In a city where you can feel so alone and crowded at the same time, a quick escape to your own little space can make a huge difference.
During lockdown when there was literally no place to go, looking out the window was the best we, New Yorkers could do. I started thinking about how amazing would it be to have my own outdoor space as one of my building amenities. That really didn't bother me too much before, since I am a very short walk from Central Park. Two very short blocks to be exact. But lockdown + social distancing = stay far away from everyone and be creative with what you got.....
Then there it was, right in front of me - my often overlooked little fire escape.
As soon as I realized I can have a little time on my own and breathe fresh air I started sneaking out to my fire escape on a regular basis.
I would come out in the morning after doing some light stretching & just sit there. I found myself looking forward to that time of the day when nobody is awake yet - just me, my thoughts & my own little space. It was where I learned how to meditate. It was where I would recharge when I'm running low, calm down when stressed, my go-to place when I would take a break from being on my laptop all day or just pause from being a mom.
My fire escape has now become my safe space.
And after weeks of continuously doing this, I started thinking how can I turn this to my own little sanctuary.
So REIMAGINING SPACES went to work.
I was always scared to bring my phone out there fearing that I would drop it. But I didn't want to put down any kind of wood since I know I would want to sit there all the time and feel comfortable.
So I researched for astroturf (artificial grass) from Amazon that isn't too thin but could withstand even the harshest cold of winter.
So first, I measured the length of the landing of my fire escape.
I measured and cut it to the exact size to make sure I cover all the landing of the fire escape. Then I laid it down and flattened it from being rolled up. I used wires & attached it to the railing to make sure it doesn't fly away when it gets windy.
Below is the link of the astroturf that I used.
Now comes the best part, decorating!!! Some people would probably opt for real plants and flowers and convert their fire escape to a cute mini garden by growing vegetables or fruits. For the little sanctuary I was building, I used artificial ones to keep them looking alive even when summer is completely over, which is exactly right now.
I figured I can still meditate out there even in the dead of winter. For me, seeing the different colors of the flowers and leaves would make me feel warm and tingly inside.
I even added some cute colorful butterflies.
For the artificial flowers, I mostly bought them from the Dollar Tree. They are the exact same kind that you will find at Michael's for $7-$10.
They will just get beat up by the sun, rain and snow so spending a lot of money on some fake flowers and plants didn't quite sound so smart to me but of course, totally up to you. But the garland that goes on the top part of the railing (which came with the artificial butterflies) all came from Amazon. See below for the link.
All in all, I spent about $100! SCORE!!!
I don't have a fire escape....
I have a chic outdoor space at-home getaway
I will for sure add some string lights later on. And that little thing I am sitting on is an upcycled broken down tire... I sit on it to meditate or I use it to put my laptop on when I work out there...
Please see below link on how I made that upcycled tire include in my photo...
**** The FDNY’s residential safety guide says you should keep your fire escape clear of obstructions at all times *****
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