Your favourite stories don’t have to stay on the bookshelf. There is a particular pleasure in finding a corner of your home that feels entirely your own. A comfortable chair. A book you have been meaning to open. Something warm in your favourite mug. And, on the wall, an image that makes you pause. Perhaps it is Alice meeting an unlikely companion. Perhaps it is a detective who seems to know more than he is saying. Or a vintage game cover that reminds you how good it feels to make time for play. Vintage art for your reading nook can begin with a story you love. Illustrated book covers, theatrical posters and magazine designs offer a way to bring that story into the room, through colour, character and a little curiosity. Here are four ways to find your starting point.

1. Leave a little room for wonder

For a corner that welcomes daydreaming, follow Alice into a world of curious encounters, or take the road into Oz. Alice illustrations can give a quiet room a wonderfully unexpected detail: a garden of talking flowers, the Queen’s croquet ground or the lively scene of the Lobster Quadrille. The Wizard of Oz collection opens another door, with colourful book covers, fantastical companions and decorative portraits. The two worlds need not compete. Let one print establish the mood, then take a colour from it into a cushion, a throw or the books displayed nearby. A gentle blue can keep the corner calm; a small touch of red or yellow can give it energy.

Try this pairing: one whimsical print, a soft throw and a small shelf of well-loved stories. Leave some wall space around the artwork so its details have room to be noticed. Find Alice and other illustrated stories in Children’s Literature Art Prints, or explore the Vintage Illustration Art Prints collection.

2. Give your inner detective a place to settle in

Some reading corners call for a little mystery. Dark wood, a pool of lamplight and an intriguing image can make even a modest space feel ready for the next chapter. The Sherlock Holmes collection brings together book cover and theatrical imagery with expressive portraits and bold lettering. A poster can become the focal point above a chair; a smaller print can sit beside a bookcase where you discover it as you browse. The Sherlock Holmes Lyceum Theatre Poster Art Print, with its illustrated portrait and theatre lettering, is one place to begin. Its graphic design offers plenty to enjoy even before your next detective novel leaves the shelf. Try this pairing: a Sherlock Holmes print, a reading lamp and a few books with dark or muted spines. You can create a thoughtful, atmospheric corner without turning the whole room into a period set.

3. Make space for a playful plot twist

A reading nook does not have to be solemn. It can share a room with a puzzle table, a family bookshelf or the board games that come out on rainy afternoons. Vintage game artwork brings a different kind of storytelling to the wall. The lettering, borders and illustrated scenes can be just as engaging as a book cover, with a spirit of anticipation: something is about to begin.

The Camelot design pairs a medieval castle and mounted figures with a pale green background. Elsewhere in the Vintage Game Art Prints collection, baseball imagery, ornate lettering and imaginative designs offer other directions to explore. Try this pairing: a game cover print above a low bookcase, with a favourite puzzle or game within easy reach. Let the corner invite both reading and a little friendly competition. These products are decorative art reproductions of game and packaging designs; playable games and toys are not included.

4. Let a vintage cover start the conversation

Sometimes the most interesting image is one you did not expect to love. An illustrated magazine cover might catch your attention through a striking colour combination, an expressive face or a scene you want to look at more closely. You do not have to know the whole story to enjoy its place on your wall. The Vintage Magazine Cover Art Prints collection includes adventure scenes, frontier riders, nautical encounters and literary portraits. It is a good place to browse when you want your reading corner to feel collected over time.

Try this pairing: the blue and gold Mark Twain cover beside a shelf of favourite authors, or an adventure cover in a corner that could use a burst of colour. Choose the image that makes you want to linger.

How to bring your reading nook together

You do not need a complete gallery wall to begin. One well-chosen print can be enough.

• Start with a personal connection. Choose a character, story or image you enjoy living with, rather than trying to match every item in the room.
• Repeat one colour. Pick up a shade from the artwork in a nearby textile or object to connect the print with its surroundings.
• Check the scale. Mark out the intended dimensions with paper before ordering. Consider how the print will look from your chair as well as from across the room.
• Give a group one shared detail. If you combine several designs, a recurring colour, similar proportions or a common subject can help them sit comfortably together.

If you prefer a corner with an encouraging note, browse the Motivational Art Prints collection. An image or a few meaningful words can be a lovely companion to the books that help you think, reflect or begin again.

Find the story you want to come home to

A reading corner grows more personal with the things you choose for it. The book you return to. The chair that is becoming more comfortable with age. The image that still catches your eye when you walk past. At CandlesBook, you can shop Buyenlarge art prints in the poster, canvas and giclée formats offered on each product page. Check the Format menu for the materials, dimensions and prices available for your chosen design. These are art reproductions; books and other objects depicted in the artwork are not included. Begin with a world you love: the Land of Oz, Sherlock Holmes, illustrated children’s stories, vintage games or magazine cover art. Which story would you like to see every time you sit down to read?