Relish Everyday Rituals
Earlier this month our family spent our very last 4th of July at my parents’ cabin in northern Minnesota.
After 22 wonderful years and seven grandchildren, they have made the bittersweet decision that it’s time for them to downsize.
I sat out on their deck early one morning with my oldest son and he told me that after all the years he had spent in this beautiful place swimming, fishing, watching fireworks, enjoying “cousin camp” – the thing he will miss the most was this exact moment. The serenity of spending a morning on the deck, overlooking the lake.
For me, that everyday ritual is the time I spend in my office watching the sunrise, surrounded by color, pattern and art that brings me joy. It’s also dozing off outside while I watch the summer sunsets. And sometimes it’s being bundled in blankets and watching from the porch as skiers and skaters make the most of the winter lake.
Many of us have adopted (or adapted) everyday rituals that serve as a touchstone in grounding us for our busy days. Sometimes they are a single moment – a big, deep breath of fresh morning air as you walk outside to grab the paper. Sometimes they are more involved, like a meditation or yoga session in a place you’ve created. Whatever ritual is important to you, the key to them is the space in which you do them.
As a designer, creating those spaces that allow you to sink into your rituals is so important. Here are a few of my own intentions when thinking through a design:
Fusing indoor and outdoor living in a way that can be used year-round. This could be as grand as floor to ceiling sliding doors that connect an indoor and outdoor living space or as simple as a well-placed picture window in a bedroom.
Speaking to each member of the household. While I live for a cozy space that allows the outdoors in, my kids want spaces that provide some privacy that they can call their own, without being too separated from the rest of the house. Everyone’s ritual and “comfort zone” is different, and everyone living in the house is important.
Good design always lives in the “and.” Form AND function; style AND structure; current AND classic. There can be too much of a good thing in some designs, so the key is in balancing it all.
I encourage you to think about the moments you relish every day and the places where those moments happen. How can you bring intentionality to them so that your daily ritual is as powerful and enjoyable as possible?