The chair is free, the candles are lit and the book is open to your page.

Story Sanctuary is the picture on the front of this reading tote bag, an ink-and-wash sketch of a corner set up for a long evening with a novel. Take it on your own book runs, or give it to the reader in your life who already owns enough bookmarks.

The design: a chair kept waiting

Two words in black monoline script sit at the top of the bag, "Story" on the first line and "Sanctuary." on the second, each with a capital S and the second closed by a period.

Below them is a reading corner with nobody in it. A wooden armchair with spindle sides and curved arms stands at the center, fitted with a tall rust-red back cushion and a darker red-brown seat cushion. A cream pillow with thin stripes leans into the corner of the seat, and an open book lies beside it, as if its reader has only stepped away for a moment.

To the left, a small round wooden table stands on three splayed legs joined by a ring brace. It carries a shallow tray with a lit cream pillar candle and a second, smaller lit candle next to it. To the right, a tall plant with long feathery green fronds grows from a gray ribbed planter, and a round woven rug in gray-brown rings lies under the chair.

Everything is drawn as an ink sketch with soft washes of color and hatched shadows, in rust red, warm browns, cream, gray and muted green. Readers will know the feeling at once: the hour they look forward to all day is the one when that seat is finally theirs.

How this reading tote bag handles a book haul

• Body fabric: polyester (100%), a square of 15″ × 15″ (39 × 39 cm), give or take as much as 1″ (2.5 cm) per bag
• Weight limit: 44 lb (20 kg), the most the bag is rated to hold
• Volume: 10 liters (2.6 US gal), which you might fill with novels, reading glasses and a snack for the bus
• Handles: a pair in 100% natural cotton bull denim, 26″ (67 cm) long and 1″ (2.5 cm) wide, so the bag rides on your shoulder
• Handle details: expect small differences between production locations
• Print: the lettering and the sketch run down most of the front, with a plain margin on all sides

Who it's for

Library regulars, book-club members, booksellers, and anybody who keeps a chair at home that nobody else is allowed to sit in. It is at home at the library desk, on a bookshop crawl or on the commute. Consider it for a librarian's or teacher's thank-you, a retirement with a long reading list, a birthday or a holiday book swap.

Quick answers

Who is the chair for?

For whoever is carrying the bag. With the book left open and both candles burning, the seat looks ready for someone to settle back in, and the scene lets you picture yourself there.

What decor style does the sketch lean toward?

A warm, lived-in one: a wooden chair, a woven rug, a leafy plant and candlelight. If you like cabin, cottage or vintage-style rooms, the picture will feel familiar.

Is it a sensible book-club bag?

Yes, that is a natural job for it. Bring this month's pick and your notes, and let the art tell the group where you would be on any other night.

Shipping and returns

Free US shipping. US delivery usually 5–12 business days. Easy 30-day returns.

Size guide