Opening the Doors to Sanctuary
For the past couple of months, renovations have been underway at our new Naples property. While there is still much work to be done, we have reached an exciting milestone: opening the space to our team members and their loved ones for an evening of friendship, food and community.
On the surface, it was a simple Friday night BBQ. There was food to cook, flowers to arrange, and plenty of last-minute details to coordinate. But as guests began to arrive and fill the space with conversation and laughter, I found myself reflecting on something much deeper: the true purpose of sanctuary.
I often talk about sanctuary as creating spaces that nurture wellbeing and inspire peace within, and this is at the heart of everything we do. It informs the homes we design, the products we create, the ideas we share, and the experiences we hope to cultivate. Yet sanctuary was never meant to be something we kept to ourselves.
Wait, what?
I write so much about having that ultimately personal and intimate space where we can truly decompress and yes, that is one of the reasons we create and use sanctuary. But it can also bring us together. It can be a space that we share with others when the time is right.
My team understands this well. Every day, they help bring sanctuary to life through our work. They have witnessed firsthand the impact that thoughtfully designed spaces can have on the people who inhabit them. But during our gathering, I had the opportunity to experience sanctuary through fresh eyes: THEIR eyes.
I watched spouses, partners, children, family members, and friends explore the property for the first time. I saw them run their hands across natural materials, wander through the trees, pause to admire the landscape, and settle into conversations effortlessly. There was a sense of ease in the air: a feeling that people could simply be themselves.
What moved me most was not any particular design detail, but the way the space encouraged people to come together. Conversations lingered longer. New friendships were formed. Phones were tucked into pockets and people connected with each other.
In a world that often feels rushed and increasingly disconnected, creating a place where people can gather in meaningful ways feels more important than ever.
That has always been my vision for this property. While it will certainly serve as our design studio, I have also imagined it as a place where sanctuary can be experienced, explored, and shared with others. A place where conversations happen, ideas are exchanged, creativity flourishes, and community grows. A place that reminds us that peace is not something we find alone, but is something we cultivate together.
As I looked around that evening of our team BBQ, I realized that the renovations are about much more than updating a building. We are creating a home for our mission. A living expression of what sanctuary means and what it can do. The buildings, gardens, and gathering spaces are simply the backdrop. The true transformation happens when people come together within that space.
This new journey for sanctuary is only beginning, and we look forward to sharing more of it with you in the months ahead. We cannot wait to welcome more people into this space and discover together how sanctuary can inspire deeper connection, stronger community, and a more meaningful way of living.
I am so glad you are on this journey with me! Thank you for sharing your time as you read and for responding when you can. It fills me with such a sense of love and purpose.
With love and gratitude,
Lisa