The Beauty of a Slower Pace
Summer has a way of shifting our rhythm.
The days stretch a little longer, schedules soften, and we find more reasons to step outside, explore, and look around. Even a small change of pace can create space to notice the details that are often overlooked in the rush of everyday life.
This summer, I had the opportunity to travel to two very different places. In June, I attended the 2026 Design Leadership Network Summit in Ojai, California. In July, I traveled to Portugal with my family.
One trip was centered on design, leadership, and connection. The other was simply about being together, experiencing somewhere new, and enjoying time away. Both offered a welcome reminder that inspiration is everywhere, especially when we give ourselves the time to see it.
A Change of Scenery
There is something wonderfully refreshing about leaving behind the familiar.
A new landscape, a different style of architecture, or even a slower daily routine can shift the way we observe the world around us. We begin to notice how light moves across a room, the way a garden frames an entry, or how materials become more beautiful with time.
Designers are naturally curious, but it can be difficult to remain fully present when the days are filled with meetings, decisions, and deadlines. Travel gives us permission to pause and experience a place without immediately needing to respond to it.
Sometimes, the most inspiring moments are also the simplest: a beautifully set table, an unexpected color combination, an old doorway, or a quiet view at the end of the day.
Gathering in Ojai
The Design Leadership Network Summit brought designers and industry leaders together in Ojai for several days of conversation, learning, and connection.
The experience was energizing, but the setting also encouraged everyone to slow down. Ojai’s natural beauty and relaxed atmosphere created space for thoughtful discussions, shared ideas, and the kinds of informal exchanges that often stay with you long after an event ends.
Professional gatherings are valuable because they allow us to step outside our own studios and hear how others are approaching creativity, leadership, and the changing design landscape.
There is always something to learn from seeing a familiar topic through someone else’s perspective. I returned home with new ideas, meaningful conversations to reflect on, and a renewed appreciation for the design community.
Wandering Through Portugal
Portugal offered inspiration of a different kind.
Traveling with my family allowed us to explore without rushing from one place to the next. There was time to wander, linger over meals, and enjoy the beauty of our surroundings.
I was especially drawn to the country’s sense of history and the way old and new live comfortably together. Weathered stone, patterned tile, warm wood, soft colors, and layers of architecture gave every place its own character.
What stays with me most from travel is rarely one specific room or building. It is usually a feeling, a color, a material, or a detail that quietly becomes part of the way I think about design.
A photograph of an exterior wall might later influence a paint palette. A beautifully aged floor could inspire a material selection. A restaurant filled with candlelight might remind us how atmosphere can completely change the experience of a room.
These connections are rarely literal, but they often become the starting point for something new.
Making Room for Inspiration
Creative work requires energy, curiosity, and attention.
When life becomes too busy, it is easy to move quickly from one decision to the next without giving ourselves time to absorb what is happening around us. Stepping away helps restore that sense of openness.
Rest is not separate from the creative process. It is part of it.
A little distance allows ideas to settle, new connections to form, and familiar challenges to be viewed differently. We often return to our work with more clarity and a greater willingness to explore.
For our clients, that renewed perspective may appear in a fresh color story, a more unexpected mix of materials, or an idea that makes a home feel more personal. The influence of travel is not about recreating a destination. It is about bringing back the spirit of discovery.
An Invitation to Notice More
As summer continues, I hope we can all find small ways to move at a different pace.
Take the scenic route. Stay at the table a little longer. Look up at the architecture. Notice the gardens, the light, and the details that make a place memorable.
Inspiration does not always arrive as a grand idea. More often, it begins with something that catches our attention and makes us pause.
My time in Ojai and Portugal was a welcome opportunity to recharge, reconnect, and return to the studio feeling refreshed. It reminded me that when we create more space in our days, we often discover that beauty has been there all along.
We simply needed to slow down enough to notice it.
- – Glenna