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.
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C. McChesney, Girl Reading by a Window, 1900 |
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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:
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?
Beautiful post!
ReplyDeleteI vote for the Ikea chair - let's create new memories of time suspended in reading.
P
I will share this with Ara. 😍
ReplyDelete