Space.
I’ve been thinking lately about writing spaces. For some reason, I’m always drawn to rooms that look old and lived-in, where you could easily imagine stereotypical décor or furnishings, like a faded world map or one of those leather tufted chairs.
I mean, who do I think I am? An old man in 1946 Oxford? A hobbit, perhaps? I feel cheesy and weird talking about it.
My own personal style skews in pretty much the opposite direction, as I think you can see in the post from when Jane featured my own (though no longer used) writing space in her “Where We Blog From” series in 2010. As well, I don’t feel like my writing style even matches a room like the one pictured (Vita Sackville-West’s “Writing Tower”). But despite these things, when I think of the best, most right place to shut myself up and write, I think of the Oxford hobbit writing room.
I wonder where it comes from. I wonder if I saw a photo when I was young, or some throwaway scene in a movie that made an impact without me realizing. I don’t think I’ll actually ever want a tufted leather chair, but maybe I can incorporate some elements of the Oxford hobbit room into my real life somehow in the future. A tiny starter world map, maybe.
(Image: National Trust, John Hammond)
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There’s a new entry at Lumisilla mailla, and Susanna’s photographs are absolutely stunning, if I do say so myself.
This sounds like somewhere I would love to sit and read or take pictures! There’s something surprisingly cozy feeling about an Oxford hobbit hole lol. They do tend to make rooms like that seem very warm and relaxing when they use them in movies.
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Samantha said:
January 19th, 2013 at 23:40
Cozy, warm and relaxing . . . actually, I might do more napping than writing in a room like that, now that I think about it!
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I love, love this room! I often daydream about the ideal writing room, and I imagine lots of comfortable, old furniture, too. And a couch/chaise longue like the one on the left in the picture. And old maps are wonderful.
I’m moving in the spring and my writing space (an alcove off of our bedroom) has already been designated — and even though it’s the size of a closet and will probably only hold existing furniture, I’m having fun imagining what it will be like.
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Samantha said:
January 21st, 2013 at 07:50
I hope you post photos of your writing space once you’re moved in!
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