Recipe For A Room: Edouard Vuillard

One of the countless wonders of the internet is being able to view virtually any work of art on command. I've saved this image of an Edouard Vuillard painting for months now.

("Interior with Figure Sewing," 1899)

I am inescapably drawn to the moodiness of the interior and to that gorgeous rug draped across the table in particular. We've all seen that decorating touch in many Dutch paintings but I've always been curious as to the reason for it. After a little Google research, I learned that apparently only the wealthiest of households actually put rugs on the floor; mostly, they were deemed too precious for such use and were used as table coverings or wall hangings instead. (Side note: During mealtimes, the rug would be covered by another cloth to protect it.)

The late Domino magazine used to have a monthly feature where they would turn an outfit into a room and, in the spirit of that concept, I challenged myself to do the same with this Old Master painting. 

Although this wallpaper is by no means a dead match, I feel like it has the same golden quality and scale of pattern to it...and I'm in love with its muted elegance.

("Kaleido" in Copper, via jocelynwarner.com)

I think this rug from Anthropologie is stunning and captures the same vibrancy of the one in the painting. I don't know about you, but I'd love to pull up a chair and rest my elbows on it.

(Ikat rug, $498, Anthropologie)

This flat braided jute rug from Pottery Barn would be perfect on the floor and is one I've seen mentioned countless times in magazines as being a designers' favorite.

(9' by 12', $599)

There are lots of choices for curtains; these are from Restoration Hardware and would do the job in a pinch. (Add pom-pom trim to the edges if you want to be faithful to the painting.)

($179-$479)

This table from the ever-chic Martyn Lawrence Bullard is remarkably similar to the one next to the woman seated by the window.

(Romano side table)

These Queen Anne chairs from Pottery Barn are a wonderful echo of the ones pictured.

Need a piece of artwork on the wall? This charming landscape from one of my favorite online auction houses is a steal at the suggested $100-$140 estimate.

(Wiliam H. Truitt, Amer. 20th c., item #0307)

Just paint the frame in Benjamin Moore's Million Dollar Red (comme Vuillard) and you're good to go.

(via myperfectcolor.com)

If you plan on sewing like the woman in the painting, you'll need more than natural light if you want to avoid a severe case of eye strain. This floor lamp from Circa Lighting would eliminate your need to sit quite so close to that window.

(Edwardian boom arm floor lamp, $840)

Lastly, this faux stack of books from Empiric would be a perfect place to stow your needlework should a visitor unexpectedly stop by.

(Vintage book drawers, $75)