i cannot decide what my favorite space is in our new home. i literally wander from room to room sitting in different chairs. the chaise lounges in the living room. the bar stools. the dining room table. the bed. the desk. there’s all so comfy and special. and each of the spaces makes me feel good.
but, there is one place that i keep going back to. i begin my mornings there. and end my nights there. and in the in-between hours, i find myself there…
our balcony. i. love. it. i am sitting there right now as i type to you. wine glass on the armrest. legs folded & crossed in the chair. computer on my lap. a breeze blowing. people chatting around the fire pit. the smell of food grilling just below me. the pool flickering in the lights. and the dark blue of twilight above me.
lina and i have been yearning for and drooling over balconies for years now, since we didn’t have one in sweden. and it was really, really tough to not have one. like really. to be able to access the outdoors so easily was a dream of ours. and to just have a place to just be. you see, there are no distractions on balconies. at least not for me. it’s a simple space, with simple furniture. just enough to make do. and because of the simplicity of balconies, they lend themselves to being places of reflection and relaxation. a place to soak up the moment. to gaze at the sky. to watch people. read. listen. write. breathe.
in just 5 short days, our balcony has become just that for me. i love my little corner chair. i love the view… overlooking the pool, the fire pit, the grill, and a few mountains off in the distance. i love that i can see the sky, stars, and the moon. i love that the sun moves across the sky, but never shines directly on the balcony for more than an hour, so it is bearable to sit here all hours of the day. i love that i can breathe here.
yes, this may be my favorite spot in our entire home. and i am so very grateful that i have the opportunity to open my door and sit down in my own little outside space in the world.
what’s your favorite place in your home? do you have a favorite corner? room? chair? outdoor area?
So happy you made it safely (if not so smoothly) back to the USA!
We have a deck and front porch on our house, a garden, and a large deck at our lake house where I spend all the time I can. I think there is something very primal about wanting to be outside – to feel the breeze, smell the flowers, watch a sunset, wonder at the stars . . .
I am enjoying the pictures of your little corner of the outside.
it’s those amazing stars that get me every time. makes me feel like i can breathe. thank you for your comment. xo
🙂
My favorite spot is sitting by my two windows in the living room. Right now I have a view of the tops of a couple of trees and lots and lots of leaves, before I moved in there was still a view. It should be nice in the winter from here. For two years I lived in a basement apartment and now all I want to do is be by windows.
Excellent post. I loved it!
Good and healing thoughts to you.
Kate
i can imagine that you want windows all around you. enjoy your view, the trees, and thank you for the comment!
I have always loved balconies and porches best. There have been several really special ones. (The balcony of two of the apartments I lived in in Phoenix, where the nights were this beautiful almost edible perfect warmth and the stars were overhead was pretty close to perfect.)
I’m so glad you have one!
this is a beautifully, magically worded comment. thank you for sharing. oh, stars overhead… xx
its so fun to set up house somewhere new. enjoy your balcony!
thank you, kathryn. we are actually having a blast. but, it also feels good that it is almost set.
Having also lived in an upper floor apartment without a balcony I appreciate immediate access to the out of doors for shaking rugs, for testing the weather and for sitting on the patio when the weather is conducive. In our bedroom with big windows we have a glider rocker. I love to sit there and quilt and listen to music or a book on CD.
thank you for sharing about your special place, barb.sounds very cozy.
I used to have a rooftop I was really in love with.
http://germanamericanabroad.wordpress.com/2011/08/14/my-best-kept-secret-in-brooklyn-rooftop-love/
But now that I’ve moved to another place, we really don’t have that option anymore. But my love has a balcony in his apt so I like to sit around there. Also, my favorite part of my day is when I step out of my door and am amongst the hustle and bustle of a great Brooklyn summer day or night. Just can’t top it!
a rooftop space in the NYC area? wow. amazing!! so cool! oh, the vibe of that city when you hit the sidewalks… there is nothing like it. 🙂