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SURF’S UP PEEPS! Whenever a tropical storm hits the East Coast, the surfers hit the waves. However, the interiors here lack a certain vibe. This is a Malibu coast style vibe, straight out of Gidget, with millenial overtones. I personally love the energy of this interpretation! I have always been a doer, not a lay around on the beach lump. So this fits my recollections perfectly. I was learning to surf on a raft when I was about 11 or 12, and graduated to a borrowed surfboard in high school. Learned how to windsurf after college. But I still prefer traditional board surfing or body surfing. I think I gravitate towards spaces like this because I haven’t been in the ocean since 2008. I’ve almost forgotten what salt water feels like on my skin, but I haven’t forgotten what it does to my hair, which is a whole other kind of crazy! Climate change is destroying what I used to love about NC coastal towns. It’s reclaiming the beaches stolen by residential real estate. One of the reasons that I stopped visiting my beloved OBX was because I was deeply disturbed by the density of the buildings on a designated National Park that should be a Heritage Site, the litter on the beach, the lack of respect for the Graveyard of the Atlantic sites, and just the general misuse created by cashing out on ‘tourism.’ But overthinking aside, there is just something happy about this space. As soon as I saw it, I was smiling. The colours, the art, the focus on relaxation and entertainment, the illusion that there’s not a phone or a television in sight! You never see this level of design on the East Coast; it’s way more conservative. This is back-to-basics relaxation personified for me. I love the touches of a Mid-Century Modern, white-washed classic beach house style. It’s unfettered by materialistic decor, preferring a more collected, playful approach. If you could be anything, be this emotionally free with your design style, because it promises to put a big smile on anyone’s face! #behousedesign #findinghome #coastalstyle #WestCoastVibes #curatedstyle

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June 14, 2025/by Tessa Wood

QUEENSLANDER CAROLINA: Well, this won’t make sense to you if you’ve never been to Australia, and you’ve only ever lived in the low country of the Carolinas. But it makes perfect sense to me! My favourite house design is Mediterranean, with a touch of Queenslander thrown in. It’s the floor-to-ceiling windows and engineering airflow throughout the dwelling. Spoken like a true air sign, Gemini me! I don’t believe in coincidences in colour palettes, art, curated collections, or furniture styles that attract my attention. I am salvaging an aesthetic from the past to make a statement in the present. You know what’s missing since the pandemic? Clever antique places to rummage for ideas. Artists have been struggling to find other ways to put their storytelling work out there. I am one of them. When your whole career has been about solving other people‘s problems, wayfinding design opportunities for yourself become an unsolvable challenge. Why is that? Skill set is there. Acute problem-solving skills are there. Critical thinking is ramped up to the ceiling. I am paying very close attention to recurring patterns. Unraveling inconsequentials has been my dominant skill set since I was born, no lie. But sometimes you do need an outside influencer to pull yourself out of the rêverie. Travel has always been my instigator!! #behousedesign #findinghome #StyleInfluencer

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