Creating cosy nooks in our Tiny Home
And how they help me to slow down
Hello, I’m Molly, a full time creative based in the Scottish Highlands. Subscribers can enjoy weekly posts around the themes of slow living, with members getting access to ALL my work, including video tea times, slow letters and seasonal book reviews to name a few!
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When I hear the word ‘nook’, I instantly think ‘cosy’.
This word paints images of blankets, candles and endless well-worn paperbacks or beautiful magazines. Perhaps a craft object or two, lying in a messy heap near a steaming cup of tea.
Finding nooks in a Tiny Home has required a bit more ingenuity, as space is at a premium, meaning every crevice and corner already serves a purpose, usually more than one.
Although we’ve worked hard to make our house feel like a home, giving it a relaxed and welcoming feel, I still felt an urge to mark out some areas that provide that sense of sanctuary, for when the world feels a bit too much.
Some of these nooks have been thoughtfully designed, while others evolved naturally, as the need has arisen. In total, there are four corners of our home that I’ve come to deeply treasure, and which I will be sharing with you today.
(Note - if you are wondering about my partner, and where his ‘nook’ may be, never fear, he occupies our second loft where he can indulge in all his hobbies - including 3 guitars!)
Nooks in our Tiny Home
Tiny writing desk
When I started to work from home full-time, I knew I’d need a dedicated workspace.
Like everything with living tiny, this took some pondering and experimenting, but we eventually settled on a small desk that my partner was able to squeeze into our bedroom loft.
This is my main workspace and, most importantly, where I do the majority of my writing.
It’s not a perfect solution, as space is quite limited, just enough for a laptop or notebook (not both at once), and I have to dismantle the desk every time I want to access the wardrobe, but I’ve grown to love this corner of our home.
The desk itself is made from a beautiful cut of wood and my chair is an old piece of garden furniture that I sanded down and added seat a cushion from Dunelm. I keep my desk adornments at a minimum, but I always have my touch lamp, literary themed candle and handmade ceramic coaster, which helps to make the space feel more my own.
I also created a pinboard that I can hang on the wardrobe above my desk, and I can change the attachments around to prevent the space feeling stagnant.
If you want a full tour of my writer’s desk, I shot a video for my Substack members HERE.
Tea and coffee station
My partner and I are both big tea and coffee drinkers, so setting aside a corner of our kitchen for this purpose seemed perfectly natural.
I was inspired to create this nook after reading this beautiful post from
on how to turn your kitchen into a warm café.
We decided on lots of open storage in our kitchen, to make the most of the available wall space, and my partner made our pantry shelves from salvaged wood he found on the banks of Loch Ness.
I bought these cast iron hooks from Etsy, so that we could hang my beloved mugs, many of which are handmade by Scottish makers.
Most of our tea is stored in a dedicated draw, but I love my tea caddy that I got from a lovely lady on Vinted, as its in the design of ‘The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady’, a book that holds a special place in my heart.
I love how a few simple touches have romanticised the space and meant that making hot drinks has become a slow ritual we both enjoy.
Speaking of hot drinks, you can now support my work by buying me a coffee, which means I am able to keep these Monday posts free to read. Thank you so much to everyone who has already done so.
Reading nook
I’ve always been someone who loves to read in bed.
This is a habit I’ve kept since childhood, as I used to love cocooning myself in my bedroom, under piles of blankets, to escape into another captivating story.
I kept the décor in our bedroom loft minimal, but decided to splurge on some green gingham bedding from Piglet in Bed which adds a beautiful sense of luxury to the space.
I set up a book basket beside my bed that holds my current reads and my ever-growing collection of bookmarks, meaning I’m set up whenever the reading whim takes me.
Creative corner
This year, I’ve been loving creating artwork in my various journals and sketchbooks, so I decided to set up a corner of my home for this purpose.
I store most of my art supplies in a spare cupboard shelf in our bedroom loft, but I do most of my creating on our sofa. This is where our fold-out table comes in very handy. I’m able to fit my journal and a few supplies on here and then pack it away when it’s no longer needed.
I also use the crevices inside our stairs as an area to store my collection of journals, making them easily accessible.
What all these nooks have in common is that they encourage me to slow down and be fully present in what my life looks like now. Something that cannot be undervalued.
Until next time,
Molly xx
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What a lovely piece. And congratulations on creating such wonderful nooks; that's taken some real vision and they've all come off beautifully.
I’m moving into my first home in a few weeks and this has made me super excited to get a creative and reading nook set up in our snug ready for autumn and winter. ☺️