Architecture for Us - Stories - Waking in the Morning: Bedrooms in Freestanding Homes (Part 2)
Continues Part 1
What about the quality of air in your room. Inhabiting spaces that are completely conditioned is a fairly recent development and from a global perspective such spaces are hardly ubiquitous. Instead we humans have been waking to natural air for thousands of years, and like light it is hard-wired into us. (Note, hearths/controlled fires have a very long history, but less so as the day begins. Another story to tell…)
I’ve been in homes where the windows are completely inoperable, whether through neglect or by design. The air is stale and may even be somewhat oxygen deprived. I’ve also been in homes that are so heavily conditioned that the air is overly dry (or overly moist), taking on its own unique staleness. Sometimes these places actually “stink.”
It’s not surprising in such environments that people wake up groggy or with headaches in the morning. Fresh air is good for our health and for our humanness, and for most people it is easily achieved: just leave a window cracked open. We’ve been waking that way for thousands of years.
An open window also allows morning sounds to come in. Once again, as creatures of nature we relate to other creatures of nature. The sights and sounds of wildlife such as birds speaks to our deepest nature and helps us to connect with something greater than ourselves. I once lived in an inner city neighborhood that had managed to preserve a working farm nearby. I loved waking to the sounds of horses in the distance.
In most locations attracting birds is fairly easy. Certain types of shrubs are very attractive to birds and they need not be terribly expensive to plant. Locate a few of these shrubs around your bedroom window and the birds will find them. A proper feeder is also a very inexpensive way to attract birds. Our inner creature loves waking to the sounds of nature.
Trees are attractive to a variety of creatures. Birds and squirrels often set up shop in trees. In my Boston home I used to love winter mornings when I would wake to discover the bare trees full of sleeping turkeys. Amazing.
Trees also produce have wonderful and diverse colors, scents, and sounds. For example, the wind moving the leaves of an aspen tree produces a sound that is quite distinct from the sound of a birch tree. The scent from a conifer is very different from the scent from a fruit tree. The colors from a maple are different from those of an elm.
All of these things make trees a wonderful addition to the character of our bedroom. If you own your home and don’t have a tree, it’s easy: buy a tree with a decent caliper. The twig-like trees that some people buy probably aren’t worth the effort. While you don’t need a full, mature tree, you should get one that has some height already. Yes, it may cost a few hundred dollars to get it, but unlike the twig trees, you should live long enough to enjoy it. And remember, if you can’t afford a good tree, shrubs are still a great option and offer many different varieties.
Water? Water does so much that is good. In a dry climate it moistens the air. The sound of running or tickling water can be calming. Water can be used for its reflecting qualities. It attracts nature. Happily in all but the most draught-ridden areas, small recirculating water features are appropriately green and easy to maintain.
Waking to the sound of trickling water is a calming and gentle way to leave sleep behind. The easiest and least expensive way to bring this quality into your bedroom is to buy a small indoor fountain. I suggest using a timer that will start the fountain with the sun, or earlier as appropriate. In general these types of fountains are quite inexpensive. A larger exterior fountain placed near your bedroom window is a wonderful option as its sound can reach spaces adjacent to your bedroom.
For a bit more it’s possible to design a small reflecting pool in such a manner that as the sun rises it will reflect off of the water and onto the ceiling of your bedroom. Imagine the morning sun reflecting from the pool and onto the ceiling of your bedroom. So peaceful.
There are many more things we could discuss that will make the morning experience in the bedroom life affirming. The colors of paint selected. The flooring material. Mechanical systems. Window coverings. And of course, this all folds in to the nature of what makes for a quality evening/nighttime experience in our bedroom. But again, that’s another story.
And so we close.
Picture waking in your bedroom, the golden glow of the sun coming through the your window. Patterns of shadows and light from nearby trees animate the walls. As you prop yourself up in bed you see and hear cardinals outside your window. You see that some of the birds are splashing in a nearby fountain. Through the cool, fresh air you can’t help but smell the scent of fresh baked bread coming from a neighbors house.
Once you start down this path, unexpected options appear. Things you would never have considered. And note: none of this is particularly expensive. Achieving it is more of a mindset than anything else. You deserve a quality environment. It should lift you. Help you to engage in life more fully. Make everyday a little bit better.
It is an Architecture for Us.
Continues Part 1
What about the quality of air in your room. Inhabiting spaces that are completely conditioned is a fairly recent development and from a global perspective such spaces are hardly ubiquitous. Instead we humans have been waking to natural air for thousands of years, and like light it is hard-wired into us. (Note, hearths/controlled fires have a very long history, but less so as the day begins. Another story to tell…)
I’ve been in homes where the windows are completely inoperable, whether through neglect or by design. The air is stale and may even be somewhat oxygen deprived. I’ve also been in homes that are so heavily conditioned that the air is overly dry (or overly moist), taking on its own unique staleness. Sometimes these places actually “stink.”
It’s not surprising in such environments that people wake up groggy or with headaches in the morning. Fresh air is good for our health and for our humanness, and for most people it is easily achieved: just leave a window cracked open. We’ve been waking that way for thousands of years.
An open window also allows morning sounds to come in. Once again, as creatures of nature we relate to other creatures of nature. The sights and sounds of wildlife such as birds speaks to our deepest nature and helps us to connect with something greater than ourselves. I once lived in an inner city neighborhood that had managed to preserve a working farm nearby. I loved waking to the sounds of horses in the distance.
In most locations attracting birds is fairly easy. Certain types of shrubs are very attractive to birds and they need not be terribly expensive to plant. Locate a few of these shrubs around your bedroom window and the birds will find them. A proper feeder is also a very inexpensive way to attract birds. Our inner creature loves waking to the sounds of nature.
Trees are attractive to a variety of creatures. Birds and squirrels often set up shop in trees. In my Boston home I used to love winter mornings when I would wake to discover the bare trees full of sleeping turkeys. Amazing.
Trees also produce have wonderful and diverse colors, scents, and sounds. For example, the wind moving the leaves of an aspen tree produces a sound that is quite distinct from the sound of a birch tree. The scent from a conifer is very different from the scent from a fruit tree. The colors from a maple are different from those of an elm.
All of these things make trees a wonderful addition to the character of our bedroom. If you own your home and don’t have a tree, it’s easy: buy a tree with a decent caliper. The twig-like trees that some people buy probably aren’t worth the effort. While you don’t need a full, mature tree, you should get one that has some height already. Yes, it may cost a few hundred dollars to get it, but unlike the twig trees, you should live long enough to enjoy it. And remember, if you can’t afford a good tree, shrubs are still a great option and offer many different varieties.
Water? Water does so much that is good. In a dry climate it moistens the air. The sound of running or tickling water can be calming. Water can be used for its reflecting qualities. It attracts nature. Happily in all but the most draught-ridden areas, small recirculating water features are appropriately green and easy to maintain.
Waking to the sound of trickling water is a calming and gentle way to leave sleep behind. The easiest and least expensive way to bring this quality into your bedroom is to buy a small indoor fountain. I suggest using a timer that will start the fountain with the sun, or earlier as appropriate. In general these types of fountains are quite inexpensive. A larger exterior fountain placed near your bedroom window is a wonderful option as its sound can reach spaces adjacent to your bedroom.
For a bit more it’s possible to design a small reflecting pool in such a manner that as the sun rises it will reflect off of the water and onto the ceiling of your bedroom. Imagine the morning sun reflecting from the pool and onto the ceiling of your bedroom. So peaceful.
There are many more things we could discuss that will make the morning experience in the bedroom life affirming. The colors of paint selected. The flooring material. Mechanical systems. Window coverings. And of course, this all folds in to the nature of what makes for a quality evening/nighttime experience in our bedroom. But again, that’s another story.
And so we close.
Picture waking in your bedroom, the golden glow of the sun coming through the your window. Patterns of shadows and light from nearby trees animate the walls. As you prop yourself up in bed you see and hear cardinals outside your window. You see that some of the birds are splashing in a nearby fountain. Through the cool, fresh air you can’t help but smell the scent of fresh baked bread coming from a neighbors house.
Once you start down this path, unexpected options appear. Things you would never have considered. And note: none of this is particularly expensive. Achieving it is more of a mindset than anything else. You deserve a quality environment. It should lift you. Help you to engage in life more fully. Make everyday a little bit better.
It is an Architecture for Us.