A Homebody’s Guide to Being at Home
Romanticizing the art of hunkering down.By Ally Quirk
Like any functioning human being, I enjoy looking forward to things — trips, dinners with friends, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills episodes, the list goes on. But what about all the time I spend at home? I seem to trick myself into thinking time spent at home is much more mundane than it really is. I love being at home. My apartment is cute, and my dog is here. What’s not to love? I also work there most of the time, so I’m afraid I don’t have much choice.
At first, it wasn’t for me, being home all the time. After spending two years during my masters running from class to photoshoot to study sessions, all surrounded by my closest (very social) friends, it was a big change of pace for me. As I transitioned to the work-from-home life, I felt cooped up, unproductive, and understimulated. But over the years, I have slowly grown to love it. I have collected little pick-me-ups to help me feel slightly less guilty if my only outside time for the day is on walks with Nel (reason infinity to get a dog). Or when I feel like I should be doing something else — exploring, getting out and about, and making the most of the city (whatever that means).
Jack and I will be moving out of our beloved apartment at the end of April (I don’t want to talk about it), so I am especially trying to romanticize the art of hunkering down. From a long day of work or a rainy obligation-free Saturday, on the days I commit to a full day in (walkies omitted), one tiny thing can help the day feel just a little more special, or a smidge more productive.
Here’s what’s been working for me. I hope some of them may resonate with you, too.
Ways to make your day or night at home just a little more special:
1. Open The Windows
I am an open-window advocate through and through. As soon as it hit 60 degrees this year I kept a few windows open until the sun set and I had to put two sweaters on. I also get cold very easily with the AC on so I love an open window in the summer. I recently read about the German practice of lüften, where you open your windows for just a few minutes to cycle out the stale air in your house/apartment. And you’ll do this every day no matter the season. Apparently, some landlords in Germany require it! Respect. I’ll often participate in lüften in the early evenings to reset my space from workday to chill time. In the summer, they’d ideally stay open all night if it weren’t for the various noises that make up the evening symphonies of city life. But in the winter, just a few minutes during the day does the trick.
2. Afternoon Coffee
I get SO excited every day for my morning coffee. It’s truly what gets me out of bed some days, and I think about it when I’m falling asleep, in joyous anticipation. Partly for the caffeine and the taste, but I also just love the ritual of having a morning coffee. How delightful that we get to have a yummy little treat every morning1. Every morning! However, sometimes when caught in a routine, wonderful things like coffee can lose their glamour. That is when I introduce an afternoon coffee into the mix. Sometimes, I’ll be about halfway through my workday and feeling uninspired, and when I think of making myself another coffee it gives me a burst of excitement and then, of course, a subsequent burst of caffeine. Stepping away from the computer, taking the time to brew the coffee, froth the milk, and pick out my mug is all it takes to reset and regroup.
3. Fancy Pasta
I do a lot of cooking at home because it’s practical and tasty and slowly even starting to become fun for me (sometimes) — to which I never thought I’d see the day. I especially love making my beloved gigi pasta (not sure if you’ve heard of it). Although already special on its own, to make it feel a bit more festive, I’ll walk to the adorable Italian food store in my neighborhood and pick up some fancy pasta, maybe a pappardelle or bucatini, whatever draws me in that day. The act of walking to the store with my little tote bag and picking out something new is SO fun and really doesn’t require much effort at all. And you can even pick up a dessert or some wine or some cheese to go with.
Shake this idea up however you please — fancy olive oil, spices from the farmers market, just any standard ingredient that can be made slightly more luxe. Go crazy.
4. Music
Maybe this is because I don’t have a car, but sometimes I forget that I can literally play music whenever I want. It’s so simple, but it completely changes the vibe of being at home and can transport you anywhere. Like an Italian cafe when you’re drinking coffee in the morning or a swanky jazz bar during game night with friends. I mean, why not!? Usually, I like to have background shows playing during the day or if I’m home alone, but on the days I remember I can play a playlist, or a podcast, or play my records, it’s like the whole space changes. I’ll listen to jazz while I cook or French music when I clean. It all depends on the mood.
5. Set The Table
Nothing spices things up for a homebody like a set table and candles. I bought bright orange fabric napkins at a tiny homeware store in my neighborhood when I first moved in, and of course, we barely use them. I’ll bring them out and set the table nicely when we have company, but rarely just for the two of us. Now, on occasion we’ll set the table all nice for breakfast or dinner on our tiny bistro table, set with candles, fancy glassware, and two bright as fuck orange napkins. It makes eating at home much more intentional and less of an afterthought.
6. Actually Read Your Coffee Table Books
You may own a lot of coffee table books for decor, but have you ever actually read them? My friend Grace is notorious for reading all of hers and even has sticky notes to mark her favorite pages. She is an inspiration to us all, and even just taking the time to flip through all the pages makes me feel sophisticated and inspired.
7. Small, material things that also make an impact: Matching loungewear/pajama set, this room spray, some chic gummies (if it’s that kind of night), a nice journal, a magazine, fancy olive oil, Le Puzz puzzle.
To help yourself feel a tiny bit more productive:
1. Bake Something
Propelled by my Great British Bake-Off obsession, I have gotten really into baking recently. I love a sweet treat and any excuse to get away from my many screens. And I adore wearing my cute little apron. Even if I binged an entire season of Love On The Spectrum in one day (true story), if I baked something, and better yet, distributed the fruits of my labor to friends and neighbors, I do feel a sense of accomplishment (with a subsequent sugar rush). I’ve been using the Sweet Tooth cookbook because it’s yet another excuse to lock my phone in a box somewhere.
2. Read Something
This one is probably more obvious, but reading a book is a great way to feel more productive throughout your day. Especially if it’s a book you’ve been meaning to start for a while. Whether it’s just one chapter or going cover-to-cover, you’ll never regret the time you spend reading. A field trip to the bookstore is also one of my favorite activities — it’s low-lift, low-cost, and another excuse to put on a cute outfit with a tote bag in tow. And I also think it’s a very important part of life, you know, reading.
3. Take a Nap
Yes! You heard me, people. Sleep is very important to me — I feel like a shell of a human if I don’t get a good night’s sleep. On a rainy Sunday when I have nothing else to do, sometimes taking a nap is incredibly productive. A nap helps me feel like I’m combatting any illness that may be coming on, and it’s super justifiable on the weekends as there’s seldom a weekday where I find it appropriate to take a nap. Whether it’s two hours or just fifteen minutes, a little cat nap can be just the boost I need.
4. Shower + Skincare
Although everyday showers can often feel like a task that needs to get done or something you have to fit into your schedule, on a day where I don’t have much going on I am quick to reframe the mundanity of bathing and give myself an at-home spa day. My friend Noel always gifts me with the best face masks. She knows I would never buy them for myself, which is thoughtful as hell. A long shower accompanied by a face mask that recommends a 3-4 hour wear time helps me feel more productive because skincare is important and I never feel like doing it. It’s perfect for a lazy day because you can’t accommodate much physical movement when you’re balancing a slimy paper sheet on your face for an extended period of time.
5. Reorganize Your Bookshelves
Cleaning is an obvious way to feel more productive but most of us factor that into our usual routines anyway. On the days when the apartment is passably tidy, or I really don’t feel like getting the vacuum out that day, I do fancy myself a bit of an organizer. My favorite subject — my bookshelves. We have a teeny tiny hallway that connects our bedroom to the living room/kitchen area in our apartment. We call it the library and if you’ve seen how small it is in person, you’d understand how funny that is. It’s not one of those bookshelves that has a few books, dainty bookends, and aesthetic vases. It is absolutely stuffed with books, magazines, photos, board games, trophies, knick-knacks, and a hand-me-down metal bust of JFK. Some days when I have nothing going on I’ll feel inspired to reorganize everything and it’ll take me hours. I enjoy looking at all our things and going down the rabbit holes of flipping through old journals and photo albums. And something about creating a mess and then organizing that mess makes my brain feel nice.
6. Create!
I have a very creative mind — always have. I love painting and writing and scrapbooking and doodling. Writing these newsletters is something I LOVE to do, and it helps me feel so productive. It’s the perfect mix of creativity and productivity for me. It’s certainly not something I have to do, but something I really want to do. A few weeks ago I also felt inspired to paint again. I had been wanting to paint a picture of Nelly for almost a year and on one random Saturday I felt inspired to do so. I enjoyed every minute — again, another reason to get off my screens — and now I have an adorable little canvas of Nel hanging on our wall.
7. Small, material things that also make an impact: Watercolor set, a cute apron, fancy face mask, Sweet Tooth cookbook, a cute planner, a dog to take on walks.
I hope some of these activities can help you feel inspired or a bit more productive while spending your time at home. It’s nothing revolutionary, but more of a reminder that small acts can go a long way. I think the most important takeaway, and something I’m still personally working on, is not feeling guilty for being at home and not thinking about what you should be doing. So go ahead — open your windows, stick on a playlist, and enjoy the art of hunkering down.