Home Sweet Home: How your home in Costa Rica can rise up to meet you!
After almost 20 years in the real estate business, 7 of which have been in Costa Rica, there is no doubt in my mind that your home, no matter how humble or grand, should rise up to meet you.
For me, my home is my sanctuary. It is a scared space, a place where I can retreat from the outside world. I can recharge and revitalize in surroundings that I have created just for me and my family. However, more than anything else it’s a place where I enjoy just “being”.
In our real estate business, we are selling a lifestyle and dream of what most people believe Costa Rica to be.
Most home buyers who come to Costa Rica already have a vision of what they want their home to look like once they make their dreams a reality.
If you are moving thousands of miles away from “home” to a different country that has a different culture, language and lifestyle then it is vital that your new space and surroundings are comfortable and everything that you dreamed that they would be.
First Impressions
My great-grandma Murphy always said that a person could live in a tar paper shack but if they kept a nice yard it made the house.
To this day I agree with my grandmother and think that landscape is the first and most important impression your home makes.
In modern day terms, it’s called curb appeal.
Costa Rica is a lush, tropical, paradise and almost everything grows easily and to jurassic proportions. Plant material is inexpensive and labor is very affordable.
Take an afternoon and drive to a local “vivero” and you will see just how many plants a few hundred dollars will buy and the transformation it will make to your home.
Something as simple as a potted plant on each side of your front door makes a huge impression. It feels warm and inviting without costing an arm and a leg.
Outdoor Living
One of the most important aspects to consider when living in Costa Rica is lifestyle. With a year round moderate climate and stunning scenery most people tend to spend 80% of their time outdoors.
Outdoor living spaces such as over sized porches, terraces and ranchos are a must to fully soak up your surroundings.
It is very common to have an outdoor living room, dinning room and kitchen that are as large or larger than their indoor counterparts.
Having comfortable, overstuffed outdoor living room furniture along with a rocking chair and hammock slung between two columns is an enjoyable way to lounge around on a lazy afternoon.
Throw in a ceiling fan, an outdoor rug, colorful throw pillows and a few potted plants and you have just created a space fit for a king.
If this space has an incredible view, swimming pool or fire element close by, I guarantee most of your guest will choose to be outdoors enjoying the openness and freedom the natural surroundings offers.
Indoor Living Spaces
In Costa Rica it is quite acceptable to have smaller indoor living spaces especially if you have spacious outdoor living areas.
Keep you indoor space clean and simple.
If you have a tight space, add mirrors on walls opposing large windows or glass doors to reflect the outdoors.
By bringing the outdoors “in” you will instantly double your sense of space. Bring in native woods with some of your furniture choices.
The craftsmanship of Costa Rican furniture makers is unmatched and very affordable. Personally I love color, BIG color, but in splashes.
For example, in every room I like to choose an accent wall that will be the focal point of the room and paint it a color.
The other three walls will be a nice neutral that brings the space together.
Bring your family and personality into the space with a few strategically placed photographs, mementos from your travels or special trinkets that you have been given or collected over the years for an added homey touch.
The Master Bedroom
My bedroom is my space. No one is welcome unless I have invited them to come in. It is my opinion that your bedroom should be the most intimate space in your home. In my case, no televisions allowed.
My philosophy is that the bedroom is for rest and relaxation, so I want the space to feel like a 5 star hotel. Just enough decor and furnishings to feel warm, but not so much that it feels cluttered. Luxurious bedding is a must.
I think a minimum of a 600 thread count Egyptian cotton sheet is a luxury that everyone should treat themselves to. Adding a few extra layers to your bedding with an additional blanket, extra pillows and decorative throw pillows make you feel as if you have just checked into the Ritz.
I personally I think that having 4-6 pillows and 3-4 throw pillows on a bed makes a dramatic impact. If I have had a long, hard day beating the pavement, I know that when I go to bed at night, I will sleep like an angel.
I am an avid reader. If possible I always like to have a reading corner in my bedroom that is well lit and comfortable where I can curl up with a good book.
Your master bath should be equally as impressive. Living in the tropics an outdoor shower is a real luxury. With a little care, you can create an indoor/outdoor shower that is integrated into your garden but completely private.
Keep things simple and don’t over crowed the space. Quality bath towels and a nice bath robe adds to the spa feeling at home.
The Guest Bedroom
You always want your guests to feel at home. Make sure your guest room is as inviting as the master, but on a smaller scale. I was brought up to believe that you always put out your best for your guests. As with your master bedroom, nice bedding and bath towels are a must.
A nice touch for your guest room is a hotel style luggage rack so that your guest can easily access their clothing.
Equally impressive is having a nice set of towels laid out for you guest with individual soaps. It’s the little details that will make you a memorable host.
Fresh Flowers
Nothing will convey the tropical lifestyle more than fresh cut flowers or live potted plants throughout your home. A vase or urn of freshly cut flowers or greenery from the garden is the easiest and most economical way to transform a space.
Every room in your house should have a special place for flowers and potted plants. Most tropical cut flowers will last a minimum of one week if you change the water every other day.
There are many species of palms in Costa Rica that make easy to care for house plants. Everyone thinks you need to have a perfectly arranged vase of flowers as a center piece.
This is simply not true. I have a big vase that stands about 30″ tall for my dinning room table. More times than not it has 3-4 large philodendron leaves stuck in it.
We have received more compliments on this arrangement than any other in our home. Why? It’s simple and makes a big statement.
Local Flavor
When decorating your new space, don’t forget the local flavor. Find things from the culture and surroundings that you can incorporate into your home.
For example, a pair of rocking chairs from Sarchi that are handcrafted of local hardwoods with hand tooled leather seats make a perfect seating area on your front porch.
Another craftsman in Orotina takes beautiful slabs of Guanacaste wood and creates furniture pieces that are works of art.
Find a unique piece of wood and have it mounted on the wall behind your bed, creating a one of a kind head board.
In Atenas we have a local artist who paints beautiful rural scenes with a technique that makes you think it is a photograph.
One large statement piece in the living area or a bedroom adds just the right amount of local flavor and is a simple way of inviting the community to be part of your home.
Having a stunning home that rises up to meet you does not have to be expensive or a daunting task, nor do you need to have a 10,000 square foot mansion.
In my life I have experienced small 1,000 square foot spaces that were far more intimate and luxurious than some the the mansions I have had the privilege to visit.
It’s the simple things that make all the difference like a boldly painted accent wall, a vase of fresh flowers or greenery, one piece of furniture that makes a statement or luxurious linens for your bed.
If nothing else, have a large platter of fresh tropical fruits as the centerpiece of your dinning room table or kitchen island.
Taking into account your new found tropical lifestyle and with a little attention to detail, your home in paradise will always rise to meet you and your guest each and every time you enter the front door.
Home sweet Home: How your home can rise up to meet you!
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Home Sweet Home: How your home in Costa Rica can rise up to meet you!Article ID Number 4073
Andrew Makarik
to@welovecostarica.comAndrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.
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