A reading nook needs about 3 ft by 4 ft of floor, a chair, a light and a bookshelf, and a London flat almost always has that space already. In a Victorian conversion it is the alcove beside the chimney breast; in a mansion block it is the bay; in a new build it is the dead corner of the living room behind the sofa.

If you have spent any time on interiors social media in 2026, you will have seen it: that softly mottled, luminous wall finish that makes a room feel as though it has been standing for centuries without looking remotely dated. Sometimes it is described as lime wash. Sometimes as Venetian plaster. Sometimes, incorrectly, as both interchangeably. Whatever it's called, searches for it among UK homeowners have risen 109% year-on-year, making it the fastest-growing wall finish in British residential interiors right now.