Retreat
As the lazy, hazy mentality of summer wanes like the hot setting sun and our minds shift to a new season and new beginning (and for many of us, busier schedules), the idea of a weekend retreat dwelling sounds increasingly appealing and, yes, important.
Whether it be a horse ranch or country manor away from the bustle of busy city life, a second home or apartment, or simply shifting aesthetic and mental gears in your one and only home, we all can make the most of the concept of retreating. Here are five reminders:
GET THE KITCHEN RIGHT. Whether you can't fry an egg or are the next Julia Child herself, providing yourself with quality kitchen essentials is important. You don't want to have to think about your kitchen functionality in an place where you should be relaxing. Arm yourself with the basic quality cooking appliances and equipment. If you come often enough, keep coffee and other essentials on hand.
KEEP A LIBRARY. Good for guests who can't leave work behind completely, those looking for a great read, the proper definition in the OED itself, or a place to curl up alone, the library is a classic and indispensable room. Keep basic classics on hand, provide the right lighting, a writing desk, and chairs to sink into and, voila. You may not get your guests to come out.
STREAMLINE THE LINENS. In a place where you want to relax and easily hit restart for the next time, white bed and bath linens not only brighten well and wash together well, but also provide a pristine and spa-like visual quiet. Extra pillows and towels can be passed from one room to another without appearing too mixed-matched.
HELP THE SPACE ACCOMMODATE ALL GUESTS. Perhaps you crave solitude and you're the only one enjoying your retreat space. But if you anticipate guests, empower everyone to their own self-sufficient relaxation. Keep around community pleasers such as bocce, backgammon, croquet, board games, and bawdy cheery piano music for that occasional guest who plays. For the individualist: sudoku, crosswords, classic novels and latest bestsellers, newspapers, video games, maps of the area. For children: board books, games, and basic best pleasers such as blocks, matchbox cars, wooden puzzles, crayons and paper, legos, a babydoll, or a stack of movies. You. will. thank. yourself.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OUTDOOR ATMOSPHERE. The point is to retreat from normal life and enjoy a quieter more natural life around you, right? Well. Set up a dining porch, open up part of your home to the outdoors, create a front porch perfect for morning coffee, groom the landscape, or whatever you can do to take advantage and take your mind off of everyday life. Breathe. Sip. Observe. Smile. Repeat.
**A NOTE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ONE HOME SWEET HOME. Don't shortchange your experience by thinking that this lifestyle is for those who, say, work in Manhattan and fly to a Virginia horse farm on the weekends. Create a boundary around your weekend by using these concepts to transform your everyday home into a place where you feel you are truly getting away:
1. make sure the place is very clean by the weekend.
2. set out a buffet of coffee and tea service, get yourself something easy and indulgent for Saturday and Sunday breakfast
3. get out things you have reserved for the weekend that thrill you: a stack of magazines, bath salts, a game, a dessert, favorite china
4. there is a psychological reason why we need a day of rest: for at least one day of the weekend, put aside "real life" things like bills, to-do lists, work, and write in a journal, finish that novel, chat with a friend, or do nothing. You will arrive back to work on Monday feeling as refreshed as if you had flown to Nice (unfortunately, however, minus the fantastic French wine).
Whether it be a horse ranch or country manor away from the bustle of busy city life, a second home or apartment, or simply shifting aesthetic and mental gears in your one and only home, we all can make the most of the concept of retreating. Here are five reminders:
GET THE KITCHEN RIGHT. Whether you can't fry an egg or are the next Julia Child herself, providing yourself with quality kitchen essentials is important. You don't want to have to think about your kitchen functionality in an place where you should be relaxing. Arm yourself with the basic quality cooking appliances and equipment. If you come often enough, keep coffee and other essentials on hand.
KEEP A LIBRARY. Good for guests who can't leave work behind completely, those looking for a great read, the proper definition in the OED itself, or a place to curl up alone, the library is a classic and indispensable room. Keep basic classics on hand, provide the right lighting, a writing desk, and chairs to sink into and, voila. You may not get your guests to come out.
STREAMLINE THE LINENS. In a place where you want to relax and easily hit restart for the next time, white bed and bath linens not only brighten well and wash together well, but also provide a pristine and spa-like visual quiet. Extra pillows and towels can be passed from one room to another without appearing too mixed-matched.
HELP THE SPACE ACCOMMODATE ALL GUESTS. Perhaps you crave solitude and you're the only one enjoying your retreat space. But if you anticipate guests, empower everyone to their own self-sufficient relaxation. Keep around community pleasers such as bocce, backgammon, croquet, board games, and bawdy cheery piano music for that occasional guest who plays. For the individualist: sudoku, crosswords, classic novels and latest bestsellers, newspapers, video games, maps of the area. For children: board books, games, and basic best pleasers such as blocks, matchbox cars, wooden puzzles, crayons and paper, legos, a babydoll, or a stack of movies. You. will. thank. yourself.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OUTDOOR ATMOSPHERE. The point is to retreat from normal life and enjoy a quieter more natural life around you, right? Well. Set up a dining porch, open up part of your home to the outdoors, create a front porch perfect for morning coffee, groom the landscape, or whatever you can do to take advantage and take your mind off of everyday life. Breathe. Sip. Observe. Smile. Repeat.
**A NOTE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ONE HOME SWEET HOME. Don't shortchange your experience by thinking that this lifestyle is for those who, say, work in Manhattan and fly to a Virginia horse farm on the weekends. Create a boundary around your weekend by using these concepts to transform your everyday home into a place where you feel you are truly getting away:
1. make sure the place is very clean by the weekend.
2. set out a buffet of coffee and tea service, get yourself something easy and indulgent for Saturday and Sunday breakfast
3. get out things you have reserved for the weekend that thrill you: a stack of magazines, bath salts, a game, a dessert, favorite china
4. there is a psychological reason why we need a day of rest: for at least one day of the weekend, put aside "real life" things like bills, to-do lists, work, and write in a journal, finish that novel, chat with a friend, or do nothing. You will arrive back to work on Monday feeling as refreshed as if you had flown to Nice (unfortunately, however, minus the fantastic French wine).
This room provides more of a community feel. Open yet sectioned for various clusters of activities, be it chatting, playing and singing, dining or working, or curling up and reading. Note the lack of an entertainment center, which is a fantastic idea for really getting out of the world for a brief time.
Enjoy your porch all day, from early morning coffee to hatch out to lunch in the shade to tea last thing before bed.
Q