Interiors

To misquote Dean Martin, or perhaps not, I like a cocktail that gives you a 'kick in the head'! I don't want a glass with a thimble of alcohol, a can of mixer and half a bush of mint. It needs pure alcohol, a bit of chemistry and a twist of lime. I also love a vintage cocktail bar and have a mini one wherever we live. There is an air of glamor and sophistication with fleeting images of by-gone times, high heels, long cigarette holders and of course, a shaker or two.   What Should I Go For?

As we locked the door to a past French apartment and said goodbye, we realised each room reflects key places we have lived in! The bedroom had an Art Deco New York mix, the dining room was an Indochine conglomerate and the lounge was definitely French. This wasn't intentional; more by chance than design. More pieces will be added but it needs careful mixing and matching. How to manage this without looking like a hot mess? Colour Your World From my other posts, you know the formula by now of 70% a dominant colour, 30% the secondary and 10%

First of all, there is no perfect space. There will always be a room or area that presents a challenge. For our French apartment, we have the classic L-shaped which has a 'blade wall'. Think of a knife with a long space as the handle and then a square top as the main area. There is an 'edge' wall, like the edge of the knife; it needs to be balanced. The key rule is to not sit or sleep on this edge wall and there is a solution!   Irregular Floorplans While the ideal Feng Shui floor plan is

Many of us have moved homes, cities and/or countries and yearn to have a space that offers comfort while managing the new challenges of life and love. Some are comfortable with basic needs but that is not us! This blog is called Inner Harmony for a reason, it is about creating a space that offers a sense of calm despite what is happening outside in the rest of your life. It is about maintaining a sense of self when everything else is changing, it can be a psychological support when are starting again or in a state transition. We

“She would be half a planet away, floating in a turquoise sea, dancing by moonlight to flamenco guitar.” Janet Fitch. Various artists have wonderful quotes on the blues, Yves Klein stated that, “Blue has no dimensions, it is beyond dimensions, whereas the other colours are not … All colours arouse specific associative ideas, psychologically material or tangible, while blue suggests at most the sea and sky, and they, after all, are in actual, visible nature what is most abstract.” Aqua, turquoise, petrol blue and any shades of blue in between, represent the sea and all things summer for me.

There are so many songs about needing a friend, standing by each other, being there and reaching out. All inspire and are necessary to hear in challenging times. While not life threatening, we have had several months of reality checks with work, moving and selling an apartment and other frustrating moments. It is at these times, that people offer support and sometimes from where you least expect it. We have had bank managers in two countries known for challenging bureaucracy, help in ways outside of their jobs, real estate agents organise furniture delivery and sort out taxes and new

I am recently attracted to emerald green and anything tropical. Colour psychologists - yes, they exist - state that green resonates with feelings of growth, safety and tranquility. Green is associated with forests, plants and water and nature. It can also be used to increase reading ability and I love a good book! Hospitals have used a particular shade to relieve stress. Others say it can add a sense of luxury and new beginnings giving a sense of excitement.   Those who read my blog, know that I have been practicing Feng Shui for years and that green is

We had been buying light fittings for our past French apartment and suddenly, I was focused on various lighting around restaurants and hotels for inspiration. If you can, sit under the light fitting you are considering and ask what you sense. Having sat under crocheted bohemian lights, I realised that I felt as if I had string hanging over me! Then I sat under wooden slatted Chinese lanterns and immediately got a sharp 'poison arrow' energy. So let's talk about light. In Feng Shui, light is seen as a key energy that can add yin and yang, light and

Robbie Burns said, “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”. We flew down just before Christmas discussing paint colours, cushion covers and candlesticks. One small delivery of furniture had happened and we were looking forward to the main delivery and sleeping on a real bed. It didn't happen. Our removalist was unusually silent and we finally received a text that he had suffered a heart attack and was in hospital with three stents! We reassured him that it was just furniture and went back to our empty space and inflatable mattress. Vintage Furniture We had