How It All Began: The Story of Phoenix and the Ocean
Oh hey — I’m Traci, creative designer, photographer, and the heart behind Phoenix and the Ocean. Originally from Canada, I followed love across the world and built a life by the sea here in Australia. What started as a deeply personal journey during early motherhood has evolved into something far greater; a creative brand, a lifestyle, and a daily pursuit of the kind of big, beautiful life I’ve always dreamed of.
Motherhood was the spark that lit it all. In those quiet, tender moments of early days with my boys, creativity became my anchor. It was the thing I turned to between nap times, when the house was still, to keep a sense of me alive. I began making handmade décor at my kitchen table, sharing snippets of our coastal lifestyle online, never imagining how far it would grow. It was in those years that I discovered how powerful it is to create - not just spaces, but a life you love.
Life, of course, has many chapters. Alongside motherhood came self-discovery, heartbreak, and healing. After my marriage ended, I found myself in a season of rebuilding. Not only physically, but emotionally and creatively. I poured my heart into transforming our family home into a dreamy, Pinterest-viral coastal backyard, filled with palms, light, and everything that made me feel alive. When it came time to sell that home, it marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one and a reminder that letting go can make space for even bigger dreams.
Through it all, creativity has been my constant. Styling, photographing, designing is how I’ve navigated life’s biggest transitions and kept my vision clear. Phoenix and the Ocean grew from those humble beginnings into a brand that celebrates the coastal lifestyle I love: sun-drenched spaces, palm trees swaying in the breeze, and a daily connection to the ocean that inspires everything I create.
My dream has always been to build a life surrounded by beauty, freedom, and inspiration and to raise my boys with the belief that no dream is too big. From moving across the world, to starting a business from scratch, to rebuilding my life on my own terms - this is our story. And this blog is where I’ll continue to share the journey: design, interiors, creativity, and the coastal lifestyle that continues to shape us.
Welcome to the next chapter. 🌴✨
