Creating an all-weather escape for reading and working out. Part III
My project to turn the atrium into a light-filled escape for reading and working out in all weather is rounding the corner. I’m loving this new rug. It’s a chunky, solid-colored jute rug by Martha Stewart--on sale for 71% off! I laid the rug over a quarter-inch thick felt pad. At the far end of the new rug, I laid a smaller jute rug in a cabana stripe. I’d had that rug for years, and I like the way the stripes break up the solid color of the larger rug. At the near end of the new rug, I laid a checkered rug by Ruggable that hadn’t worked for another room. Rugs by Ruggable are machine-washable and perfect for high-traffic areas.
Then the Togo-inspired sofa arrived. The beige microsuede is elegant but the frameless construction and the caterpillar folds keep the look casual. The original Togo sofa was conceived half a century ago by French designer Michel Ducaroy. The Togo exploded onto the scene in 1973 and is available today as part of the collection by French furniture maker Ligne Roset. The frameless, deep-folded design of the Togo inspires my new caterpillar sofa, but a real Togo is a piece of history.
We took the sofa out of its wrapping and placed it under the canvas tryptic. The painting is entitled Honeycomb, created by Ukrainian artist Albina Bratcheva. I bought the tryptic three years ago to hang on a different wall. It didn’t work there, but it has finally found its perfect spot. The honeycomb pattern and the blurry watercolor tone and abundance of colors suggest ikat, the resist dyeing technique popular in Southeast Asia.
Atrium, ‘after.’ Trim: Whipped by Clare Paint. Walls: On Point by Clare Paint. Clockwise from left: Pair of garden statues. Vintage side table from Woodpecker Furniture of Boston, MA. Vintage table lamp from local antiques store. Wall sconces: Cebron 2 Steel Flush Mounted Sconce by Wade Logan (wayfair.com). Canvas art: Honeycomb by artist Albina Bratcheva (iCanvas.com). Sofa: Armless Bean Bag Chair 3-Seat Togo Soft Armless Fireside Chair by Viv + Rae (wayfair.com). Throw pillow: Authentic African pillow, blue mudcloth by Krinto (etsy.com). Solid jute rug: Martha Stewart Hand Woven Jute Solid Color Rug by Martha Stewart Rugs (wayfair.com). Checkered rug: Ruggable.com. Vintage striped jute rug from IKEA. Antique 19th Century carriage-mounted oil lamp from local estate sale. Vintage pair of wicker ottomans from IKEA. Jade Corduroy Chair: N&V Mid Century Armless Floor Sofa, Soft Premium Corduroy Lounge Chair, Foam Accent Chair for Living Room, Bedroom and Office (amazon.com).
Beside the sofa is a side table handmade by Woodpecker Furniture of Boston, MA. It was the first good piece of furniture I ever bought. I was straight out of college, and the table takes me back to my first apartment—a studio slightly bigger, and far less sunny, than this atrium. On top of the side table is a lamp featuring a bundle of real leatherbound books that I found in an antiques shop many years ago. The two garden statues stand to the left of the side table.
The two jute ottomans in the photo above and the low wicker rocking chair in the photo below are vintage items from IKEA. I bought them years ago. It’s fun to find a home for things I’ve had forever--to save money and also to breathe new life into items I’ve always liked.
See that light fixture on the far wall in the photo above? That’s an antique oil lamp from the 1800s. Years ago, a magnificent old farm in our area was razed to build a housing development. At the auction for the contents of the barn, I secured a pair of oil lamps. The lamp you see and its mate were made to be mounted at the front of a horse-drawn carriage. The brackets were affixed to the carriage, and the lamps could be removed from the brackets whenever the coachman needed to get out and investigate something on the road. The lamps were kept in fine condition over the years. Now, the brick wall in the atrium is just the place to display one of the pair. The lamp is in the direct line of vision as we enter the room, and I’m glad to give a place of honor to this piece of our history.
Then I added my Ab-Doer Twist Abdominal Trainer, my rowing machine, and some exercise bands to the room, and we were good to go. Yesterday morning, I did some stretches. Then that afternoon, as the rain pounded on the skylights, I sank into the jade corduroy chair, feet up on the ottomans, and lost myself in I’m Your Huckleberry by Val Kilmer. Pure bliss.
Atrium, ‘after.’ From left: Early model Ab-Doer Twist Abdominal Trainer (eBay). Vintage wicker rocking chair from IKEA.
Atrium, ‘after.’ This original painting by artist Deborah Finco now hangs above the hundred-year-old frieze (Deborah Finco Art).
Atrium, ‘after.’ It’s the comeback this room deserves.
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