outdoor living

Outdoor living is a temporary series on the blog that contains stylish outdoor living areas and sometimes al fresco table settings. It's about celebrating the season of summer!

Today I wanted to take you somewhere exotic and after going through my files I picked this oceanfront retreat in Lamu, an island off Kenya. After all, Kenya is my dream destination. The house owner is Kay Osterweis, who collaborated with architectural designer Claudio Modola to make her dream come true, but he has a house across the channel on the neighbouring island of Manda. The living area above takes my breath away. It's both an indoor and outdoor space that overlooks the Indian Ocean. The balcony below is off one of the guest rooms and offers a view of Manda.

Eleven years after her first, brief visit, Kay ... has settled into the rhythms of life on Lamu, yet she still expresses a sense of disbelief: “It is almost like a figment of my imagination. It is a surprise every time I walk up the steps. It is the place I go to for restoration, healing, reading, being close to nature. It is my piece of heaven." (from the A.D. article)

I had to include the master bedroom. Imagine waking up and walking out onto that terrace!