Spring is a time of anticipation. A season of looking ahead and starting anew. In Michigan, we are thoroughly over winter days and are beginning to catch glimpses of the beautiful weather ahead. But this particular season is also markedly different. Many of our annual milestones and events have been postponed or canceled, and we find ourselves in a strange place of limbo. Plans are all on hold while daily life has slowed considerably, and the larger backdrop of our surroundings is full of stress and uncertainty.
And yet, amid this whole pandemic, some things that feel exactly the same. Today, I noticed the sun streaming into my office with the warm spring air blowing through my windows. This moment reminded me of interior spaces where the outside and inside feel intertwined — where the brightness of the sun or the greenness of the landscape is almost tangible. Spaces that feel less like places of isolation and more like spaces connected to the world around us.
With that imagery in mind, we hope this month’s edit can be a place of visual escapism, relatable anecdotes, and a small reminder that we’re all in this together, even while apart.
INTERIORS
This month’s mood board inspiration came as I remembered the first time I saw an image of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater house. While I’m certainly not unique in my appreciation for this space, it’s what helped define my entire approach to design. Aside from all the architectural and engineering feats Wright pulled off with this project, it feels like this amazing structure sprouted directly from the earth, organically growing among the trees that surround it.
Design: David Kleinberg, Photo: Pieter Estersohn
Over the years, I’ve come across a couple of images that share a like-minded design approach on a smaller and simpler scale. This space by designer David Kleinberg is a barn converted into a pool house and features a similar “one with nature” feel. I always love a living room that just flows right into the yard.
Design: Mark Egerstrom
Similarly, this incredible bathroom by Mark Egerstrom (yes, you better believe I've kept this issue of House Beautiful for eight years!) features a shower that literally opens into a private outdoor space. Talk about bringing the outdoors in.
Last but not least, this corner of our lake house new build project, also known as #RDHlakehousenewbuild, grew out of that same principle. The windows pull the trees into the space while the light fixture feels like clouds lingering from the sky. The goal was blurring the line between interior and exterior, and I think we accomplished exactly that.
STYLE
If you’ve been following our monthly edit series, you know chic-yet-comfortable is always a top priority. This season, sheltering in place has taken that idea to a whole new level. After all, how does one behave when you have no reason to actually leave the house?! Needless to say, I’m wearing a steady rotation of stretchy pants and pajamas these days, and it only seemed fitting to highlight a few favorites.
SELF-CARE
Self-care has looked vastly different during these quarantined days, but my family’s approach is all about playing our “greatest hits.” We’re rereading favorite books (I could read Pride and Prejudice a million and one times), rewatching old movies, and listening to music we love on repeat. Pro tip: Garden State is a double winner for both the soundtrack and film.
During this season, we’ve also been reacquainting ourselves with some favorite recipes, and I'm pretty certain it’s been over ten years since I’ve cooked this much back-to-back. Luckily, my girls have embraced baking with all their extra time, and Ina Garten has us covered with a steady stream of fantastic recipes from her Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook. Along with baking, another quarantine staple in our house is a nightly cocktail hour… because let’s be honest, we like to keep it real. I'm not above taking a “dirty blonde” roadie on our nightly dog walk or letting my husband whip me up an evening manhattan. As they say, it’s all in the little things!
