Journal / Spaces · 02 min
The architecture of retreat
Every home needs a place to withdraw to. It is rarely the largest room. More often it is a corner, an alcove or a window seat where the day slows down.
Enclosure, one view, soft surfaces
Spaces of retreat tend to share a few qualities: a sense of enclosure, one carefully framed view, and surfaces that feel good to touch. Thick walls, a deep window reveal and a warm material underfoot do most of the work.
Retreat is designed through what it keeps out as much as what it holds.
Placement matters too. A retreat set apart from the busiest rooms is easier to inhabit than one that opens straight onto them, however well it is furnished.