Dig Deep: 10 ways to survive lockdown at home
As we enter lockdown mark three and find ourselves once again confined to barracks, we’re thinking about the things in our homes that will get us through the weeks ahead. Ranging from the soothing to the playful, we share 10 ideas on how to survive lockdown at home. Some may be easier to replicate at home than others, but we hope to offer just the right dose of escapism.
1. A wine tap
Need we say more. This has to be the year in which many of us fall off the Dry January bandwagon even quicker than usual, and the plumbed-in brass wine tap in this south London apartment is making it all the harder to turn down a glass of the good stuff. A genius bit of kit, free-flowing wine is just the tonic and even does away with the guilt induced by the accumulating bottles. Drink up.
2. A restorative bath
What better way to escape everything than to take a hot bath? A reliable pick-me-up and rather more cosseting than a shower, the tub is ideal for letting the mind wander. While we can only dream of the joyous sunken Japanese-style bath at this flat in Clapton, we recommend running a deep bath in the evening to draw a line under the day. Used alongside the wine tap, you’ll be in for a cracking night (hopefully minus a cracking head the next day).
3. A playlist
At the risk of irritating your neighbours, sometimes turning up the volume of your speakers and singing, dancing – or even just sitting – your way through a few tracks is the ideal remedy. The mood-boosting benefits of a good song can’t be underestimated – our very own Corey Hemingway’s upbeat springtime playlist is guaranteed to bring cheer. We’re hoping Corey’s final choice, Nina Simone’s ‘Here comes the sun’, is a prophetic one.
4. An update
Is there a better distraction than a project? Perhaps now is the time to give proper thought to any changes you’re considering making to your home. And perhaps it’s the time to think a bit more boldly. We’re particularly inspired by the bright yellow kitchen in designer Jason MacLean’s house, which is currently for sale. If you’re wanting to try your hand at a new skill, head to our DIY Diaries to learn how to fit skirting boards and create wood panelling.
5. A place to read
The little built-in reading nook in Creative Director Catherine Lock’s Blackheath home has us hankering for a dedicated device-free spot to settle into a good book in. Make the most of a forgotten corner with a comfy chair, a pile of books and maybe The Modern House magazine? Choose a location by a window (or at least make sure you have a good floor lamp), leave phones and laptops out of reach and bury yourself in a classic. War & Peace sales are reportedly up 69% – here’s hoping a reading nook will bring more of the latter.
6. A fire
The lighter evenings and good weather of lockdown one are all but a distant memory. Create your own warmth and glow this time round by lighting your fire or stove. We’re eyeing up the log pile in this south London garden apartment and are equally inspired by the sculptural suspended log burner in this former factory between Bermondsey and Canada Water. If all else fails, Netflix’s crackling fireplace gets rave reviews…
7. A feast
Banana bread has to be last year’s lockdown cliche, but there are plenty more recipes to experiment with. Trawl cookbooks or visit our Modern Menu series for inspiring recipes from some of the UK’s finest chefs. Jolene’s David Gingell’s recipe for ricotta ravioli with sage butter is precisely the kind of comfort food we crave, as is Margot Henderson’s barbecued lamb, borlotti beans and green sauce. Home cook Anna Barnett shared her store cupboard essentials with us too – perhaps worth bookmarking for those days when all that remains in your fridge is a parmesan rind.
8. A good scent
Burn a candle or incense sticks at the end of the working day to ease into the evening. London-based perfumier Maya Njie keeps a “stash of smelly delights” in a cabinet in her living room. “I burn incense every day and also as a ritual after I’ve had a tidy up of the house,” Maya told us when we visited her for our My Modern House series last year. Follow suit, we say.
9. A yoga studio
An antidote to our lockdown anxiety, practising yoga regularly can loosen up laptop-hunched backs, but also bring much-needed routine. It could be a corner of your bedroom or living room, or even a stretch of hallway, but think about carving out a dedicated space for a makeshift yoga studio. For inspiration, take note of Ally Capellino founder, Alison Lloyd’s, outdoor shed, which she says “is good for yoga, but also sitting around in”. Ah, the power of a good savasana.
10. An organising session
Ordering, decluttering and curating – these processes can help bring order when life feels otherwise chaotic. Take it an area or theme at a time – approaching books, ceramics and your spice collection all at once may produce the opposite of a calming effect – and use this as time to edit and thoughtfully display your belongings. Who knows what we’ll have taken to organising by the time this is all over?
RELATED ON THE MODERN HOUSE
LGBTQ history through architecture and design
How to work from home: advice from seasoned stay-at-homers
Fashion Forward: inside the homes of fashion designers, models and editors
Calm Corners: five cosy minimalist interiors
Clean Lines: our pick of the best minimal homes on sale
The Year’s Finest: the best homes of 2019
Chef’s Choice: six homes that were made for feasting
England’s Gardens: modern homes for sale in Kent with a connection to nature
The best examples of rural contemporary architecture for sale right now
Stable Investment: design-led mews houses for sale in London