Design Ideas | Create a Relaxing Haven at Home

The best escapes aren’t always at a five-star hotel. A well-appointed home can be the place you let go, relax, and indulge in the good life in a style perfectly suited to your tastes. With these relaxing design concepts to spark your imagination, it’ll be easy to cultivate vacation tranquility, whether or not you ever leave the house.

Maximize Indoor-Outdoor Living

It’s scientifically proven that being outside lower stress levels, improves focus, and boosts your energy levels. So why limit yourself to one patio space when you can luxuriate on several? Have your breakfast on the terrace, watch the sun go down from the infinity pool, and leave the walls to your bedroom wide open to let the ocean air lull you to sleep.

Look down on sparsely-populated white sand beaches over an end-of-day bottle of wine, brought up from your own private cellar at Katitche Point Greathouse in the British Virgin Islands. Pyramid-style roof designs let in extra ventilation, private verandas border the bedroom suites, and an interior courtyard outfitted with tropical landscaping offers secluded reflection. Find the ultimate relaxation in the master suite outdoor bath and shower, nestled amongst natural flora.

The Aman Residences in Argolida, Greece make waking up to the Argo-Saronic Gulf spectacularly natural. With floor-to-ceiling sliding walls, tastefully-appointed rooms in your private villa turn into extended terraces with infinity pools flanked by beautiful countryside. Take advantage of the common spaces for fantastic outdoor dining and incredible open-air spa treatments.

Find Space to Play

Let home be the place that you indulge your childish enthusiasm. Of course you need the plush sleeping quarters and the lavish chef’s kitchen, but don’t forget about the power of a well-equipped games room, cooling lap pool, or a funky cocktail bar.

In addition to an incredible indoor-outdoor set up, this 25,878-square-foot residence in North Palm Beach, Florida has a fun beachy vibe that carries throughout the house. Take a time out at the swimming pool complete with waterslide and spa, play 21 on the half court, practice your swing on the putting green, or play solids vs. stripes in your breezy billiard room, complete with a cold pint from your wet bar.

Somewhere between the dramatic staircase, the nine fireplaces, and the 500-gallon fish tank, you’ll need to hit pause and take it all in at this custom-built California home. Best to bask in the glow of your 1,300-bottle refrigerated wine cellar or at the edge of your pool-adjacent bar, complete with swordfish motif. Then watch the sunset from the pool, and let your stresses melt away.

Use Natural Water-Blue Accents

One of the most calming color palettes there is, blue remains top of the list for invoking serenity. At once energizing and therapeutic, ocean blue is the ideal accent for your relaxing haven. And one step better than splashing it on walls or framing it in art is opening your doors to an endless water vista.

The ocean meets the sky in a brilliant shade of turquoise at this Anguilla property. Set yourself up to take it all in on a stunning glass terrace outfitted with bright white loungers overlooking the pristine beach below. When you need some shade, head inside and whip up something fresh in the gourmet kitchen.

Let island living wash over you from the beautiful soaker pool at this Grand Baie villa on the isle of Mauritius. When you’re not off on a boat trip or snorkeling for the day, relax on the pool deck or sip slushy cocktails in the poolside gazebo. Wherever you are, the natural elements at this stunning villa will keep you distinctly unwound.

Let the Light In

Nothing does quite as much for design as the color white. Ask any design aficionado and they’ll tell you that the eye typically goes to the brightest part of a composition. And at home, when living areas are awash in pearly brights, the spaces to discover seem endless.

This beachfront estate on the Caribbean island of St. Martin brings white outdoors to great effect. The property’s curtained pavilion offers a cooling respite from the Plum Bay sun, allowing for al fresco dining and sultry cross breezes. Take a dip in the heated pool after the sun goes down, or entertain guests in one of the property’s chic dining areas. The home’s features include a two-story master suite, two private balconies, and an easy 10-minute drive to the island’s international airport. Perched above turquoise waters, this oceanview gem offers the perfect spot to breathe deeply and enjoy the view.

In true Grecian style, the Argari observatory in Mykonos is outfitted in white to cast off an unrelenting sun. The property’s four independent houses are nestled in a pocket of privacy in the rocky hills, guaranteeing guests a peaceful retreat. Set yourself adrift in the infinity pool or stretch out under the shade of an outdoor veranda, taking in all the beauty the Mykonos hills have to offer while knowing you’re never more than 15 minutes away from the bustle of boutique shopping and the ease of fine dining.

The formula for your own relaxed haven is quite simple: a little light, some sea-blue accents, open-air living, and the potential for fun.