Glamping: a nomadic way of life

In the Balearics, The Glamping is a firm that pitches luxury tents to order on the islands of Majorca, Menorca and Formentera. Spending the night beneath the stars with them is infinitely more comfortable than overnighting at your average campsite, with guests bedding down on a memory foam mattress lit by wicker LED lamps. In Brittany, meanwhile, the Les Ormes campsite offers a variety of accommodation, welcoming some of its guests in little circular wooden lodges known as “Nature Lodges”, whilst others choose to sleep in treehouses or opt for raft houses floating on the water. The luxurious rustic tent cabins at Ventana Big Sur in California are surrounded by stunning sequoias. Not only do they offer breathtaking views over the Pacific Ocean or the mountains, but they also come fully equipped with... heated flooring. Glamping is something that can now be enjoyed right across the globe, no matter where you live or what your budget allows.

When the word first appeared in 2005, people could have been forgiven for thinking it was a pure marketing product. “In the early days, it was a somewhat snobbish concept of getting back to nature, targeting the infamous hippie-chic crowd who saw holidaying in a lodge, tent or mobile home as a bit of a novelty”, recalls Vincent Grégoire, Consumer Trends & Insights Director at the Nelly Rodi agency. Today, however, it’s pretty obvious that glamping has ended up being far more than a simple flash in a campfire cooking pan. “It meets a veritable need to reconnect with nature. Glampers frequently jump at the chance to take part in educational activities, ranging from nature watching and star gazing to farming activities and sylvotherapy.”At campsites or at home, with wooden cabins now even being used as extra rooms in our gardens, glamping has become a brand-new way of enjoying the great outdoors, simultaneously developing its own unique codes as regards design and decor.

Stilt lodges, canvas safari tents, yurts, tiny houses, camper vans... no matter what kind of accommodation they choose, modern-day glampers want so much more than just a sleeping bag and a Campingaz stove. They appreciate soft, squishy cushions that work equally well outdoors as in, such as those emblazoned with an ikat design from Chhatwal and Jonsson, or the Rondinara model by Sifas with its bold geometric motifs. The seats on which they rest their weary legs after trekking through the woods are guaranteed to recharge their batteries, such as MX Home’s raffia-look fabric sunbed and poufs. Out on the terrace, meanwhile, floors are covered with attractive outdoor rugs. And what could be more perfect than a 100% sustainable handmade rug in natural hues, such as the Pale rug from Paju Design?

Natural. That’s the key. “Glamping is all about seeking an authentic experience”, explains Vincent Grégoire.That experience comes from noble materials, artisan creations and organic silhouettes. Rock The Kasbah’s collections, for example, tick absolutely every box, and notably the Môh bench seat, crafted from branches and vintage planks and adorned with cushions upholstered in an artisan cotton chenille weave fabric. The same delightful simplicity and rustic finish can also be found in Cosydar-Deco’s plant fibre pendant lights.
Vincent Sheppard’s Lento chairs, meanwhile, which are crafted from teak and rope, offer a slightly more luxurious take on the natural theme, as does the glazed ceramic Reflet du Temps stool with its embossed rope finish, designed by Stéphane Parmentier and produced by Le Chêne Vert for Dragonfly.

Treehouses and tents also whisk us back to our childhood. Glamping is “often about satisfying a nostalgic yearning for an authentic experience. It conjures up images of old-style coolboxes and everything else we think about when picturing the first-ever paid holidays”, Grégoire continues. OK-International’s enamel mugs cater to those desires, and the stainless steel cutlery and kettle from Vintage Tableware by Aoyoshi can’t help but remind us of the white metal recipients so often seen being clutched by campers. Iconic creations, such as Airborne’s AA chair or Lafuma’s folding Director’s chair, are sure to satisfy any modern-day glamper’s appetite for a hint of nostalgia.

Tents, teepees and yurts have also sparked a fascination with all things nomadic, resulting in the creation of new kinds of objects. The small and colourful outdoor mattresses from No-Mad 97% India can be rolled out directly on the floor or used to enhance the comfort of a bench. Then there are Hangout Pods and TiiPii Beds, which are a cross between a hammock and a sofa and can be just as easily suspended from a ceiling or dangled from a tree, be that out in the middle of nowhere or simply in your back garden. They are large enough to accommodate between one and four people and can be made into a cosy waterproof space with the addition of a special cover. So, if you’re looking for a mini-den to enjoy a mini glamping experience in the comfort of your own home, look no further!