Have your children help you go through their book collections and pick out what books they haven't read yet. If you are able to safely leave your home, you can coordinate curbside dropoff book exchanges with friends.

On one side of the house, a white central staircase leads to a split-level landing the Robertsons call "the reading room." "We needed a place to hang out and for the kids to read," explains owner Vivi Nguyen-Robertson. Awaiting the birth of the couple's son, she relaxes in a built-in reading nook in the library.

The Trues host parties in the glass-walled structure, located steps from their vacation home, or they escape to it to catch some rays and read a book. Bill reclines on cushions hidden under the reclaimed-fir floorboards that are propped up with Sugatsune hinges.

Our kids are our future—teach them to be conscientious and kind to Mother Earth with these sweet, informative children’s books.

The culmination of the collaboration was the design’s simplicity: a single neutral, durable, versatile volume that can easily host a changing collection of hobbies, art, furniture, and guests.

A cozy reading nook fits underneath the stairs, saving floor space in the 1690-square-foot home.

Barbara Hill's Dancehall/House in Marfa, Texas September 14, 2010 Misty Keasle

Amy requested a quiet, sunny reading nook with a view; In Situ obliged with a built-in bench housing her collection of books.

A reading nook, furnished with corner casement windows, welcomes an unexpected guest.

The white plaster inside the home signals a continuation of the outdoor facade. The cave-like nook was inspired by the fireplace in Swedish architect Erik Gunnar Asplund's summer house.

The house features Bayerwald sliding windows and highly insulated fixed glass; low-VOC paint from Benjamin Moore; and big overhangs to the south to shield summer sun and allow winter light. It was important to the family to integrate sustainable materials and strategies.

Large screens on the second story windows are a low-tech way to protect the interior from the sun's blistering rays, but still allow natural light to flow inside. In the family room, Melissa reclines on a Togo sofa by Ligne Roset with a favorite book in hand.

Of the seven steps in Michael Pozner’s not-quite-500-square-foot aerie in Greenwich Village, five contain drawers. His small set of table and chairs is from CB2.

Read something. If you already watched Contagion, try out some pandemic-related reading—Severance by Ling Ma, or Pale Horse Pale Rider by Katherine Anne Porter. Or, read the Social Distancing Manifesto. Find out what the heck “Cottagecore” means. Hint: it’s as quaint as it sounds. Create an Instagram account for your pet. If ever there was a time to post and share infinity pictures of your cute (or ugly) dog doing cute things, this is it. Dream about travel. Dive into Dwell Travel stories to plan that next trip, for when this whole thing finally settles down.

Counterweights Drum pendant lamp by George Kovaks from Lumens hangs above a Docksta table from Ikea.

A reading nook near the kitchen offers a quiet space to take in verdant garden views. Architect Stephen Andrews constructed the accent wall using salvaged shiplap from the 1930s, while Britt crafted a custom cushion that contains minimal fire retardants, which are carcinogenic.

A Rejuvenation sconce and a Pfeifer Studio stool accent the reading nook built into the hallway.

A built-in reading nook in the bedroom frames a window that overlooks the backyard.

A reading nook is built into a window frame in the primary bedroom, where hexagonal terracotta tile lends color and texture.

In a couple’s Mexico City apartment designed by David Levy of Flexform, a Murano chandelier hangs above a marble-topped dining table from the showroom.

The Antonio Citterio walnut-back Morgan chairs are also from Flexform.

Maja and Asa hang out in the guestroom, which also doubles as storage space with an entire wall of closets along one end.

"We really love to cook and much of our home life revolves around our kitchen. When we have friends over it’s great to buzz around here; it’s almost like a cooking show. We’re a very equal couple. We wanted the kitchen island to be a single form that we could both use. We can both cook and we can both wash the dishes. The whole thing is really easy to clean as it’s just one main surface that you can wipe down. So the preparation surfaces, the hob [cooktop], and the sink are accessible from both sides. It’s a simple, fun, form-follows-function principle: Store, wash, prepare, cook, eat."

Renaldi's niche for cookware

A quiet reading area sits on the second floor landing, where the home’s existing wood floors remain intact. Previously, that nook housed a closet, so views to the outdoors were obstructed. Michael felt it was important to have a continued connection to the yard when moving throughout the house, so he created a scheme to bring natural light inside and a view to the outside from the second floor.

The loft is open and bright, and serves multiple purposes.

Thanks to a spacious bookshelf and plenty of seating, this vibrant area is an inviting spot to read and relax.

The top container contains Wardell's office—and a "napping nook" above that.

Pozner credits Borowski with the idea to use a roller shade, purchased at the Shade Store, to close off the sleeping loft. The simple intervention, neither sound- nor lightproof, is sufficient to demarcate one “room” from another.

Designed for an artist and entrepreneur client, this guest house features lots of light, access to the outdoors, and an industrial vibe.