The Search for the Perfect Beach Retreat

Oh I've got decorating and fashion ideas galore for my ocean oasis  The question is, where exactly do I plant my beach umbrella? Will she sell seashells in the Seychelles? Build a boho beach shack in Baja? Go modern and minimalist in Maui?  Where in the world will that perfect beach--and town--emerge from the mist, satisfying all my requirements?

Such as:  charming shops, good restaurants, a dab of art, a dollop of culture, a good library and bookstore, a well-stocked grocery and well-edited wine shop, no chain restaurants or stores, no high rises.  The beach would be clean and bright, the ocean clear and warm.  And the housing would be affordable.

Yeah, that last part is where my practical list of destinations pretty much disappears.  But maybe you know of a place?  If so, please share it with us, in the Comments section.  Looking forward to your suggestions!

Photo courtesy Elle Moss

She Sells Seashells

Photo by Claire Brocato / Images by Claire on Flickr. Source: french-knot.tumblr.com via Style Maniac on Pinterest

In a charming cottage by the sea

I'll dine on vintage china 

Sourced from roadside sales,

Mix sunset-hued cocktails

And dive into suitcases of books.

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Source: thecityofhope.tumblr.com via Style Maniac on Pinterest

Source: bookshelfporn.com via Style Maniac on Pinterest

In an antique armoire 

I'll stash filmy sundresses, soft coverups 

And sweetly sexy retro swimsuits, 

Like Marilyn might wear.

Source: loveyourchaos.tumblr.com via Style Maniac on Pinterest

On rainy days I'll paint the walls 
In abstract pastels

And arrange pretty vignettes 
Of turquoise and persimmon.

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Source: pinterest.com via Style Maniac on Pinterest

And every morning I'll awake to this:

Source: cptnrin.smugmug.com via Style Maniac on Pinterest

This Style Story is part of 
THE SANDCASTLE PROJECT: Dreaming Of Creating An Escape By The Sea
For continuing updates follow She Sells Seashells on my Pinterest. (Need an invite to join Pinterest? Email me.)  For more on what you might read, cook, eat and enjoy in such a coastal cottage join the conversation all week on the Style Maniac Facebook Page and @thestylemaniac on Twitter.

The Sandcastle Project

"Build me a castle,
a magic sandcastle,

in the sand, 
on the shore, 
by the sea."

As a little girl I would often lull myself to sleep by decorating homes in my head.  Now that I own a decorating business, when I'm not plotting work for a client, my own fantasy projects have become much more specific: decorating an escape by the sea.  And thanks to the magic of Blogger and Pinterest, I can now create whole worlds of wonderful destinations in which to live, laugh, learn, listen, read, decorate, dress, eat and entertain--and share them with you. I've got the ideas, plenty of them, ranging from sweet cottages to boho beach shacks, to sleek modern retreats. And I've got a a definite idea of the kind of town I'd like to live in, although I wonder if it actually exists?  Well, perhaps you can help me with that part.  Off we go, ideas and images flying through the salty air, The Sandcastle Project has begun.


Image from an archive copy of Coastal Living Magazine.  As for the quote, I'm honestly not sure if I heard this somewhere, or made it up myself, but it popped into my head one day intact.