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After sharing the first part of Behomm member Hurol Inan's essay on his Substack publication Everyday Muse, we are happy to also share the second. This time he writes about his stay at the cabana of another Behomm member, Lica, in Florianópolis (home ID 12573), and reflects on something we deeply believe at Behomm: that good design is not decoration but a form of hospitality— "Beautiful spaces influence behaviour. People move more carefully. They notice more. They slow down." Happy to share with all of you his article:

With design, do we create a life that is ours?
Or do we attempt to enhance the life we already have?

Lica’s cabana made me think about this question.

At first, it is the location that captures you.

The Setting

The house sits on a gentle slope by the lake. It rests between two well-established trees — one with trunks so large that it forms a natural wall between the house and the neighbouring property.

Standing in Lica’s cabana, the question
became unavoidable:
Why do we need design in our lives?

The scenery alone is beautiful.

But then comes design.

The Pier That Extends Living

Lica built an L-shaped pier.

It is not only aesthetically pleasing — it is deeply functional.

It wraps the house.
It extends it.
It transforms the outdoors into living space.

It becomes:

A place for morning coffee.
A place for sunbathing during the day.
A place for evening drinks.
A place to watch the sky at night.

Simple chairs sit beside a small wooden table. On it, a large candle sits inside a glass jar, ready to be lit when the sun disappears.

For those who live with design, something else happens.
Design elevates experience. Beautiful spaces influence behaviour.
People move more carefully. They notice more. They slow down.

At night, the space transforms completely.

We were fortunate to have a full moon during our stay. The light from the moon and stars, reflected across the lake, felt like standing before the most precious work of art — nature itself.

The Water and the Landscape

The cabana has its own small sandy beach.

The lake water is marshy, its colours brown and green — exactly what one expects from a freshwater lake. Yet it invites you in.

It is not deep, but perfect for long, slow swims.

Few motorised boats disturb the tranquillity.

From the cabana, you see only the lake, silhouettes of trees, and beyond them, softly sloped hills. Later, we discovered — first on maps, then in person — that beyond those hills lie long stretches of sandy ocean beaches.

We were in Florianópolis, Brazil.

And remarkably, those beaches felt familiar — strikingly similar to Australian coastlines.

The Details That Shape Experience

Back inside, the cabana reveals itself through details.

Every object reminds you that life contains beauty worth noticing.

Objects came from everywhere — Thailand, Spain, South America — creating an international conversation through design. The house could sit almost anywhere in the world because of its global sensibility.

And yet, tropical flowers anchor it firmly in Brazil.

Large green leaves frame sculptural flowers in vivid reds and oranges. Some shaped like cones, others elongated with spikes. Some delicate, others thick and textured.

Candles appear everywhere — inside and outside — protected in glass lanterns.

Books rest throughout the house.

English. Spanish. Portuguese.

Most of them about beauty, food, travel, and living well.

Design here is not decorative.

It is intentional.

Sharing and design are deeply connected. When we share
a home, we share a space shaped by design. When that space
is beautiful, respect increases. Attention sharpens.

Why Design Matters

Standing in Lica’s cabana, the question became unavoidable:

Why do we need design in our lives?

For the creator, design is an act of expression. Something is imagined, shaped, and brought into existence. The process itself creates satisfaction.

For those who live with design, something else happens.

Design elevates experience.

Beautiful spaces influence behaviour. People move more carefully. They notice more. They slow down.

Attention increases.

And attention changes experience.

Life feels richer because it becomes more observed.

The Link Between Sharing and Design

Sharing and design are deeply connected.

When we share a home, we share a space shaped by design. When that space is beautiful, respect increases. Attention sharpens.

Beauty invites care.

Care sustains trust.

And trust strengthens relationships.

That is why Lica spoke about sharing her cabana only with people who appreciate its spirit.

Not just guests.
Custodians.

A dream house is not only one we love living in — but one we trust others to care for. And good design is not only about beauty — but about shaping how we live, notice, and relate to one another.

If you missed the first part of this story — about trust, vulnerability, and sharing homes — you can read it here.