ASPIRESIDE Chat: Revitalization

Sara Story Design Aspen House Project


ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME asked designers to share their nighttime routines that prepare them for a restful night sleep.

Tara Benet | I will watch TV sometimes before heading to the bedroom. I like to have something to sip like an herbal tea or a glass of wine on occasion.Sometimes if the day wasparticularly rigorous I willtake a bath before bed with the lights dimmed and a candle. I don’t keep a TV in my bedroom and if I do anything I will read on my phone with the night shiftfeature on to block the blue light. Usually I don’t need any techniques to get me tired as I run around a lot each day on job sites!

I use a sound machine as my Shih Tzu snores! I live in a triplex on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and where my bedroom is located it is always really dark which makes sleeping in really easy. I like sateen sheets and I keep the color scheme muted and restful in tones of mauves, grays and whites. I will sometimes add in a flash of style, for example a decorative throw featuring unique details like pom poms. On average, I sleep between eight and nine hours a night.


John Douglas Eason | I have a W Hotel bed. I think a good comfortable bed is key, plus 100% goose down pillows from Phoenix Down and custom-embroidered high thread count sheets from John Matouk. I put a setting on my cell phone so only emergency numbers come through from about 9pm to 7am. I never have a problem falling asleep but I wake up three or four hours later, so now I meditate when I wake up using wireless earphones to listen to CDs from Deepak Chopra and Oprah, or John Morgan who is a hypnotist.

My bedtime routine begins when I walk my two beautiful Kerry Blue Terriers with my husband Damon around 9pm, then my new rule is bedtime at 10pm. I stopped watching anything violent before bed; I am reading “Altruism” by Reverend Matthieu Ricard, a Buddhist monk. I have a group of three friends and we text a gratitude list to each other every night; it puts your mind in a right frame before sleeping. Since we live in a high-rise with floor-to-ceiling windows and don’t draw the shades at night, Damon and I each wear a black silk eye mask to help us sleep. The best thing in the world for me is that my dogs, Mr. Smith and Daisy, sleep on or around my legs most of the night which for me is absolute heaven! After five-and-a-half to seven hours of sleep I feel terrific.


Lynne Scalo | I LOVE my bed! It is like sleeping on a cloud. I always use white bedding and have a plethora of huge down pillows. It’s a bit like the story of the Princess and the Pea…everything has to be just so. Even in the middle of August I still have to have two oversized down comforters and duvets on the bed, and the feeling is absolutely luxurious.

In each of my homes whether it’s in the country or the city, the aesthetic is essential. In the country I have a blue-and-white color scheme with a fabulous floral wallpaper, touches of silver, and a natural jute carpet on the floor. Or in the sleekness of my city bedroom with its white gallery walls, silver Venetian mirror and my mother-of-pearl chest from Syria, I like that the effect of the interior design is well edited. I really don’t like clutter! I like to have each point of view in the room reflect back to me a sense of beauty… why would I have it any other way? It really helps me sleep. Right now I am watching “The Crown” on Netflix; it’s so good but really anything with an English accent and a costume on and you can count me in! I like to sleep for at least eight hours a night – ok maybe a tiny bit more.


Sara Story | After a busy day in the studio I definitely look forward to my nighttime routine! I’ll start by curling up with a cup of herbal tea and watch a bit of TV – I’m currently enjoying “Deutschland 83” on Netflix. Later I’ll take a hot shower, then crawl into bed with a book. I always have a book at my bedside and just finished “The Nix” by Nathan Hill. Most nights I don’t get past a chapter before it’s lights out.

I’ve found that for me there are a few “musts” in order to get a solid night of rest. I love to sleep in Porthault sheets; their bright colors and vibrant patterns make me happy. I like a subtle amount of background noise and have a bedroom fan, which is very soothing. And most importantly, my cell phone is= powered down and far away. I am old school when it comes to sleeping; I need at least eight hours a night!

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