Where's your heaven?

Our mission is to inspire the people around the world to design their home's to provide joy, peace and wellness - function and feeling.

I showcase outdoor spaces whenever I can, because I believe we get more positive affects from being outside - we reap the beauty and bounty of Mother Nature and her energy.

Last week, we showcased inpiration for outdoor lounge spaces from coastal locations around the world. It was a hard task as there were too many to feature in one journal entry, so I decided to feature the rest of them in this week's entry.

If I were to ask you, where is your favourite place to be? Where are you most at peace? You'd probably be able to answer in seconds. You could picture that place clearly in your mind and seeing that image would trigger all of the positive affects of being there. When you design your home around that place, all of a sudden your home will arouse those feelings of joy, rest, peace, or excitement.

As you look through the different coastal areas in this entry - the U.S.A as well as South Africa, Spain, Germany, Switzerland and Australia you'll notice similarities - but you'll also be able to recognize regional differences - subtleties that make a difference when it comes to recreating it in your home.

In Washington State, this outdoor room replicates their Oregon coast, above. The wall stonework captures darker greys from the rocks along the beach. The cushions captures the white surf line. And the natural wood captures the browns of the sand and brush.

Creating spaces for yourself is just as important as creating spaces for your family or friends.

In South Africa this homeowner finds their peace in the solitude of their own company. Sitting in a cozy chair in coastal whites, blues and sandy browns, they can watch waves roll in, hear their crash against the sand and breathe in the crispness of salt air. Mother Nature's meditation.

This outdoor space in California brings in elements of the coast including grasses, plants, streaming water, whites, and stone.

South Carolina picked up the soothing and inviting blues of the ocean... I love this pool.

Meditation isn't just sitting on a pillow repeating mantras or listening to pre recorded meditations. Meditation can also be mindfulness - staying present or quieting your mind so that you can better handle feelings and emotions that surface. The ultimate goal is a feeling of relaxation and inner peace, which can improve mental health.

In Australia it would be easy to quiet your mind staring into the fire among this beach like setting.

Mindfulness teaches you to recognize, when you are worrying about what has come or what is about to come.

If you are mindful, and stay present, it can quell stress or symptoms of anxiety. Harvard Health Publishing.

This outdoor space, seemingly inspired by Florida beaches above, is an optimal space to be mindful inviting your mind to be quiet.

Image: Life on Virginia St.

There is a clear correlation between close proximity to water and better psychological and overall health. Spending time near the water, not only promotes physical activity and general fitness, but it also slows down our heart rate and reduces stress hormones, boosting our mental health.

It's no wonder that just looking at the pool water in Miami soothes one's soul.

Michael Depledge, chair of Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter Medical School.

Design does not detract from nature's bounty and the benefits of water in Spain.

Image: Micasa Revista

Palm trees flag these pool loungers providing Florida owners with a sense of being on a spa or tropical vacation.

You do not have to spend thousands of dollars traveling each year when you can design your home to trigger the same feelings that you get on vacation. And instead of once a year, you can have it all year round... well... in Florida at least.

Image: Urban Grace

Can you see a trend in the outdoor spaces that allow your breath to steady, your pulse to slow, and your muscles to relax.

Surf whites, palms, sand coloured furniture and accessories, deep sea blues and water that changes with every change in the weather.

Australia adds a bit of shade needed for any of their hot hot days. In Canada we just had a hot hot day... unusual in May, but shade makes it so much easier on days like these.

The beach and its benefits can be brought to any backyard, including central Germany.

This home in Switzerland has the perfect set up. Simple. Not at all luxurious in the minds of the wealthy, but luxurious among minds that appreciate every little thing that nature provides us each and every day.

LIVING LIFE

inspired by the coast