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Martha Clarke's Connecticut Farmhouse
The New York Times 12.7.08

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Choreographer and director Martha Clarke has lived in a Sherman, Connecticut farmhouse since 1982. She often works there, too, and uses the light-filled room pictured above as her workspace (it was once the painting studio of a previous owner, Arshile Gorky). The New York Times gives us a tour and Clarke's favorite things about the house: “white lilacs, wide-board floors, and a kitchen window with a view.”

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We're fond of the sophisticated, yet relaxed furnishings and the natural light! Did you notice the Thonet bench in the studio?

Read the story, Incubator of ‘Earthly Delights’ and see all the pictures in the slideshow.

Pics: Wendy Carlson

Tags

country house, real estate, windows

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Comments (23)

That bench in the first picture is Fantastic!! Where can I get one??

posted by Kat G on December 8th 2008 at 11:38am
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I love the first image but the dogs sitting on the kitchen counters make me a little ill. My aunt lets her cat run around her kitchen and there is always loose fur floating into the food:( Needless to say we don't eat there anymore.

posted by emerson on December 8th 2008 at 11:47am
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beautiful! One of the nicest houses I have seen on here lately. Its very dreamy & cozy. I am all about the dogs sitting on the counters, genuine dog people live & breath dog hair and yes sometimes we eat it.

posted by lyla on December 8th 2008 at 11:52am
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Yay! I grew up in Sherman and love that the area is finally getting attention.

posted by Squeegee Beckenheim on December 8th 2008 at 11:57am
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I like the house, but I don't care for the rooms with the vaulted ceilings. It's a personal peeve I guess, but I really hate when people remove the floors of old farmhouses to make 'cathedral ceilings.' It's cool in a barn, but not in a farmhouse.

posted by djs on December 8th 2008 at 11:57am
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Hello? Maybe you missed that this was the painter Arshile Gorky's house... Check out the full slideshow at nyt.
The vaulted ceilings and glass aren't recent to the structure. Trajically, he hung himself from those exact rafters. It's actually nice to see that someone is making a beautiful life there.

posted by birdseye on December 8th 2008 at 12:09pm
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whoops.. sorry, tragically -spelled wrong..

posted by birdseye on December 8th 2008 at 12:11pm
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I've always loved the painting "Garden of Earthly Delights" and saw the dance performance at the Duke Dance Festival. It had flying that was exactly like my dream of flying. It was fantastic. Don't miss it if you get the chance,. I love this house too, except fluffly pooches on the kitchen counter is too extreme for me. (and pets of all types pretty much rule at our house.)

posted by Kate (NC) on December 8th 2008 at 12:12pm
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Yeah, pet fur will fill the air and float everywhere, but we don't put our feet and butts where we put food, and pets shouldn't either.

posted by Kate (NC) on December 8th 2008 at 12:16pm
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If you don't like the dogs on the kitchen counter, how do you feel about the Giraffe in the dining room?

posted by bepsf on December 8th 2008 at 12:29pm
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i want the giraffe.

posted by pinstripeprincess on December 8th 2008 at 12:33pm
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Light and bright yet warm and cozy. Love it.

posted by Seaside on December 8th 2008 at 12:34pm
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i just love that big open window in the dining area. except for the bugs, im really not a city girl...

posted by Oneformybaby on December 8th 2008 at 12:37pm
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"The vaulted ceilings and glass aren't recent to the structure."

How recent the change was made is irrelevant. It is still not fitting with a farmhouse. And I too love the big windows. I'm not a purist--I just hate the cathedral ceilings in old houses.

posted by djs on December 8th 2008 at 12:49pm
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I love the giraffe as long he keeps his feet and heinie off the food surfaces.

posted by Kate (NC) on December 8th 2008 at 12:51pm
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beautiful. so peaceful.

posted by avianmission on December 8th 2008 at 1:05pm
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I love this house but dogs on the work top is not on.

posted by hrhprincessfiona on December 8th 2008 at 2:48pm
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When I read this was Gorky's Connecticut home my heart sank a little, as I remember reading about the work he had originally done, as well as his sad story. I believe he took his life in the arbor or green house. Whatever, happy to see life there. The doggies are adorable!

posted by Vincent B. on December 8th 2008 at 2:53pm
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love the open dining area, though the table & chairs don't do justice to the space. i'd fill it with a long, narrow, rustic dinner table. that space begs for a 6-8 person dinner party and is much more visually inviting than the dining area in the top pic. i'd also choose very ergonomic/comfy chairs (most of which can be stored elsewhere between large dinners) so the table can double as a "project" table or laptop workspace.

posted by dhyana on December 8th 2008 at 3:18pm
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I'm afraid that the dogs will fall off the counter, not that they'll make it unsanitary. I never set my food directly on the counter, so I don't see how dog germs could get transferred to my food.

posted by jooly on December 8th 2008 at 5:07pm
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I think the giraffe is dead. I also the first thought I had when I saw dogs on the counters was - what the heck are dogs doing there??? I am a dog person - I guess not genuine, but I will not have animals running on the tables. same as I do not put my feet or tush there. It's not just the germs - I am far from being a germophobe. There just should be some rules, I don't know - maybe it's some kind of cultural taboo or something... Food (and "food space") should be separated.

posted by Offtza on December 8th 2008 at 5:43pm
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I think the photographer put the cutie poms on the counter just to take their picture. Thats it! Sheesh.

posted by joann2 on December 8th 2008 at 5:58pm
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I love, love, love the blue of the kitchen chairs and the enormous windows in the dining room. But like the others, the furry dogs on the counter absolutely kill any appetite I'd have to share a meal in that house.

posted by i4design on December 8th 2008 at 6:57pm
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