Cabin Fever

The season always started with four to five full cords of aged wood. In the beginning, we had a fire everyday, which lasted for ten glorious hours of warmth and comfort. 

Warming up

 Come March, running on limited fuel we only light it in the frigid evenings as the midday temperatures rose to the thirties. 

Schoolhouse doors and snow

This was my first experience with Cabin Fever, and it wouldn't be the last. The anxiousness and excitement that arose from seeing the first snow of the season could make any person hear sleigh bells. But now that the snow had overstayed its welcome, and the overwhelming lack of possible snow days that followed the first few big storms made my mentality ache for the sunshine of spring. 

Settling in 

An afternoon with a great book 

I stepped into too many snowdrifts and slipped on too much black ice to have any empathy left for the winter. 

Casa Fendi

Comforts of home

I, along with my family, still experience the Cabin Fever symptoms of my youth but with a new backdrop. By March, we've traded in cords of wood for gas fireplaces, mountains for skyscrapers, and have arrived to the same frustration of the lack of escape that snow-days provide. To put it simply, I couldn't be more tired of sporting sweaters and the idea of ‘layering’. 

Beautiful view

Stealth Barn - an 800-square-foot structure in Norfolk County, England with interior clad in OSB wood particle board by Carl Turner Architects.

Photographs by Tim Crocker and Jeremy Phillips.

Fresh, New Kitchen Sinks from Native Trails contemporary with Historical appeal

So while I gaze out my living room window, day dreaming in the artificial warmth of the sunlight indoors, I imagine snowdrops beginning to bloom and the daffodils on either side of my walkway guiding me outdoors to enjoy the newly warm temperatures of the season. 

Cabin details Bringing the outdoors in; Cabin via Sunset magazine Washington State

Clean and neutral 

Wolfhound and color via Farrow and Ball

To momentarily remedy the lack of spring outdoors, we bring the season indoors with cherry blossoms and violets proudly serving as both centerpieces and accents to the furnishings around us.

The ultimate in year round living

Handcrafted comfort

Hand forged lighting via Troy Lighting

A room with a view

Warm woods and plenty of afternoon sun

Yet, I still remain indoors—trapped by the polar vortexes of the winter. The Cabin Fever anxiety of my youth remains as I await impatiently for the signs of spring to pop up around me, reminding me of the new adventures to come with the welcoming of the season. 

Making the most of the season

White out

White: Iconic in every right, in menswear, in women’s wear must haves, the go-to’s and now arriving to the home. The color stands for everything from classicality, sophistication, to the juxtaposition between masculinity and femininity, as well as a sense of demure sensuality.  A hint of the je ne sais quoi with a casual blasé attitude.

​White by Nacho Polo

Take for instance the feeling I get from putting on a crisp white shirt after a day enjoying the sun or taking a nap using white linen sheets fresh from the clothesline. Nothing could be better in my opinion. Just as a shirt can change my mentality for the better, so can a quick touch up of the woodwork around my house. White can make everything feel new again.  It’s refreshing, neutral, clean, bright and crisp.

​The newest whites from Miele

white for the serious home chef by Miele

Past the exterior now, a white kitchen is ideal for the home cook, whether your taste in home décor is classic or contemporary, urbane or rustic. White can make spaces seem bigger and airier, while providing a clean canvas for showcasing other elements. This creates an inviting, enchanting, and functional home. Wood finishes look richer against white; printed fabrics pop even more; and lighting fixtures such as chandeliers and pendants stand out as sculptural elements against the neutral backdrop. 

Quarts Surfaces by Silestone/Consentino Suede: Color: Kensho

Laguna beach by Consentino

White in the landscape can become a focal point. It has the power to make us think of travel by sea or plane. We can dream of stars and clouds while sitting on our porches. Bask in the ideas of what if, and share with our closest friends and family. In a contemporary setting it draws the eye inward making one conscious of his or her surroundings.

Quadrant lighted seating by Perin & Topan. Endless internal ​Illumination possibilities. A big thank you to Ms. Katja Matoseu for the introduction.

The color white is pure and serene by nature. Blending in to reflect the aura of its surroundings. White has been used throughout the ages to speak of new beginnings. White harkens calm and influential architecture as well as in purist design. Our living quarters are transformed from the ordinary to the extraordinary simply with a brush, a roller, and a few well-chosen functional elements. A few of which I am highlighting here that are sponsors of the Architectural Digest Home Show that took place a few days back. I learned quite a bit visiting all of the different vendors, not only about advances in technology for the home but in identifying a comfortable trend in what I used to refer as “nesting.” 

Perhaps white is about making things easier, not fussy, and even youthful.