“We’ll remember these surreal days forever”, we keep saying one to each other.

And it’s true: the 20% of the world’s population is on lockdown due to COVID19 emergency. In Italy, all services not considered essential are closed; all cities and villages are pretty much deserted. It’s quarantine: there’s nothing much to add, we assume all of you have already read all that’s available about the current situation in our country and worldwide.

And so… WE ARE HOME.

“The ultimate luxury is being able to relax and enjoy your home”, said interior designer Jeff Lincoln: we’ve often shared this quote with our clients, as it’s always been incredibly true. Today, useless to say, it sounds weird: we finally have our home under control. All. Day. Long.

With this article we want to explore with you the rooms in our homes that in these special days can become “corners of peacefulness”, as we like to call them: spaces where feeling grateful, mindful and calm.

For many of us, who are not out there fighting against the virus, this quarantine is providing the opportunity to live our home differently, enjoying a new daily routine like never before, with a new rhythm. You know what we mean: having breakfast with your kids with no rush, sending emails in your jammies, noticing how lovely is that ray of sun that hits exactly your favorite painting near the sofa… believe it or not, there’s always a side of your home that you didn’t know. Or maybe you knew it, but you had never lived it so deeply like in these days.

#1: Windows

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There’s a song by the Italian poet and songwriter De André (1940-1999) saying pretty much this:

“I would like to know how big the greenery is
How beautiful the sea is,
how long a room lasts”.

Could be the perfect caption for these days spent by the window, far from everything and everyone.

Open out your window from time to time during the day: look out to the sky, the city skyline, the sea, the mountains, the hills, the ocean, the skyscrapers, the lake, the neighbor's house, WHATEVER your landscape is made of, and FREE YOUR IMAGINATION.

Focus on your dreams and be grateful to be safe at home. Our health systems are fighting for us: we need to send them all our positive energy.

#2: Studio

Whether you like smart working or not, the truth is that it brings a bit of normality to our lives: hearing back from your clients or working on your usual projects let you feel more “like before”. Do you agree?

Make sure to set up a nice and workable corner for your home office, following all the basic Feng Shui principles (position of the screen, orientation to light etc.) and choosing a chair that is comfortable enough. If you like to put your feet up, put a footstool (around 10 inches high) under your desk.

#3 Fireplace

How many activities can we do in front of an inviting fireplace? Countless.

Let’s just focus on the most evergreen one: chatting. With your family, your pet, your friends on FaceTime if you are alone, whomever you want. A fireplace means conviviality: do you know those old fireplaces in some dusty townhouses, with a built-in bench on either side? In the past, family gathers right there in the evening, after dinner.

Anyway: don’t know about where you live, but here on Lake Como it’s still cold enough to keep our fireplaces on!

#4 Garden

Never stop feeling grateful if you have a garden or a courtyard: they’re always a big plus, although they can also be demanding in terms of maintenance.

Also… having an outside space means that on quarantine you have no excuses for not doing your daily workout!

If you have a tree in your garden, go and hug it: it’s witnessing our crazy times in silence. Try to absorb its inner peace and tenacity. Bear in mind that hugging a tree increases your levels of oxytocin, a hormone that is responsible for feeling calm and emotional bonding.

#5 Attic room

There’s something magically bond to childhood, in attics: the feeling of being protected by the roof slopes, the idea of having a secret refuge where you can read a book or watching old family photos.

Poetry apart, attics can be also big dusty storages that you could start to tidy up right in these days. Why not making a good use of the spare time we have available?

#6 Kitchen

Scroll your Instagram feed and you’ll realize that today the new mantra is “bake, bake, bake”. If you don’t make your homemade bread, babe, you are nothing.

Remember: cooking is love made visible. If you’re lucky enough to like this art and you feel happy when doing it, just do it, make experiments, learn new recipes… Cooking helps developing creativity and generates harmony: a simple recipe for happiness!

#7 Bathroom

We all know that a shower is far better than a bath, from a saving and ecological perspective: you consume only 30-35 L of water for a quick shower, compared to 150-180 L if you use a tub!

However, in these quarantine days all is allowed… including a hot soak in your tub to relax mind, body and soul. Maximum once a week!

Fun fact: according to a study from Loughborough University (UK), a hot bath allows you to burn as many calories as are consumed in a half-hour walk, i.e. more or less 140!

#8 Terrace

Sitting in the balcony with a coffee: the simplest actions ever, but life feels a bit less complicated there, even if for a moment only.

A balcony makes you fly in imagination so high: once again, be grateful for your house to have it.

When you are on your balcony and look out to the sky, don’t forget to make a wish. We guess we’ll make all the same one.

Credits for preview pic: Bongkarn Thanyakij

On Quarantine, It's Time To Live Our Homes With A New Rhythm