Modern Hotels: Austin, Texas

Austin has an international reputation for its rich and vibrant culture. With hundreds of live music venues, thousands of restaurants, and endless adventure destinations in the outdoors, you will never have a day in Austin without excitement and activity!

Ranked as one of the fittest cities in the United States, and with 300+ days of sunshine and an average temperature of 68 degrees, being active in Austin comes naturally. Austin offers an abundance of outdoor activities from cycling, stand-up paddle boarding, hiking, yoga, kayaking, rock climbing, and more!

Austin is known for its creativity and freedom of expression. Home some world-class museums like the Blanton, with the nation’s largest University-owned collection on exhibit, Austin attracts an international appetite for the arts. Austin is a place to explore the work of designers, painters, sculptors, writers, photographers, filmmakers, dancers and musicians, year round, in a variety of venues.

Modern design and decor are now a part of the aesthetic culture in Austin, and there are an array of cafes, restaurants, hotels, and bars so beautiful, that they are a place to see, and be seen. If you have an eye for unique architecture and interior design, you will enjoy these eclectically modern hotels!

The South Congress Hotel

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The Austin Motel

Photograph Courtesy of Urdesign Mag

Photograph Courtesy of Dezeen

Photograph Courtesy of Urdesign Mag

Photograph Courtesy of Dezeen

Photograph Courtesy of Dezeen

Photograph Courtesy of Dezeen

Photograph Courtesy of Dezeen

Photograph Courtesy of Dezeen

Hotel Van Zandt

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Geraldine's Dining Hall — Geraldine’s Dining Hall

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Geraldine's Restaurant — Geraldine’s Restaurant

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Native Hostel, Bar & Kitchen

Photograph Courtesy of Dwell

Photograph Courtesy of Urdesign Mag

Photograph Courtesy of Urdesign Mag

Photograph Courtesy of Urdesign Mag

Photograph Courtesy of Urdesign Mag

Photograph Courtesy of Urdesign Mag

Photograph Courtesy of Urdesign Mag

Photograph Courtesy of Urdesign Mag

Photograph Courtesy of Urdesign Mag

Hotel Saint Cecilia

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The W Austin

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"Whatever, Whenever" — “Whatever, Whenever”

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"Extreme Wow Bathroom" — “Extreme Wow Bathroom”

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"Cool Corner Bedroom" — “Cool Corner Bedroom”

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Take a peek at a little more info on Austin as one of our top Wanderlust Destinations,

Color Therapy Create A Sanctuary

Luminous White Rooms

There is something ethereal and elegant about surfaces bathed in white.

The pure and clean essence of white gently washes over us with grace and sophistication. We are reminded of far off islands like Santorini, Sardinia, or Mykonos, where one can walk on white pathways under bright white cupolas. One will feel as if they are spending their days in a spa, with a calming and serene sensations transmitted by the interior elements of their own home.

White allows your living space to be a blank canvas to feature accents of artwork, plant life, or colorful woven textiles. A room with a bright and neutral color palette can make a smaller space appear much larger and create a mood of openness. Windowless rooms can become seemingly airy instead of stifling. A palette of whites will make a space seem naturally cleaner and tidier, so even an unmade bed can appear intentional. With white, you can fluidly feature other patterns, textures, and colors without the risk of making the area appear cluttered.

Stroll through these lavish white interiors, and take a deep breath of the lively freshness that they invoke.

Photograph courtesy of Style Caster

Photograph courtesy of Home DIT

Photograph courtesy of Homey Oh My

Photograph courtesy of The Home Scene

Photograph courtesy of Domain

Photograph courtesy of Architecture Art Designs

Photograph courtesy of Alabaster Trader

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of Loom Brand

Photograph courtesy of Decoholic

Photograph courtesy of One Kind Design

Photograph courtesy of Scandinavian Home Designs

Photograph courtesy of Decoholic

Photograph courtesy of Feed Puzzle

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of Blog Lovin

See how these Scandinavian Homes utilize bright white palettes for more modern home decor inspiration!

Bring Nature Inside Create A Sanctuary Crystals Natural Healing

Healing Stones for Your Modern Home

For thousands of years in folklore and traditional medicine, stones have been used for healing, protection, and stimulating or moving energies.

All crystals and gemstones are living organisms, and contain a life energy of their own. They are evolving entities, growing in clusters that can take thousands of years to fully mature. Each stone vibrates at its own individual frequency, and each unique vibration that they emit are said to affect us in a vast array of ways.

Many crystals and gemstones are as old as our planet itself, and some even originate from unknown sources in our cosmos, such as moldavite, which was found inside and partially formed within the crater of a meteor that struck in Southern Germany about 15 million years ago.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the use of stones provides the most profound and permanent effects to treat the most difficult of diseases. Ancient healers contend that the density and solidity of stones represents a stabilizing effect. Wearing specifically prescribed stones near your body over a length of time is said to promote the healing of a chronic health condition, or promote evolutionary changes and development. Stones can be used in combination for a synergistic effect, just as the process of combining herbs when formulating an an elixir or tonic. Preparing stones through cleansing, clearing, and recharging is imperative. One can purify stones and crystals by submersion in salt water, smudging with Palo Santo or Sage, and soaking beneath sunlight and moonlight.

Obsidian

Protection + Grounding + Peace + Severing Negative Emotional Bonds

Originally discovered in Ethiopia, obsidian is a dark volcanic glass formed by the rapid solidification of lava without crystallization. It has been used for thousands of years for ritual ceremonies, pottery, and weapons. Place Obsidian near your entryway in a planter or on a table or altar to ward off anything negative from entering your home. “Wash” yourself on every length of your limbs and up and down your energy centers while concentrating on affirmations to free yourself of emotional attachments that are no longer serving you. Hold the obsidian near your heart center during breathwork and meditation to create an energy of grounded stability and peace.

Rose Quartz

Manifesting Love + Compassion + Tranquility + Balance

Rose quartz is most commonly found in Brazil, India, South Africa, and Madagascar. It has a blush tint due to its contents of titanium, iron, manganese and an aluminum boro-silicate called dumortierite. Traditionally, it is said to dissolve emotional wounds, fears, and resentments, promoting loving energy to circulate throughout your body and essence. Rose quartz can induce receptivity to beauty of all kinds, attracting love and restoring trust and harmony in existing relationships. Place rose quartz in the Southwest corner of your bedroom to attract abundance of love and balance existing relationships. Wear a rose quartz pendant in level with your heart energy center to create a flow of peaceful, loving energy in your life.

Citrine

Spiritual Rejuvenation + Manifesting Prosperity & Abundance + Dispelling Negativity

Citrine is formed when amethyst undergoes extreme heat exposure. Rio Grande do Sol in Brazil is the world’s largest supplier of natural citrine, but other mines can be found in the USA, Russia, Madagascar, England, France, Scotland, Spain, Brazil, and South Africa. Citrine will aid in increasing confidence, therefore making it a fluid path to manifesting wealth and abundance of all things. Set an intention of that which you wish to manifest, and hold a citrine near your solar plexus energy center. Place a genuine citrine in the Southeast corner of your living room and office, preferably both on a wooden surface and near a water fixture like a fountain or water vessel.

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What stones do you use in your home or wear as jewelry?

Create A Sanctuary Enlightened Decor

The Best Cutting Boards of 2018

Equal to the importance of a quality set of knives, a cutting board is key to preparing food with fluidity while protecting your counters.

jFrom mincing vegetables to carving a large cut of meat, you will need to be equipped with various sizes and shapes to meet your culinary needs.

While wood and bamboo are more aesthetically appealing, plastic can be cleaned in a dishwasher, making it easier to keep sanitary. Wood and bamboo can be washed in the sink, but another tip for cleaning is to bathe them in salt and oil, allowing them time to marinate to decontaminate.

Here are some of our top picks for cutting boards this year, you can click the link to shop below each photo!

Bamboo

Bamboo has a non-porous surface, so they won’t absorb any juices from your raw meat and poultry, and will resist staining from brightly colored vegetables and fruits like tomatoes, beets, and carrots. The surface is delicate and smooth, preventing knives from dulling too quickly.

Shop Bamboo Kauai Cutting Board

Shop Totally Bamboo Set of 3 Cutting and Serving Boards

Wood

A large majority of wood cutting boards are made from waste wood, such as leftovers from a mill that would have been otherwise thrown away. Strong and durable, and generally a renewable source, wood cutting boards are both beautiful and more eco-friendly than plastic. A heavy softwood board is much kinder to knives, and will keep them sharper longer.

Teak

Both exquisite and stylish, teak is an excellent pick for both exotic aesthetic, and functionality. The grooves around the edge of this board that will catch any juices from produce and meat make it an excellent choice for a clean prep space.

Shop Madeira Teak Carving Board

Maple

Maple is a hearty and has a stunning tint. It’s surface is also incredibly self-healing, and won’t scar as commonly as a plastic board.

Shop Williams Sonoma

Hybrid

This Epicurean board is lightweight, easy to store, and dishwasher-safe. The composite board is made up of wood fibers and resins pressed together under extreme pressure. Its impermeable surface doesn’t absorb liquid, and it resists all colorful juice stains admirably. Additionally, it does not warp at all in the dishwasher, and barely scratches during use.

Shop Epicurean Hybrid Board

What is your favorite surface to prep your food on? Where have you found your favorite cutting boards? Send us links below!

Create A Sanctuary Crystals

Ancient Soapstone Accents for a Modern Home

Soapstone, or steatite, is a metamorphic rock formed millions of years ago, forged from the subduction zones of the Earth where the tectonic plates converge in layers. Just like granite and and marble, soapstone is quarried from the ground in blocks. However, unlike the other two stones, soapstone is impermeable and non-porous, so it is in fact completely stain-resistant and immune to absorption of bacteria and other elements. Its inert material makes it impervious to chemicals, acids, and heat, thus making it an ideal matter to utilize for kitchen countertops or cutting boards, or scientific laboratories. Soapstone is also quite forgiving under stress in comparison to granite and marble, and will more likely dent rather than chipping or cracking. It’s ancient durability has proved to last even longer than steel, cast iron, or refractory bricks!

Take a look inside these modern homes, and how they utilize soapstone various surfaces and household items.

Photograph courtesy of Desire to Inspire

Photograph courtesy of Home Bunch

Photograph courtesy of C-Ville

Photograph courtesy of J Birdny

Photograph courtesy of BHG

Shop Uncommon Goods

Shop Lost and Found

Photograph courtesy of BHG

Photograph courtesy of Marie Flanigan Interiors

Photograph courtesy of Mira Sol Soapstone

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of My Domaine

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

What other items have you found made of soapstone? Submit links to your favorite products!

Color Therapy Create A Sanctuary

Dark Rooms Have Returned

There is something intensely hypnotic about dramatic deep shades, an allure that reminds us of the veil of midnight, or the vastness of the cosmos.

With darkness comes stillness and quietude, and the deepest realms of serenity may capture us. The hues of night do not have to remind of of shadow, but instead of the comfort and wonder of the dream world.

Walk with us through the dreamy depths of dark pigments in these modern homes!

Photograph courtesy of S. Joy Studios

Photograph courtesy of My Domaine

Photograph courtesy of Jungalow

Photograph courtesy of Architectural Diges

Photograph courtesy of Ann Lowengart

Photograph courtesy of Max Zethof

Photograph courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Photograph courtesy of Debi Treloar

Photograph courtesy of S. Joy Studios

Photograph courtesy of Residence Style

Feeling inspired? Visit these Modern Industrial Lofts to gain insight for transforming your space into an extraordinary vision!

Create A Sanctuary Enlightened Decor

Tile Floors We Adore

Ceramic tiles are one of the earliest forms of decorative art, and have long adorned the halls of homes and structures across the world.

Widespread and renowned for their durability and aesthetic richness, we see cultures in every continent covering their floors and walls with intricate ceramic designs and patterns. The earliest recorded history of ceramic tiles dates back to 13th century BC at the Elamite Temple at Chongha Zanbil in Iran. The ancient Egyptians used deep cobalt tiles to cover their homes, and in Mesopotamia the Ishtar door of Babylon is ornately illustrated with a mosaic of lions and dragons.

Tile floors are excellent for keeping a space clean and cool, as well as creating clear, resonant acoustics. From modern stone tiles to intricate artistic mosaics, covering floors and walls in tiles creates timeless charm in your home. Take a stroll across these beautiful surfaces with us!

Modern Monochrome

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of Make Do and DIY

Photograph courtesy of Tazi Designs

Photograph courtesy of One Kings Lane

Photograph courtesy of Blog Lovin

Photograph courtesy of One Kings Lane

Photograph courtesy of One Kings Lane

Photograph courtesy of One Kings Lane

Photograph courtesy of Cutting Edge Stencils

Wolds of Color

Photograph courtesy of Cutting Edge Stencils

Photograph courtesy of Ebay

Photograph courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of Attic Mag

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of Mexican Tile Designs

Photograph courtesy of House Beautiful

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of Blog Lovin

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of Apartment Therapy

The floor of the Piccolomini Library in Siena's Duomo, Tuscany — The floor of the Piccolomini Library in Siena’s Duomo, Tuscany

Photograph courtesy of Flickr

Mosaic Marvels

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Mosaic Floor inside Boutique Fouquet in Paris, designed by Alphonse Mucha

Photograph courtesy of Untapped Cities

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of The Muslim Tourist

Tile Hibiscus, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Photograph courtesy of Websta

Ornate Florals, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Photograph courtesy of The Muslim Tourist

Photograph courtesy of New Ravenna

Photograph courtesy of Mulpix

Photograph courtesy of Parisian Floors

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of Parisian Floors

Photograph courtesy of Fire Clay Tiles

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of Parisian Floors

Photograph courtesy of Parisian Floors

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of Pintrest

Photograph courtesy of Indulgy

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

: Secret Stairway Mosaic in San Francisco

Photograph courtesy of My Modern Met

Photograph courtesy of Trendir

Photograph courtesy of Trendir

The Lotus Flower, and Ancient Egyptian Symbol of Rebirth

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of Cultural Sponge

Stunning Labyrinthine Design, Wade Chapel

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Check out some of our favorite Romantic Destinations, where your sure to see gorgeous tile work, art, architecture, and design!

Create A Sanctuary Enlightened Decor

Central African Style

Africa, the land of the origins of humanity.

With exotic and profoundly beautiful landscapes, rich culture, and a wild kingdom of flora and fauna, the mystique of Africa and its traditional decor have captured the eyes and hearts of millions across the world.

The saturated color palettes, earthy and hypnotic patters and textures, and infusion of natural elements is what gives African style interiors their allure.

Africa is the largest continent on Earth, with fifty-four countries, and the second largest continental population in the world. We are only beginning to scrape the surface of the vast array of traditional styles from each culture and tribe, but have a taste of these selections with origins primarily from Central and East African regions.

Photograph courtesy of Baobab Interiors

Photograph courtesy of My Bohemian House

Photograph courtesy of Loom Brand

Photograph courtesy of Carlay Page

Photograph courtesy of Loom Brand

Photograph courtesy of Loom Brand

Photograph courtesy of African Beyond

Photograph courtesy of Loom Brand

Photograph courtesy of The Culture Trip

Photograph courtesy of Jungalow

Photograph courtesy of Loom Brand

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of Canal Mataro

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of Delia’s Photos

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Drum Side Table + Jungle Plants + Pattern and Textures

Photograph courtesy of Loom Brand

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of Loom Brand

Photograph courtesy of Abode

Photograph courtesy of Tina Motta

Photograph courtesy of Loom Brand

Photograph courtesy of Loom Brand

Photograph courtesy of Baobab Interiors

Photograph courtesy of Loom Brand

Photograph courtesy of Loom Brand

Photograph courtesy of Decoist

Photograph courtesy of Loom Brand

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Take a peek at some lovely selections from Africa’s European neighbor in these Countryside Chic French Homes!

Create A Sanctuary Enlightened Decor

Hamptons Style for Serene Home Decor

Breezy coastlines with ivory sands and endless cerulean horizons, the historic East End of Long Island has long been both a prominent seaside resort and summertime colony. Originally an area devoted to agriculture and fishing, the Hamptons have grown into an areas with residential real estate prices ranking amongst the highest in the nation.

In the Hamptons we see a widespread seaside style, with a predominantly luminous array of whites, and soft costal shades. The isle emphasizes minimalism with a sophisticated and airy essence, often with accents of linen, wicker and jute, timber floorboards, and a neutral color palette of home decor. We see a prominence of natural elements and textures,, inducing a warming and comfortable mood. Decorate your surfaces with driftwood and adorn your shelves in coral. The key is openness, lightness, and subtlety.

Coastal Elements

Photograph courtesy of Tailored Space

Shop Bunglo

Photograph courtesy of Home Beautiful

Shop Bunglo

Photograph courtesy of Elle Decor

Photograph courtesy of Adore Magazine

Photograph courtesy of The Nautical Wheeler

Photograph courtesy of The Nautical Wheeler

Photograph courtesy of The Nautical Wheeler

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Shop Bunglo

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Photograph courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar

Shop Bunglo

Photograph courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar

Shop Bunglo

Photograph courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar

Photograph courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar

Photograph courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar

Shop Bunglo

Photograph courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar

Shop Bunglo

Hamptons Modern Twist

Photographs courtesy of 6sqft

Enjoy our selections from other dreamy Oceanside Escapes for modern costal lifestyle inspiration!

Aesthetic Create A Sanctuary

Scandinavian Simplicity For Your Modern Home

Sleek lines, understated elegance, and warm functionality are the key elements in Scandinavian design and architecture. Utilizing natural light and neutral color palettes gives a warming essence to illuminate interiors in even the coldest climates.

In a region where winters are long, and daylight can be scarce, we often see a luminous glow of bright whites in Scandinavian homes. It is common for it to be a bit darker and less spacious in Nordic countries, so their design and architecture have a tendency to create environments aiming to be airy, cozy, and maximize the number of windows and skylights in each space. Adding accents like house plants, furs, area rugs, and plentiful pillows and blankets gives modern Scandinavian homes a warmly inviting appeal.

We adore our selections from these elegant modern homes, notice the hints of color that bring out the bright whites and give such a sense of openness!