How to Create A More Sustainable Home
It is difficult to escape the current calls to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle. David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg have seen to that! And this topic has been amplified through the Covid pandemic. As the world shut down, so nature came back to life. Birdsong became sweeter and softer as the birds no longer had […]
Maintaining Your Wellness Through Yet Another Lockdown
So, 2021 is here! After a lovely Christmas with my family in Ireland (following a period in quarantine in a portacabin on my sister’s farm, and a negative Covid test), it was back to London and the New Year with a bump. So here we are, in yet another lockdown. How are you all doing? […]
24 Days of Art
What a year 2020 has been, and it certainly doesn’t seem as if it’s ending quietly – in the UK at least. For now I have spent the last week in quarantine in a portacabin in a muddy field on my sister’s farm in Ireland. I am doing this so that I can spend Christmas […]
How To Design Your Bathroom: 7 Tips To Create The Perfect Space
One of my most regular requests for help from clients is to design their bathrooms. Refurbishing your bathroom is one of the biggest home investments you are likely to make, as well as one of the most disruptive. And, once it’s in, that’s it. The space can’t just be swapped around, and so it’s important […]
How Can We Design Our Homes to Nurture Our Mental Health?
The latest report from the Happiness Research Institute was released earlier this year. Titled “Wellbeing Adjusted Life Years”, this report investigates how can we produce the greatest happiness return for humankind? Interesting reading, especially in light of COVID-19. In many countries around the world, including developed countries, average wellbeing levels have stagnated or even declined […]
Biophilia is Important, but Don’t Overlook Adding Joy!
In my last blog post I talked about the importance of Biophilic Design – adding that connection to nature to our interior spaces. But so often, when I see examples of biophilic spaces, it is a sea of natural wood and indoor plants. What is missing for me is those elements of joy. When I […]
Why is Biophilic Design so Important?
Since the beginning of human evolution, we have been connected to the natural world, observing the changing seasons, learning what foods grow when, and when we can celebrate earth’s bounty, or when we need to build up reserves for the leaner seasons. The term Biophilia refers to our innate biological connection with nature. It helps […]
How to Mix Styles Whilst Still Creating a Cohesive Whole
Homes that layer in pieces from different eras or cultures are dynamic and interesting. However, it’s important to follow a few simple rules to ensure you end up with a cohesive scheme, and not something where your eye doesn’t know where to land, and winds up confused and unhappy. Here are seven ways to successfully […]
How to Maximise your Space
Not all of us have the luxury of a large house with plenty of space to spread out in, meaning that we have to be clever with the space that we do have. Here are some design tricks you can try to get the most out of your space: LOOK AT A FLOORPLAN I always […]
Is Your Home a Happy Home?
My front door is yellow. I chose this colour because it’s a colour that says happy and optimistic and that’s the vibe that I want for my home so why not start with the front door! If this COVID-19 outbreak has taught us one thing, it is the importance of home! Last year The Happiness […]