Home Reading Room

divinerofcards

Home-based Reading Room

Hello all,
Recently my sweet man suggested that if we cleaned out our home gym that neither of us used, that I could repurpose the room as a reading room. Has anyone got one? Can anyone give me any sort of advice about setting one up?

It's a really small bedroom with one Window. I sold my treadmill, so have a little cash for furnishings. Suggestions on colors would be appreciated. I tend towards making it elegant and minimal... But rich and inviting. Not cheesy... Spa like? Help!

Toni
 

tarotbear

I wish I had pictures of my home reading room :( alas! Gone forever!

You will want to put all your tarot stuff in there, along with anything you have that is considered magickal - your crystals, cards, wands, incense, CDs, etc - so you will need either a couple of bookcases for your reference books and stuff or a cabinet to put things in.

Next - reading for yourself or others? You will need a round table with one or two chairs, tablecloths etc.

Sound system - something to place appropriate music - no need for expensive sound equipment here - just something that will set a mood.

Incense burners/candles burning? Totally up to you or the person you are reading for.

In summary:

comfortable sitting arrangement
music source
storage shelving or cabinets for accouterments
candles or incense optional

You can also build your personal altar in there, too.

How you decorate the place is up for grabs! :)
 

cherryberry

oooh, that is soo lovely :)

If I would have one (and I sometimes think about it, I would also use it for my Yoga practices) I would have a few seating cushions on the floor. Colour wise - happy colours :) maybe cream on some walls and lovely burnt creamy-orange on others. Would try to find that colour in fabric and have that covered the walls, like curtains or so. And I would have a curtain covering the door, so the room feels like a 'space in time', like a restful island.

I also think light, creamy greens are lovely :) They can feel really warm and still fresh and cosy.

Then maybe hang up things that make soft noises when they catch breezes or sunlight (I dont know how they are called)

It all depends of course, what type of mood you want the room to have. Thats how i always approach it (and i redecorate typically one room per year :) First I think of what words I like to describe the room with. Then try to think of an object I have seen or indeed have, that has the same characteristics. Often I dont have it yet, but when I go through home stores etc, antique shops, art galleries, even paper stores, I come across something that I really love that serves as inspiratin for the new colour scheme or decoration.

I used decorated candles, paintings, art posters, sculptures, etc before as inspiration :)

Just some ideas. Have fun, this sounds like a great little thing to spend time investigating and exploring :)
 

divinerofcards

tarotbear said:
I wish I had pictures of my home reading room :( alas! Gone forever!

You will want to put all your tarot stuff in there, along with anything you have that is considered magickal - your crystals, cards, wands, incense, CDs, etc - so you will need either a couple of bookcases for your reference books and stuff or a cabinet to put things in.

Next - reading for yourself or others? You will need a round table with one or two chairs, tablecloths etc.

Sound system - something to place appropriate music - no need for expensive sound equipment here - just something that will set a mood.

Incense burners/candles burning? Totally up to you or the person you are reading for.

In summary:

comfortable sitting arrangement
music source
storage shelving or cabinets for accouterments
candles or incense optional

You can also build your personal altar in there, too.

How you decorate the place is up for grabs! :)
Click to expand...

(Tarotbear) thankyou. As I was reading your reply I happened to look over into my living room where there is a gold-processed duotone photograph of an old door and glass doorknob from the summer kitchen of my maternal grandmother's farm. It is just a closeup photo of the door and knob... And immediately a lot of things came together for me. The words I was reading from your post were "anything you have that is considered magikcal". :) Before I sat down to reply to your post I took it up into the empty room... Yay!

I really do wish I could see a photo your reading room. Mine would be for reading others. I rarely - and I really do mean "rarely"... Read for myself. Having a vested interest in the outcome means I really don't trust the advice. That said, the times I have read for myself I should have listened... :( - I digress.

Thanks again for your words as I did find some inspiration there. :) And will also take into account all other advice - this is suddenly a lot more exciting.

Any other advice is most welcome!!

Brightest Blessings,
Toni
 

divinerofcards

cherryberry said:
oooh, that is soo lovely :)

If I would have one (and I sometimes think about it, I would also use it for my Yoga practices) I would have a few seating cushions on the floor. Colour wise - happy colours :) maybe cream on some walls and lovely burnt creamy-orange on others. Would try to find that colour in fabric and have that covered the walls, like curtains or so. And I would have a curtain covering the door, so the room feels like a 'space in time', like a restful island.

I also think light, creamy greens are lovely :) They can feel really warm and still fresh and cosy.

Then maybe hang up things that make soft noises when they catch breezes or sunlight (I dont know how they are called)

It all depends of course, what type of mood you want the room to have. Thats how i always approach it (and i redecorate typically one room per year :) First I think of what words I like to describe the room with. Then try to think of an object I have seen or indeed have, that has the same characteristics. Often I dont have it yet, but when I go through home stores etc, antique shops, art galleries, even paper stores, I come across something that I really love that serves as inspiratin for the new colour scheme or decoration.

I used decorated candles, paintings, art posters, sculptures, etc before as inspiration :)

Just some ideas. Have fun, this sounds like a great little thing to spend time investigating and exploring :)
Click to expand...

(cherryberry) I really like the idea of curtains instead of a door. And the burnt orange - I have some "polished" raw silk like fabric with burnt orange and ochre wide stripes that I currently use as temporary wall materials for corporate readings that I think will cover - if not the Window - at least one wall. :) As for rich creamy greens, my man has a paint palette he loves with just a green - a 'chaulky' sage that will go perfectly.

When you said - first I like to think of words I like to describe the room with... And then using an object to define - why, I do believe Tarotbear already set me up with this somehow with the photo he set me onto noticing with his magical talk ;) baby I'm taking this to the bank. Thank you. This will help me too :)

Does this qualify as a reading? Because you guys are really giving me great options and advice that goes to my heart LOL.

In gassho,
Toni
 

divinerofcards

Tarotbear, you suggest a round table. Any particular reason for round?

As an aside, when I was in college I had a room with others in a house and put my dresser inside the closet. On top of said dresser I had my alter. One day I found that another tenant had gone into my alter closet and borrowed from my stash and helped herself to a fine silk sweater. Never had an alter again - was totally shattered. I do believe an alter is in order :)

Light,
Toni
 

tarotbear

divinerofcards said:
Tarotbear, you suggest a round table. Any particular reason for round?
Click to expand...

Takes up less space in a small room (no corners to deal with), seems more spiritual, somehow. Use whatever you have!

There are no pictures of my room; I never photographed it.

It was a small bedroom on a second floor. The walls were plain brown paneling - I was renting so could not paint it! The door was in a corner. The wall to the right was the closet with bi-fold doors, so nothing was there. The next wall had the window in it. I had made curtains of that popular fabric with the stars, suns, and astrological symbols on it. In the corner on that wall was a large - I mean LARGE mirror- 3' x 4' mounted on a wall. I had taken an old 3-drawer dresser and painted it in dark blues and misted light purples, light blues, and gray over the surface to make it look 'astral'; it was under the mirror and was my altar/magickal space. I used to do skyclad rituals.

The wall to the left of the door was mostly blank except for a small table that had the sound system and CDs on it; also 'port-a-witch' - it was an old audio cabinet with a glass door that most of my witchy stuff was in. The speakers were separate and I mounted them near the ceiling on opposite sides of the room. The last wall had the bookcases with all my books and other paraphernalia in it; those walls also had pictures, posters, shelves with wands, etc. In the middle of the room was a large round table and two chairs.
 

divinerofcards

Tarotbear your own second floor room parameters echo mine pretty much exactly. My window is on the wall opposite the door so when you walk in you see the Window. I wonder why everyone I type the word Window it comes in as a capital letter on my tablet... Lol.
 

cherryberry

divinerofcards said:
(cherryberry) I really like the idea of curtains instead of a door. And the burnt orange - I have some "polished" raw silk like fabric with burnt orange and ochre wide stripes that I currently use as temporary wall materials for corporate readings that I think will cover - if not the Window - at least one wall. :) As for rich creamy greens, my man has a paint palette he loves with just a green - a 'chaulky' sage that will go perfectly.

When you said - first I like to think of words I like to describe the room with... And then using an object to define - why, I do believe Tarotbear already set me up with this somehow with the photo he set me onto noticing with his magical talk ;) baby I'm taking this to the bank. Thank you. This will help me too :)

Does this qualify as a reading? Because you guys are really giving me great options and advice that goes to my heart LOL.

In gassho,
Toni
Click to expand...

ohh, lovely, I am glad I helped a bit :heart: I dont know why, when I read your post I immediately visualized this burnt orange colour :D what a coincidence that you have a fabric in that same shade :) And definetly, chalky green should look lovely with it as well :) Would you maybe post a picture here when you have the room all nice and set up? I'd love to see it!
Also, I read the thing about the golden picture with the door knobs, that sounds so elegant and warm again.

Ah, I am sure this room will turn out just loooovely :) :heart:
Best wishes to you :)
 

Seven Pelicans

I love hearing about everyone's rooms & ideas for rooms. I wish I had a dedicated reading room! (I read in our library/dining room.)

My 2 cents: make it a place where you feel good, have it reflect who you are as a reader.

The photo from your grandmother's house sounds wonderful & I agree you should use it as the kernel for the rest of the design :)
 
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