January 23, 2011

My Old House: The Living Room



This is the view into the living room from the doorway of the back room/office. The room faces south, so on a sunny winter's day, the light pours into the room. On the right is another built-in cupboard, this one very shallow so perfect for storing odds and ends. The rocker you see in the foreground is a porch rocker that I bring indoors during the winter months.




On the floor are a large old braided wool rug, and glimpsed under the chair, one of the first hooked rugs that I made, using a kit. Each summer I keep two plants on my little porch, a geranium and a rosemary, and during the cold months they sit on the living room bookshelf in front of the two south facing windows.




The low bookshelves, along with the one in the office, are overflowing, with books piled behind the door and on the blanket chest serving as a table. An orchid also sits on the table; I keep hoping it will bloom again, but I don't seem to have the knack. My mother made the cozy afghan draped over the couch.




And the final view, of the back wall of the room. I should mention that the chair and sofa are antique reproductions, which I felt would maintain the character of the house.




I have a lot of art in this room, mostly that of friends. The oil painting above is by Susan G. Scott, the drawing by Sam Thurston.




On the right are two drypoints of mine from the mid 80s, the lower one with watercolor. (sorry for all the reflections.) On the left, a print by Rackstraw Downes; I believe it's a soft ground etching.




A work on paper by Cathy Clair Cone.




A landscape by Jean Silverberg, cityscape (a view from the my former loft building) by Lynn Rosenfeld, and a lithograph by Philip Pearlstein.




On the wall adjoining what used to be a mantle over a now defunct fireplace, a small lithographic engraving by a Scandinavian artist whose name I didn't record. Below that, two copper engraving by Joe Sultan.




And finally, two small pieces of sculpture, both landscapes but of very different character. In the foreground Lynn Rosenfeld, behind that a low relief by Harry Roseman.

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

9 comments:

  1. I love seeing your house. I feel like I've had a visit in this place...a work of art.

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  2. thanks, dee; I so enjoy showing people around this house that I love.

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  3. Altoon--I'm enjoying your continuing house tour--your narrative about living your way into this house reminds me of May Sarton's "Journal of a Solitude." I'm especially struck by your shot of the stark white wall with the lithogaph and copper engravings. Lovely.

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  4. Hannah, I read "Journal of a Solitude" several years ago, and wonder if I should reread it, since my life has become more quiet and inward as years have past. In some ways, connections via the internet have allowed for this, and I thank you for your interest.

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  5. What color are your living room walls? They look like our walls in some light ....

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  6. They're a Benjamin Moore historical color, Linda, called Blair Gold. It's fun to think of a whole room full of people whose only job is to think up color-names for the hundreds of paint colors.

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  7. The funny thing is, this New England house shares so many characteristics of early Federal-style homes in Kentucky. If you transplanted this, plus decor, it would stand up on any historical tour around here (though the art collection is beyond what most of us can dream of.). Doesn't Benjamin Moore have terrific colors?! Wonderful tour. Thank you. CathyS

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  8. Cathy, that's so interesting to know that this house, which I think of as quintessentially New England, is similar to houses down south. I'm glad you enjoyed my house tour.

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  9. Art is everywhere in your house, Altoon! They're stunning! I've seen a lot of houses owned by an artist and they're different from the rest. I think that's because artists are great at expressing themselves that they could incorporate beauty in everything they do. There are some things here that needs to be repainted, but I like it better this way. The rustic look might be part of how you express yourself as well. Congratulations for successfully expressing your art through your house! Keep on posting cool stuff!

    Calvin Mordarski

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