I’m so excited to share a creative side project I’ve been working on for the past year — a little hobby that turned into something I hope you’ll enjoy.
Introducing If I Lived in a Cottage By the Sea, my new digital Dreambook, and the story behind how it came to be.
Years ago, the If I Lived Here series on The Inspired Room connected a community of kindred spirits. I’m a dreamer and a homebody — and so are many of you.
We bonded over our love of charming homes, cozy corners, and dreamy settings, imagining life in a little coastal cottage or a peaceful seaside retreat.
For us, dreaming wasn’t about escaping reality. It was a way to discover what we truly love and to bring more of that feeling into our everyday lives. Instead of staying stuck on an ideal, we gathered inspiration and found practical, creative ways to capture the essence of those dreamy spaces — right where we live.
Although I no longer only dream of a cottage by the sea (my dream came true!), I still enjoy imagining them. Some passions stick with you no matter what — like someone who loves golf even if they only play mini-golf!
About a year ago I began experimenting with an AI design tool as part of a creative series for our HomeBody community. The goal was to help people visualize ideas for their homes. It was playful and challenging — AI has its quirks — but I kept learning, and before long I realized how much I loved dreaming up cottages by the sea. What started as a pastime became an inspiring hobby I enjoyed from the comfort of my couch.
I wanted to share these seaside visions with others who appreciate quaint, cozy, character-filled homes.
That’s how the Dreambook was born. Using AI design tools, I created charming spaces paired with “If I Lived Here” vignettes — little imaginative escapes filled with the details I pictured in a seaside cottage.
Romanticize Your Life & Home
If I Lived in a Cottage By the Sea is designed as a gentle escape — a little daydream you can revisit whenever you like. If you’re a dreamer, that imagination can be more than fantasy: it can guide how you bring a feeling into your real home, regardless of your location.
None of the Dreambook cottages are real homes — they were created with AI tools to inspire dreaming and creativity. I love that some images may feel quirky or imperfect — those qualities are part of their charm. Even a fanciful or over-the-top idea can spark practical inspiration for your own space.
As I’ve written in Love the Home You Have and A Lovely Life, building a lovely home isn’t about perfection. It’s about intention, contentment, and finding joy in romanticizing the life and home you already have.
Through the HomeBody Gathering Place courses and The Inspired Room blog, I encourage people to notice what moves them and to find simple, creative ways to capture that feeling at home.
My hope is that this Dreambook will spark your creativity, fuel your imagination, and gently remind you to make life lovely right where you are.
If you’ve ever dreamed of a cottage by the sea — whether you live in one or simply want to recreate the coastal feeling — you’re a kindred spirit. I hope you enjoy this Dreambook as much as I enjoyed creating it for you.