My Old House: The Work/TV Room

This room at the top of the stairs is where I spend most of my time; I paint, hook rugs, and watch movies and television here. There are two rooms upstairs: this one, which was completely unfinished when I moved in, and the bedroom. As you can see, the ceiling, which I had insulated and finished, comes down to the floor, so it is considered a half floor. On either side of the staircase there are now north skylight windows, so the light in the room is beautiful. Poppy is drinking some water and behind her is a table with rug hooking supplies, including a cutter which cuts the wool into strips.




The wood door leads to the shed, which is a handy storage area. The slanted window is often called a witch's window around here. It is tilted at the same angle as the adjoining shed roof because there would be no room for an upright window.




The old sewing table, alongside the sofa, is where I keep my rug hooking materials as I work. And I work in the evenings in front of the tv, watching fairly dumb shows that entertain just enough but not too much to need a lot of attention. I give movies undivided attention, however. You can see the textile piece in progress stretched on a frame.




A further turn around the room shows my favorite rocking chair and a shelf full of dyed wool remnants. They come in handy for making my wool sketches or for looking at color choices.




The old cupboard holds my sweaters, and the old mirror reflects my image, showing my work attire: sweat pants and shirt, warm and comfortable. You can catch a glimpse of the bedroom through the door.




And here is my work table, an old drop leaf, with a metal typing table to hold my palette. It is a very comfortable setup for my current work. The light under the skylight is ample and everything I need is close to hand. I have a large studio in my barn, but since I've been painting very small pictures, I love working in this room.




Atop the cupboard is a still life of remembrances, with an old jug, old mirror, a metal box from Syria that was my grandmother's, and a old bonnet that I found in this house. Sharing the space with these objects is a small still life of mine from 1982.




A nude by Rafael Ferrer luxuriates on a striped bedspread, and is cushioned by the soft mounds of colored wool.




A small abstract sculpture by Darrell Petit, in the box a sculpture by Howard Kalish, on the wall an engraving by Joe Sultan.





A painting of a Brooklyn scene (my home town!) by Dee Shapiro.





Hanging on the closet door is a broadsheet with woodcut by Susan Jane Walp and poem by Jody Gladding. The triptych of framed drawings is by Deborah Kass.


*I hope you're enjoying this tour through my house. To see the previous rooms shown go to:
The Staircase
The (Tiny) Front Hall
The Living Room
The Guest Bedroom
The Back Room/Office
The Mudroom
The Kitchen
The Pantry