Your Modern Cottage should be designed to organize your life and simplify your routine, so that you can connect with the important things in your life. In fact, there needs to be a place for everything – a place to keep keys and charge phones; a place to cook and to socialize; a place to do homework; a place to clean clothes; and a place to keep shoes. But, don’t forget about one of the most important places in your home – a place for you!
A large part of dealing with modern life today is the ability to disconnect from the chaos. We dream of retreating to the mountains or the beach. However, your modern cottage should offer an oasis right at home.
Home is Where the Hearth is!
There is some primordial connection that we all have to fire. For example, we find comfort and enjoy the warmth that it promises. But, actually gathering around the fireplace seems to be a bit of a lost practice. Who has time to sit and watch the flames? Or, deal with lugging wood inside or cleaning up the mess? Today, fireplaces can now be started with a switch and act as background to daily routines. Sadly, it’s often no longer the center.
We suggest that you make your fireplace a true place to sit, relax, and enjoy. Locate it near the social gathering area of your home and make it a place where you want to be. Or, offer a cozy place to sit and return it to the place of honor it deserves.
Give Yourself a Place to Enjoy the Things You Love!
Our modern lives are consumed with taking care of others, and we often forget to take care of ourselves. So, create a space within your home where you can allow yourself the time and solitude to reconnect with the things that make you happy. Don’t worry, you don’t need a glamorous She Shack or Man Cave. But, how about a place that is solely yours? Find unused nooks and crannies within your home and create a space to sit, relax and reconnect. Above, this little library is no larger than a closet, yet it offers the promise of something much larger – time for yourself!
Soak it in!
Our bathrooms have the built-in luxury of privacy (hopefully). Many find that it is the one place where they can take time for themselves without being pressed by the outside world. If this is true for you, then make your bathroom a special place. Sure, not all of our homes come with incredible views, but they can be designed to maximize our relaxation. First, invest in a tub or shower that you love and that accommodates how you like to bathe. If you desire a soaking tub, then make sure it fits you. Lighting is crucial too. Make sure you have the ability to dim the lights in your bathroom. Plus, create safe places for candles.
Take Time for You!
While it is nice to get away from daily life and fly off to a beach somewhere to relax, it is not always practical. So, create spaces that give you the ability to take time for yourself right in your own home. Whether reading a book or soaking in that new tub, your modern cottage should be designed to enable those special moments to happen for you.
Photo Credits
Top Image: Photo + Design by Leverone Design
Fireplace: Photo by Warren Jagger; Design by Point One Architects
Bathtub: Photo by Roberto Nickson
Last Image: Photo by Toa Heftiba
