Books and bowls: an art reading retreat at Dwellbox Treehouse Village

A couple of months ago, I saw a post on Instagram to the effect of “I really wish I could go on a vacation where we just read books all day and then get together at the end of the day to talk about them.” I sent it to my friend Amber with a “seriously, we should do this” and she responded back with “we should go here” and a link to another IG post of a treehouse-style cabin in the woods.

Which is how, on Monday, I found myself and Amber with a car full of books, snacks, and some of my new decorative dishes on our way to a cabin in the woods in Ohio.

We definitely got a few confused responses from friends and family, “you’re going where to do what?” but all and all the trip was a success. We stayed in the largest cabin at Dwellbox’s Treehouse Village, the Treehouse Lodge, and while it’s certainly meant for more than two people, the size was perfect for spreading out, reading by the fire, and experimenting with photographing my new decorative dishes.

While I didn’t finish every book I brought, the trip did give me the chance to start some things I’ve had my eye on for a while. (Hello, epic biography of William Morris.) It also gave Amber and me a chance to check out a few books from each other’s collection, books that I might not have checked out otherwise. (Hello, the very stunning Make Ink, which I can definitely see inspiring the color palette of future bowls.)

All and all, it was a fantastic trip, and I’m really hoping to make reading retreats a more regular part of my life!

BTW, if you’re curious about Dwellbox Treehouse Village, I would definitely recommend the cabin we stayed in, the Treehouse Lodge! Just a few things I would note:

1. The part of Ohio we were in isn’t exactly what I would call foodie. There are a lot of pizza places (we never could figure out why), plenty of Amish-style diners, and not much else. (We did manage to find a Mexican place by driving a little further.) It’s not such a big deal in the cabin we were in, because it has a full kitchen, so you can cook (and we brought plenty of snacks), but it’s something to keep in mind if you prefer to eat out when you travel or if you’re staying in one of the smaller treehouses that don’t have a full kitchen.

2. If you’re coming in winter, you’re better off with a four-wheel-drive vehicle. The cabins are back a very long, hilly gravel lane, and with less than an inch of snow, my little two-wheel-drive car barely made it out. (Granted, I hadn’t put my snow tires on, which, had I known about the driveway situation, I would have done.)

3. Speaking of winter, sitting by the fire while the snow falls is magical, but the heat sources in the cabin made the air VERY dry. Bring lots of lotion, lip balm, and plan on drinking plenty of water!