You’ve done it. 
You’ve made the move that so many dream of — leaving behind the grey skies, the routine, the overpacked calendar, and stepping into something entirely new.
Sun on your skin. Sea breeze in the morning. A lifestyle you promised yourself one day you'd claim.
But here's what nobody talks about:
Even when it’s the right move — it can feel disorienting.
Not just the bureaucracy or the language.
But your space.
Your surroundings.
Your sense of home.
The Space Looks Fine — But You Still Don’t Feel Settled
You unpack your things.
You hang the art you brought from your old home.
You set up your reading corner, your kitchen rituals, your daily flow.
And still — something feels off.
Maybe the space echoes.
Maybe the colors feel heavy.
Maybe the light hits differently and makes things you once loved feel out of place.
You walk from room to room and feel a strange sense of distance. As if your life has arrived — but you haven’t yet.
This is far more common than most women admit.
Because a home isn’t just built with furniture and paint.
It’s built with understanding.
With intention.
With orientation — to place, to pace, and to self.
Why Your Old Aesthetic Might Not Work Anymore
Back in the north — where the skies were dimmer and the pace more controlled — you might have naturally leaned into warmth, depth, layers, and coziness.
Thicker textures. Comforting clutter. Heavier hues. Rugs and throws and ambient lights to soften the dark.
But here, on the coast?
It’s a different language.
The sunlight is sharper.
The rhythms are looser. 
Your nervous system begins to downshift — or tries to — even as your habits still run on northern time.
Your home may be beautiful, but not yet aligned with the life you’re building now.
Let the Space Catch Up with You
It’s about reading and listening to your space — like a story that wants to be rewritten.
What is your space trying to tell you?
What story does it still hold from the past?
And what new kind of ease, clarity, and beauty is asking to come through?
What Coastal Living Asks of You
Here’s what I’ve learned after years of working with women in transition — especially those who’ve made this life-changing move to Spain, Italy, Portugal, or France:
✧ Coastal living invites flow — not control.
Leave behind the tightly managed rooms. Here, light wants to move, air wants to circulate, and rooms want to connect. Open layouts, multi-use spaces, and visual breathing room help you feel more relaxed and receptive.
✧ You need to learn to decorate for sunlight, not against it.
Northern decor often works against the dark: it’s built to feel warm and dense. But on the coast, you need to filter and reflect light, not block it. That means:
– Sheer curtains, not heavy blinds
– Sun washed tones over saturated ones
– Stone, linen, rattan, bamboo, teak — materials that breathe with the day
✧ Your nervous system needs a soft landing.
You’ve moved countries. Shifted routines. Maybe left behind family, friends, or an old identity. Your home should be a place that holds that process — gently.
It doesn’t need to be perfect.
But it does need to support you.
Let’s Make This New Life Feel Real 
If you’re feeling a little in-between home right now — physically here, but not quite settled — you’re not alone.
Having relocated so many times myself, I know how to make changes to embrace the new lifestyle/setting. Don't hold on to all of your past decoration. Reinvent yourself and merge your style with your new life!
You can reach me via email: contact@vivahabitat or visit my website: www.vivahabitat.com
Based in the Greater Malaga Area I also offer in-person sessions across the Costa del Sol or join me for a virtual 1:1 90 min. Styling session.
Let’s make this move feel like a beginning — not a pause.
Here’s a free checklist I’ve put together that might already help
5 Subtle Design Shifts
To Feel More at Home in the Sun
A gentle guide for women starting fresh in a new landscape — where the light is brighter, the days longer, and your space is ready to meet this version of you.
1. Let the Light Guide You
Sunlight here is strong and ever-changing. Instead of resisting it with heavy curtains or dark colors, allow it to be a design partner.
→ Tip: Use sheer linens, light-filtering blinds, or open shelving to let natural light move freely and soften your space.
2. Choose a Coastal Color Shift
Colors behave differently in this kind of light. What felt cozy up north may now feel heavy or dull.
→ Tip: Experiment with chalky whites, sun washed neutrals, soft earth tones, and oceanic blues — tones that reflect the landscape outside your window.
3. Rethink Texture & Weight
In cooler climates, we use thicker fabrics, dense wood, and layered textures. But heat and sun ask for breathability.
→ Tip: Swap heavy upholstery for linen or cotton. Use lighter finishes, woven textures, and pieces that let air — and energy — flow.
4. Make Room for Pause
A slower rhythm is part of life here — siestas, late dinners, long conversations. Your home should support that.
→ Tip: Create simple seating areas near windows or balconies. A reading chair, a morning coffee nook — somewhere to just be.
5. Let Go of What Belongs Elsewhere
You may have brought furniture, art, or accessories that don’t feel quite right anymore — and that’s okay.
→ Tip: Gently ask each item: “Does this still belong in my life now?” Surround yourself with what supports who you’re becoming, not just where you’ve been.
A Final Note
Settling in takes time — and often, it starts with your space.
This isn’t about redecorating. It’s about realigning.
Start small. Stay curious. You’ll feel the difference.
Designed by Monika Griffith - Viva Habitat — Furniture & Interior Design Services
Thoughtful interiors for life in the light.