A Quiet Corner

A house should have a place to reflect the character of each member of the family. A corner should be assigned to each member to display their interests and collections as well as portray their achievements. An area or space should be given for pursuing the hobbies they desire. A space should be given to each person for enjoying quiet moments too.  

In my house, the Study of my husband defines his way of life. Being a free lance writer of International Relations and Politics, he needs all the time and a quiet place for multi purpose work i.e. writing, reading, researching and following the news on television and internet. Keeping all this in mind, I decided to give him a corner in a large bedroom which not only gives him a quiet and private area to work but also creates a feeling of open space and provides a multi functional area for all his needs and interests.The room contains a big collection of his books and trophies.    

The simple décor basically in neutral colours of the above defined area is so stimulating and pleasing to his senses that it gives him all the inspiration to write. He is able to enjoy his precious collection of books in that room while thinking of his new article and spending time reading. The room provides him his own space where he can concentrate on his work and keep himself updated with the latest news without being interrupted or disturbed.

The decorations in this room match the mood and atmosphere of work. There is a bronze statue of Ninomiya San ( carrying firewood on his back with a book in his hands) and it is our most prized decoration in the quiet corner of his Study. This famous statue symbolizes perseverance, the importance of education as well as hard work and stands proudly in most primary schools in Japan as a role model. In the Study, there is another statue of a man holding a pile of colourful books. There is also a collection of pipes which he hates to part with even after giving up smoking. All these decorations have found a place in the quiet area of his study. They not only match the mood of the room but also hold memories as well. Other things to complement his study are a Dice Glass in leather which his mother gave to him and a brass letter opener from Sri Lanka which my sister presented to him. An attractive small leather tray to hold his pencils and pens also rests on his study table. A scroll presented by his Regiment hangs on one wall and is a source of pride to him. This way I have preserved his collections and respected his achievements by giving him an area to display them. On another wall, a photograph symbolizing his son’s achievement i.e. Graduation Ceremony hangs high and this is a wall dedicated to achievements of the children and the wall looks forward to more additions in this direction. The Study is his quiet corner in the house where he can also spend hours of endless relaxation enjoying what he likes to do the most.