A Country Oasis

Nothing says rest and relaxation like a warm summer breeze sweeping across your face as you lounge back in an oversized hammock. The hot sun, the sound of waves crawling up the shore, flipping through a magazine and sipping on a cocktail… I feel like I’m describing the vacation of a lifetime, but I’m actually just describing a typical afternoon at my country house.

Some days it’s almost impossible to get a minute to myself. Three young children can eat away at a day so quickly, before you know it, it’s bed time! But, I make it a point to get at least 10 minutes to myself to relax and just hit refresh. I swear that’s all I need in a day to recharge. Simply knowing that I can look forward to a little bit of time to quiet my thoughts and lounge around is rest enough (almost!).

Here’s the thing about making the most of the little time you have: pick your perfect spot and make sure all the elements have been taken into account (I mean, sound, smell, view… all that stuff). When we got our country house, one of the most important spaces we wanted to design was the outdoors. As Montrealers, making the most of our warm weather is essential to our wellbeing. Between outdoor terraces, outdoor exercise and outdoor play, we definitely know how to maximize our scarce summer days.

I found a way to stretch out summer by investing in my own personal oasis on our sandy waterfront up north. We found this Canadian-based company called Toja Grid – they make the most thoughtfully designed patio furniture, and upon further research, they also make the most sensational custom daybeds. With their innovative concept, we selected and built our daybed with the perfect Pergola kit. We assembled it ourselves within a matter of one hour (ish), and then came the second step: luxury.

This pergola daybed was a dream conceptualized on our trip to Tulum. Lounging around the beach on our pre-pandemic vacation, my hubby and I daydreamed about how to transport this vibe back home. We enjoyed a day of local shopping and scoured the city for the perfect macramé to drape from the frame into a hammock-style daybed. We reproduced the energy of a bohemian haven with a few added elements like a throw from the Boho Lab and lanterns from Zone Maison.

I might now get full days on end to just hang around, but the few minutes I get to myself to sit back, relax and gather my thoughts… I make the most of them. All I have to do is walk down to the water, wiggle my way onto my hammock, and off I go into dreamland.

Photography by Patricia Brochu