As I sit here on this glorious, late summer day, it’s hard to ignore the feeling of fall in the air. It makes me want to cozy up and just enjoy my immediate surroundings. Our homes have truly become our safe havens, our sanctuaries. A lot of you must be feeling the same way - our phone at the office has been ringing off the hook with new design projects.
All the Comforts of Home.
Now that we are a good seven months into this horrible pandemic, I find so many people are focused on making their homes just a little more comfortable. All of the trades are busy (have you tried to schedule a pool company or contractor?) and interior design is no different. We are working on family rooms, living rooms, home offices, outdoor patios - you name it. We are choosing decking materials (it’s true, Trex and pressure treated lumber are hard to come by) and outdoor furniture that sits like your family room couch. Our clients are opting for sumptuous fabrics like performance chenilles and velvets, and luxuriously soft seating for their bonus rooms. Multi purpose pieces for family rooms that for now, can handle all of the kids in-home learning but can later transition into a serving piece for when you’re ready to host big gatherings of extended family and friends. Rugs that are just as soft to lay on as they are to walk on in our bare feet. We are all nesting, wanting to improve our homes and keep our loved ones safe. We have left the hustle and bustle, the craziness outside of our doors, and embraced the chaotic but beloved nature of our immediate family and our surroundings.
The Opportunity is Now!
Why not take this opportunity to make our homes the best that they can be? We are all spending so much more time there, and, if you’re anything like me, you’re picking your poor house apart (yes, even designers get tired of their surroundings!) There are so many things outside of our doors that we cannot change. Fortunately, our decor can be changed easily, and within any budget large or small.
Now is the time to invest in your nest. Any room in your home can be improved upon, and made more functional for the current times. Kitchen tables are no longer just for Sunday breakfasts - they are for nightly family meals when the restaurants can no longer accommodate outdoor dining (and great for take out to keep our favorite eateries going through the winter). They’re also pulling double duty as school away from school - maybe you finally need to pull the trigger on a bigger table that can handle all of the textbooks as well as the laptop for Google Classroom. What about the stools for your kitchen island? Are they sturdy and comfortable enough to handle the extra use they’re sure to be getting these days?
Adapting and Improving at Once.
My 24 year old daughter has commandeered our dining room for her online classes for grad school - what used to be what I thought was the prettiest room in the house (partly because we used it so little and it was always neat) has now become an investment in my daughter’s future. I smile every time I walk by the french doors and see her floral desk calendar, mounds of textbooks, a Milkhouse candle burning and a container full of Tootsie Pops - she’s completely taken over. She’s even put the dog’s bed under the table and a faux fur throw over her chair. But you know what? It makes me happy. She’s home more, a once unused room is now being used daily, and the dog has full time company. Win win. And boy, do I feel joyful.
What does your family need to make these times a little more joyful? Is it time to improve your family room so that you can all snuggle together on a sectional covered completely in a performance fabric? Imagine what it will be like to watch yet another Netflix series but not have to worry about the buttered popcorn spilling and staining the couch. Maybe it’s finally time to turn that home office into a functional Zoom worthy space that you can be proud to be seen in (even if you’re joining the meeting in your PJ bottoms). Or, now may be the perfect time to create your own sanctuary within your home, and create a master bedroom oasis for when you need to escape all of that family time. Maybe it’s something simple, like an operable window treatment to keep out the late afternoon sun that is setting lower and lower each day and affecting your computer screen. You decide - what will make you joyful?
We are here to help.
No matter what you need, want or anything in between, we are here at Heritage House to help you invest in your nest. Give us a call, or shoot us an email and let us know what we can do to help. We promise we will make it as fun, functional and as comfortable for you and your family as possible - we’ll even supply the Tootsie Pops.
Stay safe, happy and healthy,
Karin