Do Not Disturb with Yolanda Edwards
Presenting Do Not Disturb, a series uncovering the oasis behind closed doors. We’ve been invited to the homes of indoor enthusiasts, and you’re our plus one. In the next installment, travel editor and founder of YOLO Journal Yolanda Edwards welcomes us to her rustic retreat in upstate New York—the remote oasis she visits to press pause after her travel pursuits.
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “Do Not Disturb?”
YE: The reality of this place is that it’s my Do Not Disturb. Until the last year or two, it was hard to get any kind of WiFi. It was impossible yet perfect because there’s nothing going on here.
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
YE: I’m not usually an alarm clock person. I wake up excited and feel very privileged to love what I do. But coffee is always the first thing, and then I write in my notebooks. My methodology is to write everything down with pen and paper.
Does your morning routine change when you're traveling versus when you're here?
YE: My morning routine doesn’t change when I travel. Notebooks and coffee—that happens no matter where I am in the world.
What’s one thing in your home that helps you reset?
YE: Honestly, my dog. Having my dog and holding her is so pure. She always wants to hug me.
What's the best thing about coming home for you?
YE: Being here, I can completely relax. I don't have to make any plans. When I'm on the road, I'm so planned. Even when I do a very unplanned trip, there are so many variables. Even if I have a friend who's showing us around, there's production involved. Being here, there's no production. I have several days to decompress. When I come home, I can just be. I can just exist. There isn't the need to be so planned out.
When you're traveling, what do you miss most about here?
YE: I think that I'm very over-programmed when I'm on the road. When I’m traveling, I miss slowing down and my routines of doing very little. When I'm here, I love looking at all of my books. Our coffee table is filled with books, vintage magazines, and all of these things that are too big and cumbersome to bring with me. So when I come back, I experience a different kind of discovery. it's like I forget about this collection of books and magazines. But then I come back and think, "This is amazing."
Can you tell me about the evolution of this property?
YE: My husband and I had always wanted an escape from the city. I think most people who live in a small apartment are looking for some way to access nature, and I always wanted a place where my dog could run and chase a ball. When we finally found this place, we could just afford the land. Over the years, we built the one-room cabin, then the house, and finally renovated the original barn. Now we have these three living spaces, and it’s great because we can move between them, host friends, and experience them in different ways.
Are there any specific design details from your favorite hotels that you feel like you've woven into your home?
YE: My husband and I love this Scandinavian meets Japanese vernacular. It’s not necessarily from a certain hotel we've been to, but I think it's a little bit like the elements from Forestis and the Dolomites. And then I also love a super rustic design. We have a love for old world design, but a funky California version like you’d find in Big Sur.
In three words, describe the feeling when you walk through your door after a long trip.
YE: Peace, calm, and relaxing.
How do you refresh when you come home from a trip?
E: When I come home from a trip, I immediately get my basket, my shears, and I go on a walk. And this is regardless of season. I always want to find, collect, and forage for some kind of greenery. In the winter it’s greenery and maybe some berries. In the summertime it'll be anything from forget-me-nots that are growing right by our pond to Queen Anne's lace and flowers growing down on the road. It's my connection to nature, and bringing some of that into the house is really grounding for me.
What does good design mean to you?
YE: I respond to design that feels soulful—that allows whoever is moving through or living in the space to put their own layer on it. I’d say I'm more of a minimalist with furniture and a maximalist with what I put on top of it, because we're always collecting. What I love about Thuma is that it’s the perfect foundation for layering.
