“The designer must make soul contact with his client.” – Eva Zeisel
Winston Churchill once said that we create our dwellings and our dwellings create us.
Taking that a step further I believe we live in our environments and our environments live in us.
Architecture, like other art forms, links the practical with the imagination, as does a beautiful landscape or well-designed public space, home or garden. Our outer world becomes a reflection of our inner world, and creating beauty and harmony within, can only bring beauty and harmony with out.
The word inspire is derived from “in-spirit,” and infusing some spirit, energy and harmony in our environments certainly can’t hurt … and in fact will create a better world.
So I created “Inspired Spaces” as an online magazine with an approach to art, architecture and unique environments that spark conversation, connection, and a deeper awareness of how our surroundings can provide authenticity, well-being and beauty in our lives.
Inspired Spaces illustrates and explores a new way of seeing – and building – our world through art, architecture and conscious design.
Last summer I took a tour of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, with “James,” a charming man who used to give Katharine Hepburn personally guided tours of The Met. James was a fountain of knowledge and insight, not only about the art but also about the iconic museum itself. As the tour ended, he said something that has stayed with me, that art is not only to be viewed but also to be experienced, and has the power to change one’s consciousness. He added: “You leave The Met Museum a different person than when you entered.”
Of course, the same can be said for experiencing a stunning work of architecture, a mountaintop retreat or travel to a foreign land. The experience of a beautiful place can change us.
Frank Lloyd Wright taught his students that beauty dissolves conflicts, inspires people, and creates a sense of happiness and serenity. “Beauty,” said the famous architect, “is not unnecessary or impractical.”
Or as I like to say, “Beauty is good therapy.”
So for a little dose of beauty and inspiration, visit Inspired Spaces. And share it freely.




Sarah Susanka, an architect who created the bestselling Not So Big House series of books, believes “big” is not necessarily better, in our physical spaces or our lives, and quality is more important than quantity. In The Not So Big Life, she uses architectural metaphors and design principles that apply as much to building a life as a home, and drafts a “blueprint for a new way of living.”







