After writing a monthly newsletter for almost twenty years, plus daily Instagram posts, I realized I needed a break — hence the time lapse in my consistent writings. I hope your summer is off to a great start! As I evolve, I have broken up with the self-imposed rules I made about consistent productivity when I started this business. Now when I write, I write because I am called to do it and not because I am supposed to. Today I wanted to.

When creativity isn’t flowing, I realize it is time to go within and get still. Then I remember at my core, I am a flawed human with a big heart and a strong desire to inspire others come home to themselves. Especially when that includes a physical home designed for humans to do their human things like cooking, sleeping, relaxing, meditating, hosting, playing, or gardening. I’ve witnessed the impact on families when they prioritize creating zones that support them in their human-ing. They are calmer, happier, less in pursuit of chasing after life outside of themselves.

On this meandering journey, I have come to discover that I absolutely adore supporting my clients in creating places that allow them to pause for longer spells than just a morning practice. Deep pauses. Spaces conducive to long weekends wandering, being still, and gathering their families and community for drawn-out moments of living at a slower pace.

 

The view from the property on Carnelian Bay, Lake Tahoe, where we held this June’s Divine Hustler retreat. Photo by Eyecatcher.

 

Retreat properties have become quite the thing for those seeking a slower pace, and I like to think of the people who create them as “Expanders.” Expanders are those who stretch into their dreams to live a big life, share it with others, and offer an example of what’s possible.

If you are dreaming of creating a retreat-style escape either on your own or with friends, let me tell you: dreams really can come true. I have enjoyed the experience of becoming friends with several clients who have done just that, and they are my Retreat Expanders.

Last weekend I whisked myself away to a little town outside of Nevada City where a friend and her husband have created a place to escape from the status quo hustle. Deni is one of my Divine Hustler Sister Goddesses who I met in line at a spiritual growth workshop in Sedona and became instant friends with. She and her husband are creating a place where they can be quiet, paint, draw, read and write, cook, and escape with family. Deni and her husband are renovating the guest cottage to be a beautiful retreat on the spring-fed pond in the woods, a comfortable place for nature lovers, creatives, and writers to tap into their passions. The art barn will be a gathering place for painting workshops and magical dining experiences. During my stay, we hiked, cold plunged, cooked delicious meals, and enjoyed plenty of solo time for reflecting, napping, and doing breathwork.

 

The fish pond in the foreground of the coming Writer’s Cottage, the Artist Barn, and a view of one of the many fairy houses nestled in the woods outside the kitchen window. First photo by Deni. Second and third by Scott Bovard.

 

For years I denied myself weekends like this. I’ve been too busy running LMB Interiors and raising children. As time marches on, I realize the detriment of staying so busy. It has been such a habit for me, and I didn’t realize being busy has been a distraction from what I am really here to do. To create beauty, write, cook, give, serve, and heal. When our value and our worth are attached to our accomplishments, it creates an impulsive need to go, go, go, do, do, do. I think we need to rewire our brains to pause, pause, pause and be, be, be.

Other clients who have become friends are in the process of evolving their dream to create a similar experience for their growing community of friends. They have a vision of hosting groups for rest, rejuvenation, and creating in nature complete with yurts in the middle of the redwoods near Jenner. On the property is a barn that is being converted into a giant summer camp-style sleeping zone. They are grooming a trail down to a sacred river where no one knows its name. My husband Scott and I had the pleasure of joining them one weekend this spring. Though the nearby water was icy cold, we worked up our breath and the courage to do a cold plunge. So invigorating! We channeled our summer camp energy into dreaming and scheming what might be possible for their future retreat center.

 

Enjoying a post-cold plunge glow, and the starry night sky. Photos by Scott Bovard.

 

Yet another expander couple who found LMB Interiors through my family’s restaurant, Wood Tavern, hired us to help create a materials package for their newly built home in Upper Lake County. They are creating a landing zone for Michelin-starred chefs to host events on their truffle farm, and we can’t wait to witness how it all comes together. To follow along on their journey, check out Clos Racines where Claudia posts updates on their 10-year-long journey of planting 3,000 oak trees for their truffle babies to grow. What a process, and what an example for those of us who desire to bring our visions to life.

 

Claudia, her new home, and the pond in the works at her in-the-works truffle farm and event space Clos Racines. Photos via Instagram @clos_racines.

 

While I don’t want or need a retreat center for myself at this time, I love supporting those who are. And I do love to host retreats for fellow beauty makers, like the Divine Hustler retreat in Lake Tahoe in June.

 

Snapshots from the Divine Hustler retreat this June at a beautiful property on Carnelian Bay, Lake Tahoe. Photos by Eyecatcher.

 

If you would like our help designing your future retreat property, or just want to make your own home more retreat-like, we are here to serve! LMB Interiors is ready for more projects, and would love to support you and your families or clients to make dreams come true. Please share the link below if you know someone we can design beautiful interiors for.

Here is a link to share with your people and get started: lmbinteriors.com/contact

 

As we share about development and expansion into land surrounding the San Francisco Bay Area, I’d like to offer a gentle reminder of the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust. LMB Interiors continues to contribute annually to the Native People who thrived in these lands, and we encourage you to do the same. 

Lisjan (Ohlone) History & Territory
From sogoreate-landtrust.org: For thousands of years, hundreds of generations, the Lisjan Ohlone people have lived on the land that is now known as the East Bay in the San Francisco Bay Area… Generation after generation, we have cultivated reciprocal relationships with the plants and animals we share this place with, and developed beautiful and powerful cultural practices that keep us in balance.

Shuumi Land Tax
The Shuumi Land Tax is a voluntary annual contribution that non-Indigenous people living on the Confederated Villages of Lisjan’s territory can make to support the critical work of the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust.

Learn more and make your contribution: The Shuumi Land Tax

Written by Laura Martin Bovard.