette than a living room feature chair. A few practical notes:

• Muted, warmer tones tend to suit a bedroom better than bold, high-contrast fabric, since the chair sits in a space meant for winding down.
• Textured fabric hides everyday wear better than a flat weave, which matters in a chair that gets used daily rather than occasionally.
• Consider what's already in the room — a patterned duvet or busy curtains usually pair better with a plain-fabric chair than another pattern layered on top.

Setting Up the Rest of the Nook

The chair does most of the work, but a reading corner comes together properly with a few supporting pieces:

• A side table or small shelf within arm's reach for a book, a lamp, and a cup of tea, so you're not reaching across the room mid-chapter.
• A reading lamp with a warm, focused light rather than relying on the room's main overhead light, which is usually too harsh for reading in bed-adjacent spaces.
• A throw or cushion for extra comfort, particularly with a firmer-framed chair that benefits from a little softening.
• A rug underfoot, if the corner sits on hard flooring, to stop the space feeling cold and separate from the rest of the room.

Placement Tips Worth Getting Right

Where the chair sits in the corner matters almost as much as which chair you choose:

• Keep it clear of the main walking path to the wardrobe or ensuite — a chair that gets bumped into daily won't get used for long.
• Position it near natural light if possible; a spot by a window makes daytime reading far more pleasant than a chair tucked into a dark corner.
• Angle it slightly rather than squaring it directly into the corner — a small angle often makes a tight space feel more open than a chair jammed flush against both walls.

What to Expect on Price and Payment

Compact bedroom chairs at Cambridge Beds & Furniture's Morrinsville showroom sit at the lower end of the armchair range, generally starting under $500 for the smaller-scale styles suited to a nook. If a slightly larger fabric or velvet piece suits your space better, expect to move up toward the mid-to-upper end of the range instead. Because sale pricing shifts as stock turns over, it's worth checking the current armchair range before deciding on a specific style.

For anyone who'd rather not pay for the chair outright, Cambridge Beds & Furniture offers payment plans including Afterpay and GEM Visa to spread the cost — worth checking at checkout if Zip was previously your go-to, since Zip is exiting the New Zealand market from 16 August 2026.

Why See the Chair in Person Before Committing It to a Corner

A reading nook chair is a longer-term fixture than most furniture purchases — it's not something you swap out with the seasons. That makes it worth the trip to actually sit in the shortlisted styles before deciding. At the Morrinsville showroom, you can compare the Helen and Turo side by side, check arm height against your own frame, and see how the fabric actually looks in daylight rather than under studio lighting. If you've already read our guide to buying armchairs in Morrinsville, this is the follow-up for narrowing that choice down to the right chair for a specific corner rather than a whole room.

Key Takeaways

• A reading nook chair should be judged on scale and arm/seat height first, not just style — a chair built for a lounge is rarely the right fit for a bedroom corner.
•  Measure the corner's clear width and depth before shopping; compact chairs like the Helen and Turo suit corners under roughly 90cm square.
• Softer, warmer fabric tones generally suit a bedroom reading nook better than bold statement colours.
•  A side table, a focused reading lamp, and a throw complete the setup more than the chair alone.
• Compact bedroom chairs at the Morrinsville showroom generally start under $500, with flexible payment plans available.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What size armchair is best for a small bedroom corner?

A compact chair under roughly 75–80cm wide across the arms generally suits a small bedroom corner best, leaving enough clearance to walk around it comfortably.

2. Which armchairs at Cambridge Beds & Furniture suit a reading nook?

The Helen and Turo armchairs are both built at a smaller scale suited to bedroom corners, and are priced under $500.

3. Is a wingback chair a good choice for a bedroom reading nook?

Usually not, unless the corner is genuinely spacious. Wingback styles like the Lincoln armchair are scaled for a formal lounge setting rather than a compact nook.

4. What arm height is comfortable for reading in a chair?

Arm height that sits roughly level with a relaxed elbow works best — too low and your arm drops uncomfortably, too high and the armrest digs in.

5. Should a bedroom reading chair recline?

A slight backward recline is generally more comfortable for extended reading than a fully upright seat, though it doesn't need to be a full recliner mechanism.

6. What colour or fabric works best for a bedroom corner chair?

Muted, warmer tones and textured fabric tend to suit a bedroom reading nook better than bold patterns, which read more naturally in a living room setting.

7. How much space should I leave around a reading chair?

Allow at least 15–20cm of walking clearance around the chair's width, plus 30–40cm in front for your feet or a small ottoman.

8. Do I need a side table for a reading nook chair?

It's not essential, but a small side table or shelf within arm's reach makes the space far more functional for holding a book, lamp, or drink.

9. Can I see the Helen and Turo armchairs in person before buying?

Yes, both are on display at the Morrinsville showroom, 199 Thames Street, where you can sit in each one and compare them directly.

10. Do reading nook armchairs come with a comfort guarantee?

No — Cambridge Beds & Furniture's 60-night comfort guarantee applies to mattress purchases only and does not cover armchairs or other furniture.

Written by Amnider Grewal, Bedroom Furniture Specialist at Cambridge Beds & Furniture.