Thinking we were safe- insanity! We went in to make love. All the same Idiots to trust the little hotel bedroom. Then in the gloom… ..And who does not know that pair of shutters With the awkward hook on them All screeching whispers? Very well then, in the gloom We set about aquiring one another Urgently! But on a temporary basis Only as guests- just guests of one anothers senses.
But idiots to feel so safe you hold back nothing Because the bed of cold, electric linen Happens to be illicit… To make love as well as that is ruinous. Londoner, Parisian, someone should have warned us That without permanent intentions You have absolutely no protection -If the act is clean, authentic, sumptuous The concurring deep love of the heart Follows the naked work, profoundly moved by it.
Rosemary Tonks.
People forget who they are in hotels. They run down anonymous corridors laughing loudly and fall against each other at the door into their room. They kiss in lifts. Stack their real lives neatly on a tray and hope the maid will take them away. Take long luxurious baths and naps punctuated by fumblings in the dark. Feel the urge to sew on a button or two. Consider reading the Gideon, but choose instead to watch something on tv, they wouldn’t consider watching at home.
Sometimes they cry. Ear shattering sobs muffled by sound proofed walls and the gentle thud of fire doors. They forget who they are or pretend to be someone they are not. Make promises and tell lies. They brew teeny cups of tea, and break into little plastic packs of biscuits and wish there was real milk in the mini bar instead of gin and toblerones. They make love. Over and over. Half aware of the people in the rooms next to theirs, and half certain that the rest of the world has ceased to exist. They stain sheets they will not have to clean, but leave gold coins in the ashtray for those burdened with the task. Steal toiletries and line their shoes up neatly under the desk. Experience the kind of loneliness unique to such places and revel in the joy of being, at least for a night, unfound.
I like hotel rooms. There is a part of me that aches to live my life in one. Not the shabby little chenille lined ones you find in guest houses, nor the faded grandeur of country house hotel rooms. But the calm security of the large anonymous city hotel. Where no-one can find you and there is the empty thrill of occasion. Sex, business, theatre or weddings. Molten Brown shampoo and silly shower hats. Thick towels and complimentary bathrobes. Fabulous lighting systems and a sense of ease you cannot find at home because no where else is so little demanded of you…
It is , I think, a question of space to just be. And yes, I realise that it is confusing: that my urge to live in a place so at odds with my own personal aesthetic makes me a bundle of contradictions. That my constant desire to ornament my lifes’ surfaces is utterly denied in the blandness of a rented room and yet the fact remains that it is in such places I find the kind of solace bizarrely and serenely satisfying to a part of my soul I frequently deny.
We vintage housekeepers talk a lot about authenticity. We pile our shelves with memories and tell ourselves we are sharing our story with those we choose to invite into our home. We create fantastical displays, altars to our soul and learn to navigate the chaos of too many dreams on a daily basis. We battle with housework. Torture ourselves with the effort of establishing routine and yet all too often deny ourselves the calm offered by anonimity, by minimalist decor and empty space in which to dream. Admitting to liking the thought of empty space is to the Vintage Housekeeper akin to admitting to an addiction to crack cocaine.
We tie ourselves in knots creating beauty. And forget that form should always follow function. That life is easy in a hotel room because every task has been thought through to the letter. Because the walls aren’t papered in our personal history. Because the shelves and drawers are empty: quietly waiting to be filled , and there is no need to root through painful nonsense to get to what we need. There is time and space and surface on which to re-invent ourselves. To concentrate on pleasures we forget to enjoy at home because our minds are too busy in the battle to forget our yesterdays or plan our tomorrows. Responsibilities that get in the way of truly living well.
Perhaps I am alone. Perhaps I am the only one not suffocated by dry air and claustraphobia. The only one not scared by who I become when I do not have the fancy accroutements and tchoickes I am ususally drowning in to disguise who I really am.
I only know this: I like my reflection in the amber tint of hotel mirrors. I fall in love there. Somewhere I am who I’m not. Somewhere I am never more true.
Create your own Brocante Life Book, plan Christmas, set up routines and rituals or live life the BrocanteHome way with my guided workbooks and planners.
Mark and I have colds. Actually let me re-phrase that: I have a cold and Mark has MAN FLU.So it goes without saying that he is dying upwards while I am more than capable of getting on with my day. However he…
Do not go gentle into that good night,Old age should burn and rave at close of day;Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right,Because their words had forked no lightning theyDo not…
I don’t usually like very stylized Instagram pages because I am intensely nosy and always terribly keen to see the truth about someone’s life, rather than a manicured version they have arranged into pretty boxes, but I make an exception for The…
We all wore wellies and I wore false nails. In fact my lovelies, the reason why I haven’t bored you with my dalliances in the past seven days is not because I was up to my eyes in mud but because I…
Life is ludicrously noisy. If it isn’t the television blurring, it is the kids nattering, the phone ringing or the neighbours lawnmower chugging. We are surrounded by noise. Non-stop relentless clatter infiltrating our minds and leaving us without a peaceful place to…
Mark and I open our Christmas presents to each other late on Christmas Eve. This year after arranging the multitude of presents Finley received from Father Christmas, we collapsed onto the sofa at midnight, and presented our gifts to each other. My…
4 Comments
Come to think of it; the amber tint of hotel mirrors is the only time I love my reflection. Maybe it’s because it doesn’t show all my flaws. I’m totally liberated and free from the conventional life that I normally lead when I’m well hidden behind a “Please do not disturb sign”. Expectations and responsibilities vanish for a moment in time in a secluded room knowing quite well that probably the chances of being discovered are rare. In the secrecy and solitude of this room we can be lost in a world of our own dreams and make love endlessly. Oh Alison, you touched a nerve in me. I long so much to have that secret get away with my Paramour {in the make believe sense} really my husband and act like we are nineteen all over again. Commuting is a destroyer of intimacy. I love my children dearly but I think one needs time to rejuvenate. I believe that this is what everyone needs on occasion, to ultimately be in their own. After all we are not only wives, mothers and housekeepers but also the girl of our sweetheart’s dreams. Annabelle
I like hotels very much. I have been in quite a lot all over the years and I think, each time I go to one, I like it the same way I did 18 years ago, the first time I went to one with my husband, when we married.
I love hotel rooms as well, for many of the same reasons. You've awakened my secret plan hatching side. My husband's birthday is in November. I see a hotel room in our future!
I read "A Necklace of Kisses" by Francesca Lia Block. Weetzie Bat is now a forty year old woman and her kids are grown up. She is having trouble with her lover and goes to stay in a hotel to figure things out. Very magical, very beautiful. I think you would love this book.
{"id":null,"mode":"form","open_style":"in_place","currency_code":"USD","currency_symbol":"$","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":300,"top_media_type":"featured_image","featured_image_url":"http:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/tipjar-2.png","featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Leave a tip","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"BrocanteHome","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"BrocanteHome","form_subtitle":"Help Me to Keep BrocanteHome Online","currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you so much: helping me keep Brocantehome online really means the world to me.","payment_confirmation_title":"BrocanteHome","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
Come to think of it; the amber tint of hotel mirrors is the only time I love my reflection. Maybe it’s because it doesn’t show all my flaws.
I’m totally liberated and free from the conventional life that I normally lead when I’m well hidden behind a “Please do not disturb sign”. Expectations and responsibilities vanish for a moment in time in a secluded room knowing quite well that probably the chances of being discovered are rare. In the secrecy and solitude of this room we can be lost in a world of our own dreams and make love endlessly.
Oh Alison, you touched a nerve in me. I long so much to have that secret get away with my Paramour {in the make believe sense} really my husband and act like we are nineteen all over again.
Commuting is a destroyer of intimacy. I love my children dearly but I think one needs time to rejuvenate. I believe that this is what everyone needs on occasion, to ultimately be in their own. After all we are not only wives, mothers and housekeepers but also the girl of our sweetheart’s dreams.
Annabelle
I like hotels very much. I have been in quite a lot all over the years and I think, each time I go to one, I like it the same way I did 18 years ago, the first time I went to one with my husband, when we married.
I love hotel rooms as well, for many of the same reasons.
You've awakened my secret plan hatching side. My husband's birthday is in November. I see a hotel room in our future!
I read "A Necklace of Kisses" by Francesca Lia Block. Weetzie Bat is now a forty year old woman and her kids are grown up. She is having trouble with her lover and goes to stay in a hotel to figure things out. Very magical, very beautiful. I think you would love this book.