Hues of Blue

From the grey timber exterior to the walls painted in shades of ocean blue, this is a home where colour is used to create a certain atmosphere. Step through the front door and you can't help but feel calmer than you did just moments before. The house plant collection contributes to this zen feeling, as does the copious amounts of natural light coming in through the large living room window, which dances pleasingly off the wooden floor. The peaceful ambience is in keeping with the Long Beach location, which is a lot more laid-back than neighbouring Los Angeles. Here, you can get to the eponymous beach in twenty-five minutes, but Downtown LA is only forty-five minutes away in the car if you want to up the ante at any point.