December 28, 2016

a comfy reading chair

For about as long as I can remember, I've wanted a comfy, dedicated reading chair- a place where I could really snuggle in and read to my hearts content. I'm sure this desire comes from a longing to recapture some feeling that always seems to be just out of reach. There are memories and feelings that stay with you; over time, they morph into a deep aching, happiness, joy, sadness, and even physical sensations are intimately bound to something that's not quite a memory, more like an impression or the left-behind ghost of a memory-- Proust's famous madeleines. For me, it's a moment or series of moments from childhood. At that age, we lived in an apartment with west-facing windows and I'm reading by them; I've spent hours reading and the sunlight is fading, dusk is settling into the what's left of the day. If my mother was home, I was allowed to sit on the porch or under the tree to read and in those memories I can almost feel the warmth of the fading light on my arms and face; I see myself looking up from my book, staring at the train tracks that ran in front the apartment, the weakening light glinting off the tracks-- and I'm wondering where the tracks go; they must lead to some adventure. Then I return to my book, back to the warmth, the fading light; it's as if I know even at that age that this memory would be special.The picture above comes close to capturing these feelings and below are some additional artworks of reading by windows.



C. McChesney, Girl Reading by a Window, 1900

W. Orpen, The Window Seat, 1901
And doesn't this nook seem like a heavenly space to read?


But the reality is that window seats, although enticing, probably aren't nearly as comfortable as one would think. Well, this Christmas, I decided that I don't care how much it would cost, I deserve that life-long dream of a comfy reading nook. And I finally arrive at the real reason for this post. Look at the chairs I've come up with:

First up, the Ikea Stocksund:

Width: 36.25"
Depth: 37 3/8 "
Height: 35"
Seat depth: 22 7/8 "
Seat height: 19.25 "


Then there's this adorable velvet chair from Christopher Knight. 
Width: 30.25"
Depth: 26.25"
Height: 37.25"
Seat depth: 21.75"
Seat height: 19.25"
Seat width: 26.50"

I'm leaning toward the Ikea chair. To me, it just looks more like a "comfy, reading chair," but given how similar are the dimensions of the Christopher Knight chair and just how adorable it is, I have to admit I'm sorely tempted. What do you think?

2 comments:

  1. Beautiful post!
    I vote for the Ikea chair - let's create new memories of time suspended in reading.
    P

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  2. I will share this with Ara. 😍

    ReplyDelete