Catherine

An interior designer, Jan Showers, stated that, "every room needs a touch of black just as it needs at least one antique piece". It is all about how to use positive or negative space which can be white or black which allows the other colour to really stand out. It can be really dramatic or simple and calm and there are so many tones of white and black that can be blended for a chic combination. Before getting started, there are some key decisions to make first:   What style are you going for - modern, shabby chic, Art Deco

All I can see for miles of homewares is neutral, dull furniture. Without meaning to sound frivolous, I wonder if the pandemic has also had an impact in going neutral to get through all of this. Even Dior is making tracksuits - Lagerfeld said, “Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life, so you bought some sweatpants.” Perhaps, going neutral is a way of controlling what is going on. We have gone in to the Neutral Zone! What is interesting is that in Feng Shui, this is the Earth element and is about grounding and

Back to work tomorrow for many of us and that means for most, back to having dual working spaces, partners and online meetings. At the moment, many are working between two different rooms as online calls take place at the same time as those of other family or flatmates. It isn't easy especially when volume is required, confidentiality and space. Here's hoping that by February, crossing fingers, we will have the apartment below which will merge two small places together. A staircase is the next venture, something that hasn't been on our list before. However, a key joy will

New Year's Eve is coming up which in any normal year is a strange event and this year has been a rollercoaster. The night often has the feel of if you don't attend something, you are the uncool kid at school who wasn't invited to the party. In the past, I have attended balls, parties, spent it on a Thai boat and babysat in my youth with mixed results and often a sense of why? This year we are finally in France and we have a Covid curfew of 8pm. We will meet other careful friends for lunch outside

We are coming up for what would normally be the busiest food, cooking and drinking time of the year, whatever your family traditions are. However, in Europe, we are sadly going into a variety of second and third lockdowns. Some are saying that they can't be bothered with anything and have given up. Tempting, but in our second week of being here, we are going to make an effort. So get those decorations out and dress the table. Style on a Budget I have friends who are budgeting on a shoe string at the moment and can't afford to

We have finally arrived in France after much planning. Lots of small potential dramas with solutions and support usually at the 13th hour, just to add to the general stress of moving with two cats at Christmas and with a pandemic on! Not ideal but we managed and the cats seem to have settled in more quickly than we have. After sorting out boxes and placing furniture where we could, we decided to find the Christmas decorations and get in to the general spirit of things. Our local Christmas markets have opened and it was a lovely night of

“If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” -Paulo Coehlo It is amazing to think that after over five years, this will be the final Berlin-based post before we move. It has been a pragmatic weekend packing final bits and pieces and we still have some to finish off. Moving is a strange combination of cleaning up and letting go and wondering if you should hang on to something rediscovered. We have been in this mode for a few weeks now and tend to retreat with the cats to the sofa in

In the Northern Hemisphere, Christmas lights and decorations are essential to brighten up some dull dark days. It isn't easy getting up in the dark and feeling like you should go to bed at 17:00! I am not a fan of winter and yearn for bright blue days even if cold. We are getting close to December in a difficult year and as I walked down a major high street in Berlin it was sad to see that none of the normal Christmas street lights, the little train, the little aeroplane or even the Berlin sign were up. It

On one of our last holiday days in France, we both said if only each room was a bit bigger. The next day our friend/agent let us know that the apartment below is for sale and completely newly renovated! So despite me saying never again - yes, Lesley - we had a look, made an offer and it has been accepted. We must be crazy! Back in the land of mortgages and paperwork and yes it is a bit of risk and there is a caveat, we will only buy if we can build an interior staircase to link