THE ZEN ZONE RELAX AND RENEW IN YOUR OWN PERSONAL SPACE.

Byline: Vicki Smith Paluch Correspondent

You don't have to be railroad baron Henry L. Huntington to create your own Zen garden or meditation room. People of all income levels are carving their own personal sanctuaries from the unlikeliest of places: a home office, hallway nook, even a quiet corner of the back yard.

``Now, more than ever, we all need a haven to come home to,'' said Suzanne Bank, a Los Angeles designer and feng shui consultant. ``As you enter your private space or sanctuary, having the feeling of being greeted with a big hug will do wonders for your well-being.''

Part of the post-Sept. 11 yearning for creature comforts, personal sanctuaries first took hold in the master bath. Transformed into an adult oasis, the bathroom was resplendent in luxurious towels, fragrant candles and oils, and elegant furnishings. Next came the master bedroom. By hiding our televisions and computers in fancy armoires, it became a retreat from the outside world. Today the personal sanctuary is taking one giant step away from stress-reduction and toward calming the spirit.

``More and more, people want to create a space in the home where they can find tranquillity and get away from their fast, microwave pace,'' said Christine Santana, a South Pasadena designer who is president of the Pasadena branch of the American Society of Interior Designers. ``It's a place where you can do yoga, meditate and be away from the kids and other distractions.''

Debbie Zimmer, architectural and functional coatings consultant with Rohm and Haas Co.'s Paint Quality Institute, views personal sanctuaries as a reversal of the trend that celebrated cavernous interior home spaces.

``The changing face of homes is moving away from the big spaces - the great room and large, country kitchens,'' Zimmer says. ``People are saying: Maybe I need a wall.''

Some designers are helping clients establish walls of privacy in designated areas of the home or garden. Others are transforming the entire house into a sanctuary.

``The focal point of an interior sanctuary might be a fireplace, an armoire, a grouping of furniture, an altar or a piece of art,'' said Bank. ``Outside, I look for a beautiful tree, a fountain, a statue, a pool or a flower garden and start from there.''

Bank recently sold her Hollywood Hills home to Drew Bernstein, the owner of Lip-Service, which manufactures gothic and punk fashion, and is creating an ``outdoor sanctuary'' in his back yard.

``I love the Huntington Gardens,'' he said. ``The koi ponds are my favorite.''

Now Bernstein has a koi pond in his back yard, which also features a fireplace, a bridge between the swimming pool and the koi pond, and a waterfall that doubles as a hiding place for the pool equipment.

``I love Japanese gardens,'' Bernstein said. ``Asian gardens are linear and very manicured. But they are living and very dynamic. I can see every piece that is out of shape. So, in a way, I've created my worst nightmare. But when I look at photographs of it, I realize how really great it is.''

The area surrounding the koi pond has a number of different elevations where Bernstein can sit and mediate, said Bank. As the back yard is still a work in progress, Bernstein says he is still viewing it as a project - rather than a sanctuary.

Venice Beach designer David DeRussy concentrates on using clients' favorite objects to help center and support them, thereby turning the entire house or garden into a sanctuary. In some cases, he may marry good design with items that evoke pleasant feelings or memories, such as a piece of Oriental art or a breakfront filled with mementos from a career of globe-trotting as a commercial pilot.

Santana, whose design trademark fuses Western and Asian elements, designates certain areas in the home as personal sanctuaries. She recently transformed a Hancock Park Tudor pool house into a Zen house.

``From the outside, it's Tudor. But when you walk across the threshold of the pool house, you enter another world,'' she said. ``So many people are working so hard, they aren't taking vacations. This way you can have your vacation at home.''

Create a relaxing space

To design your own personal sanctuary, use key elements drawn from the Asian art of arranging furniture, feng shui: water, wood, fire, earth and metal.

--Water: You need both the sound of running water and the element itself, making a small table-top fountain an inexpensive option (Homedics EnviraSpa fountains run $19.99 and up). You can make your own by transforming a terra cotta planter (symbolizing earth) into a fountain with the help of a pump from your local home center. Or you could invest in a fish tank, nature's own sedative.

--Soft lighting: Scented candles (representing fire), a filtered lantern or filtered natural lighting from a window during the day are the designers' personal preferences. However, if you're having a space do double-duty, make sure the area's lighting has a dimmer so you can control the amount and softness of the light.

--Wood: Bamboo mats, natural greenery planted in terra cotta pots and lacquered wooden nesting tables provide the different elevations needed to create a balanced space.

--Metal: A bronze Buddha, metal bowls filled with colorful balls, metal sculptures or a gong are possibilities. To soften the surroundings, colorful pillows and silk fabric draped over a chair or table add that splash of color and softness. ``It's part of the sensuality of the sanctuary,'' designer David DeRussy said. The appropriate color schemes for a sanctuary should be reflective of nature. ``They should not shout out, but rather be subdued and quiet, such as soft whites, creams, very pale buttery yellow, serene blues,'' said Debbie Zimmer, architectural and functional coatings consultant with the Rohm and Haas Co.'s Paint Quality Institute. When choosing colors, Zimmer advises, ``Pick just a touch of color. This is not a Caribbean-themed room. You want softness. And because the room is for reflection, you may want to select a higher-sheen paint to capture that reflective quality.''

- V.S.P.

Mobile spas: relaxation where you need it

Want to create an authentic personal sanctuary complete with a facial, massage and manicure? The booming mobile spa industry may be your solution.

Kibibi Springs, a former marketing maven for the beauty industry and founder of Moodivations Mobile Spa in Sherman Oaks, says services such as hers can provide massage therapy, facials, manicures and even spa parties in the comfort of your own home.

``What is the point in going to a spa, if it isn't close to home?'' Springs said. ``All the good work of the massage therapist would be undone on the freeway within minutes. So we bring it to you.''

Here are a few of the mobile spas serving Los Angeles County:

--Moodivations: It will send out licensed contractors who provide massage, facials, manicures and pedicures, as well as spa parties - a popular option for bridal showers. Fees range from $120 per hour for a massage to $350 for a spa party. [phone]. www.moodivations.com.

--InSPArations: A Web spa and wellness service, this Los Angeles-based mobile spa provides bodywork and a host of holistic health therapies, ranging from spiritual counseling, reiki energy/chakra therapy, chakra balancing and chanting to hypnotherapy, herbology, nutritional counseling, feng shui, tarot and homeopathy. Private meditation is $65 per hour, reiki $100 per session, chakra balancing $75 per session, private chanting $55 per hour, herbology $100 for house calls, and a total life wellness coach is available for $100 per hour. [phone]. www.insparationsla.com.

--Infinity Mobile Day Spa: This West Los Angeles group offers massages, facials and other day-spa treatments. The spa packages for both men and women range in price from a $185 per person ``Quick Fix,'' which includes an hourlong massage and 45-minute facial to the nearly five-hour ``Head to Glow'' package of massage, facial, manicure, pedicure, eye treatment and waxing for $425 per person. [phone]. www.infinity-spa.com.

--QuietBeauty Mobile Spa: This Long Beach company delivers spa services to homes and offices throughout Los Angeles County. Treatments include facials, massage, neck wraps and aromatherapy. [phone]. www.QuietBeautyMobileSpa.com.

- V.S.P.

CAPTION(S):

7 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) The koi pond at a Hollywood Hills home provides a peaceful sanctuary for reflection and relaxation.

(2 -- color) A fountain provides a calming influence in the garden of Drew Bernstein's Hollywood Hills home.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer

(3 -- 4 -- color) Interior designers David DeRussy and Christine Santana show off items collected at the Gift Convention at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Favorite objects can help to center a person and go a long way toward creating a tranquil space in the home.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer

(5 -- color) no caption (baskets)

(6 -- color) no caption (pillows)

(7 -- color) The idea of a personal sanctuary started with the bath, but soon spread to other rooms.

Box:

(1) Create a relaxing space (see text)

(2) Mobile spas: relaxing where you need it (see text)