I recently re-read a favourite book, Gift From the Sea, by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, and it sparked a renewed yearning for the tranquility and inspiration we get from a warm, beach vacation.
Lindbergh observes that on the beach “we are free of thoughts, at least of their articulation; clean and bare as whitened driftwood; empty as shells, ready to be filled up again with the impersonal sea and sky and wind.”
She goes on to say that “one never knows what the waves will toss up, on the white, smooth sand of the conscious mind” but that we must not dig for it, but instead be patient and see what we find. The book is a reminder to live in the present and to simplify life so that we can be truly aware of it and find joy and peace.
“One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach – waiting for a gift from the sea.”
Perhaps we can find some of that tranquility at home and access the joy of the now more often than just when we are on vacation? I believe that designing a simple and serene environment at home can help us do just that.
It begins with decluttering things that get in the way of simple living. It continues with setting up your home for optimal functionality so that you don’t have to waste precious time cleaning and looking for things when you need them. And finally, it leads to decorating by mimicing nature and the gifts she gives us.
To that end, I’ve created a new Essentials Design Board to make it easy to decorate your living room so that it feels like you’re always at the beach. The colours are calm and the furnishings and décor are simple and few. Without a lot of ‘stuff’, it’s much easier to clear the mind and let the gift from the sea present itself.
Enjoy the wait.
1. Rope mirror // 2. Linen curtains // 3. Sherwin Williams Pure White paint // 4. Table lamp // 5. Console table // 6. Loveseat // 7. Coffee table // 8. Sisal rug // 9. Wicker-resin chairs // 10. Chair cushions
I recently re-read a favourite book, Gift From the Sea, by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, and it sparked a renewed yearning for the tranquility and inspiration we get from a warm, beach vacation.
Lindbergh observes that on the beach “we are free of thoughts, at least of their articulation; clean and bare as whitened driftwood; empty as shells, ready to be filled up again with the impersonal sea and sky and wind.”
She goes on to say that “one never knows what the waves will toss up, on the white, smooth sand of the conscious mind” but that we must not dig for it, but instead be patient and see what we find. The book is a reminder to live in the present and to simplify life so that we can be truly aware of it and find joy and peace.
“One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach – waiting for a gift from the sea.”
Perhaps we can find some of that tranquility at home and access the joy of the now more often than just when we are on vacation? I believe that designing a simple and serene environment at home can help us do just that.
It begins with decluttering things that get in the way of simple living. It continues with setting up your home for optimal functionality so that you don’t have to waste precious time cleaning and looking for things when you need them. And finally, it leads to decorating by mimicing nature and the gifts she gives us.
To that end, I’ve created a new Essentials Design Board to make it easy to decorate your living room so that it feels like you’re always at the beach. The colours are calm and the furnishings and décor are simple and few. Without a lot of ‘stuff’, it’s much easier to clear the mind and let the gift from the sea present itself.
Enjoy the wait.
1. Rope mirror // 2. Linen curtains // 3. Sherwin Williams Pure White paint // 4. Table lamp // 5. Console table // 6. Loveseat // 7. Coffee table // 8. Sisal rug // 9. Wicker-resin chairs // 10. Chair cushions
