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Inspiration + Colour + Placement = Balance

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1209, 2021

Breakfast

No, it isn't at Tiffany's - although the store has finally given in and created a cafe to fulfil the fantasy! It all started when we went on holidays for some peace and quiet in the middle of the Belgian countryside. Each morning a full breakfast was presented on a white tablecloth using the owner's inherited coffee cups and bowls. Served with love and elegance. Classical music was softly playing, an amazing view of poppies in a field from the table, fresh coffee, croissants and local fruit and cheeses eased us gently in to the day. We haven't quite replicated this but

509, 2021

Two Rooms – Working from Home

With many of us still working from home, different rooms have been adapted for a dual purpose. Having worked remotely for years, I know how difficult it can be to adjust to a new schedule and environment. The office structure has gone, set coffee breaks and lunches are now more fluid and normal face to face conversations have disappeared. Some have other family members in the same space which can make for some interesting discussions! It can become a big mess creating tension and it is important to choose which room becomes a dual room.   Feng Shui First Definitely not

2908, 2021

Moving on Up!

We finally moved this weekend and it feels like we have come home. John Le Carré said that 'home is where you go to when you run out of homes'. Perhaps that is our state at the moment. We will put in bifold doors between the kitchen and dining room to give more light. The irony is, these are called French doors and are difficult to find in France! The search is on. The cats have settled in with familiar furniture smells and a dinner has been cooked and wine served. A good friend is visiting on Wednesday to be our

2208, 2021

Friends in France

A New York friend said when we first met, “I am not sure if I should invest in this friendship as you are going to leave one day.” The irony is that she moved to Miami! I write this as we have had several visitors these last few weeks and if nothing else from this bemusing year, we have learnt the importance of reaching out and connecting. There are friendships about past cocktails at Vespers laughing at life’s and our own idiosyncrasies. Some are based on the pure love of music giving space for the friendship to grow. Others have become

1608, 2021

Changing Minds, Changing Rooms

Now, before anyone thinks we have finally lost our minds and in our defence, initially we lived for over 25 years in just two houses  and then have usually spent at least three to five years in apartments to avoid paying someone else's rent. These last three years have been crazy and I would think the same as others must be thinking about us! So..the latest update is that we are going to move back upstairs and sell downstairs. What happened? A builder friend returned from being stuck in the UK and asked, why we didn't just take a wall down

908, 2021

Selling a Place

My mentor, Clear Englebert, has just published his latest book, Feng Shui for Real Estate. I am looking forward to reading it but am lucky to have his wisdom at hand. He has guided me through the different countries and places we have lived in. So I went back to his books to look at how best to sell our upstairs apartment. For once, we are being zen about selling- something that doesn't come naturally to me! We are not in the usual rush of selling to leave a country and enter another. We understand that our likely buyer hasn't been

108, 2021

Home Away from Home

For a long weekend, we are catching up with our Belgian ‘family’. We met by chance eight years ago in a New York restaurant bumping elbows and pardoning each other. We have been friends ever since and promised to see each other once a year. Fast forward sixteen months later and here we are in Sint-Margriete walking in to a BnB and feeling instantly at home. It is a beautiful house in the Belgian countryside with all mod cons offering a sense of peace and calm with a perfect blend of all five Feng Shui elements. The Feng Shui Cycle In

2507, 2021

It’s Too Darn Hot!

As Nat King Cole once sang, today was 'one of those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer'. Even a dip in the sea takes energy and we have retreated indoors to flop around. The cats are as low and flat as they can be, seeking a cool spot. Cold honeydew melon and pineapple has been eaten offering just a short, sweet spike in the day. Even a lovely ceramics market only highlighted thoughts of a heated kiln! Any thoughts of Feng Shui conversation is swept aside and I find myself on the sofa reading a wonderful book, The Personal Librarian. It's


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