Last week, I relocated out to Long Island for the summer—and maybe beyond, depending on whether there’s an upswing in the virus when fall arrives. Although I was sad to leave the exclusive club of people who didn’t bail on the city once corona hit hard, it is very nice to be here, and I’m so grateful that this house exists at all. But it’s also an adjustment: there are always other family members here, and it has made me realize how much I value my time alone. Instead of having a whole apartment to kick around in, my private space here consists of my eensy-but-cozy bedroom. What follows are a few of the items I brought from the city to make this place feel like home, and a few I’ve acquired, starting with a Kantha quilt from India kind of like this one. Etsy is crawling with them, and they’re pretty cheap, for quilts.

I haven’t pulled the trigger on these handsome-but-well-priced pillowcases just yet, but I’m pretty sure I plan to.

The house is old and a bit musty, so I burn this Otto Incense from Fornasetti, which has notes of lavender, cedarwood, and thyme. It comes with its own small incense holder, and makes my room smell so much better.

When we’re all out here at the same time, there are five adults, three teenagers, and three dogs—and my older brother Mike loathes dogs in the house (he and his family are cat people. Go figure).  Mike especially can’t stand the smell of dog food, so I thoughtfully moved that operation to my bedroom, and acquired these handsome Yeti bowls for feeding purposes.

I bought this Vornado Fan without checking the dimensions, and it turns out to be much smaller than I thought it would be—about eight inches in diameter—but it is mighty powerful, and keeps my whole room cool.