Mastering the Art of the Staycation
“There’s no place like home,” Dorothy Gale, the Wizard of Oz.
While Covid has interrupted much travel over the past two years, the good news is that people are exploring the world again. Yet, for many of our clients, investing closer to home makes sense. They have mastered the art of the staycation. Merriam’s Dictionary defines this relatively new term as: “a vacation spent in one’s own country or at home.”
Demand for home entertainment, in-ground pools, creative architectural landscaping, and outdoor kitchens spiked in recent years. Like Dorothy, many of us have found that we don’t have to go farther than our own backyards to find happiness or as she puts it “our heart’s desire.”
AN APPEALING OUTDOOR SPACE
The wide front porch of my home is a place we often spend leisure time, enjoy lunch al fresco, and share time with loved ones. Comfortable and ample seating offers a welcoming touch. There are side tables and a cocktail table for drinks and appetizers, always within reach.
We embrace enhancing outdoor spaces at Dane Austin Design. The line between inside and outside can be increasingly blurred—especially when enlisting oversized sliding glass doors and shared floor surfaces like concrete or pavers, uninterrupted on the same plane. Improvements in window and door technology allow for these larger openings, even in areas where the weather can be unpredictable - like on Cape Cod, Cape Ann, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and throughout New England. Many of our clients have additional homes where they spend a great deal of time outdoors.
Image via Pinterest
OUTDOOR LIVING ROOMS
Outdoor spaces are really an extension of the house and provide additional “rooms for living” comfortably without four walls. Seating areas on roof decks or behind private hedges invite us to lounge outside. We include spacious tables and chairs on patios, decks, and porches. Dining al fresco has gained a wider audience in America in the past several years.
Additional outbuildings like custom barns, pool houses, conservatories, and guest houses (or combination pool/guest houses) provide places for homeowners to enjoy their hobbies and guests to spread out without feeling as if they are imposing on hosts. Weather-proof televisions and game systems, water features, and built-in bars are all features that staycationers appreciate.
OUTDOOR LIGHTING
Another important element in creating great ambiance in outdoor spaces is the lighting. Just as we layer lighting in indoor rooms, we also plan for a variety of light sources outside. On porches, pergolas and loggias, we can add overhead lighting fixtures or fans. Embedded lighting on pathways can also be added to flooring while architectural uplighting on the house and accent lighting on trees and plantings provide lovely filtered illumination. Sconces can be added to posts of pergolas, and moveable lighting from lanterns, candles, and table lamps softens the space.
The bottom line is to create inviting spaces that nurture and enhance our clients’ lives and lifestyles. Our goal is to make your home staycation worthy!
