Colours of Diwali : The Festival Of Lights

Diwali is one of my favourite festivals. 

In the past I have witnessed this in both Nepal and India but as I have not left yet I shall pop into Brisbane tonight to join the crowds, enjoy some fine Indian food and listen to some loud Bollywood style music!

This festival means the triumph of good over evil. For me I just love the amazing contrasting colours created by this festival, the oranges, the reds, the pinks and the warmth of candle light. 

During this festival I have seen people hang lanterns and burn candles at their front doors, whilst most homes display Rangoli artwork at their entrances, garden areas and even on entire floors. 

This intricate artwork and patterns can be made from petals, flowers, coloured sand, rice or chalk powder. 

Here is some entrance artwork of Ganesh!

If you are interested at looking at how to decorate for Diwali check out this link for some great ideas.

Only a few weeks left till I am off to Nepal... Yippee...

Have fun.

Eco Retreat & Glamping Tents :: Sal Sails, Ningaloo Reef, WA

Well the days are quickly ticking away until we go and there is still much preparation and research still to do...

However to get me into the beach vibe and as I still have not left sunny Australia today I tam traveling to a location that my husband has always wanted to go... Ningaloo Reef. 

And what a better way to experience this beautiful National Park and beach environment than to stay in these eco retreats and glamping tents right on the beach at Sal Sails.

What's great about this retreat is that the whole experience is built around ecological principles to ensure that your stay generates minimal environmental impact and the only thing you leave behind is your footprint in the sand! For example...

• Each wilderness tent is built on a raised deck to allow for coastal breezes to naturally cool the rooms.
• The African Style tent colour allows the retreat to blend in naturally with the surrounding pristine environment.
• All power is 100% solar.
• All recycling and waste is returned to Exmouth recycle depot.

• The en-suite room at the rear of the tent is open to the surrounding environment and fitted with a solar hot water, a hand pumped shower and a Nature Loo or composting toilet.

images from Sal Sails

• All linen is supplied by Eco Down Under which is organic cotton and chemical free.
• Sheets are a sand colour and are not bleached to maintain pure whiteness. Their composition means that they can be hung dry and eliminate the need for ironing! 

Not bad for a luxury tent retreat!

Have fun.

Interior Design Inspiration Journey 2011-12

The time has come for me to break some big news...

The last couple of weeks I have been finishing off our renovations, de-cluttering and tidying up my home (which I am so over!) all in preparation for renting out my house.  

I am so excited to announce that my husband and I will be taking 6 months off in November to travel round Asia... yippee...

Apart for some R & R and climbing a few big mountains my blog will continue as I search for inspiration from:

• unique homes & retreats
• local quality furniture, fabrics and materials
• and finally sourcing interior and furniture items for my own home :)

Who knows... I may even have enough photographic material to launch my first book :)

If you are interested in following my design journey feel free to subscribe to my blog (top right hand corner) and/or follow me or natural modern interiors on facebook.

Here is a list of countries I will be going in the form of mood boards...

Have fun.

Joglo Living :: Khayangan Estate, Bali

I had the absolute pleasure last week to assist a lovely client with her furniture layouts for a traditional Joglo she is building in a beautiful tropical setting just inland from Noosa. 

If you are wondering what a Joglo is? They are a type of traditional crafted timber house, mainly found in Bali and Java and built to be dismantled and moved easily. 

I have attached a fine example of one, recommended by my client, with The Khayangan Estate in Bali. These particular Joglos were once the traditional home of Javanese aristocracy and have been saved from destruction and lovingly restored.

Fantastic indoor / outdoor views...

Note the use of high ceilings, low perimeter shading and no major internal walls allowing cool breezes to flow throughout.

images from The Khayangan Estate

The result seamlessly mixes traditional craftsmanship with antique pieces and contemporary furniture within a tropical backdrop. 

Having travelled to some hot places I have nearly always been more comfortable with the heat with high ceilings, massive ceiling fans and shaded open areas rather than enclosed rooms with air conditioning units... 

In the absence of having one of these Joglos shipped over from Bali for myself... I await with excitement to see my client's one finished in the not too distant future and the chance to visit The Khayangan Estate the next time I am in Bali. 

Have fun.

Eco Home :: Rachel Bending, Byron Bay

I have just spent the last week preparing my house ready to rent out.

To cheer myself up from the hours of sorting, de-cluttering and cleaning - which I am well over now! I am going to indulge in some window shopping for my dream home. 

What a better place to start than with Rachel Bending's (founder of Bird Textile) eco home in my favorite location, Byron Bay. 

This is a straw bale house with a difference... it's where sustainable and style come together in harmony. The house is solar-passive, solar-powered, re-uses grey water, has a compost toilet and is built from natural, sustainable and reclaimed materials including straw! Not that you can see a piece of straw from these photos... Just great style!

You can just see the dry stone wall behind the kitchen.

The claw-foot bathtub was a gift from a friends and the travertine floor was left over from another job.

Just amazing views!

This building ticks all the boxes on my shopping list; a sustainable building, made from natural materials, has an amazing outdoor bathroom, plenty of indoor outdoor living and fantastic views.

If you are inspired here is some building info:

1 Building: Natural Building Works

2 Joinery: Piers Martin Cabinets (02) 6685 9014

3 Composting Toilet: Clivus Multrum 

4 Solar Panels: Nickel Renewable Energy 

Have fun.

Hotel Omm :: Barcelona

It's been a few years since I stayed here but if you are ever in Barcelona and fancy a contemporary city splurge this is your place. 


Designed by architect Juli Capella and interior designers Sandra Tarruella and Isabel López, Hotel Omm  is like your own personal cocktail and lounge bar. With it's clean lines, use of timber and warm contemporary colours mixed with a few eclectic pieces you really feel that plain old white walls are history!

Jacobsen "Egg" chair by the lounge and fireplace.

My favorite pieces are the real Jacobsen "Egg" chair by the lounge fireplace, the use of low ceilings to create intimate casual seating areas (which is opposite to most hotel foyers), the timber four poster timber bed and not to forget the chinese tea pots all reminds you that you are not in your usual hotel.

This fantastic four poster is one of my all time favorite bed designs!

Even if you are unable to stay it is still worth treating yourself to a cocktail and a much needed rest in the foyer lounge or splurging on the day spa.

Have fun.

Eclectic Bathroom Ideas :: Small Details

It can be really be hard sometimes to give a new bathroom a sense of identity...

I have certainly found that a challenge with my own bathroom refurbishment - which is finally being priced at the moment... yippee!

When you are refurbishing a bathroom you will naturally wish to install new tap-wear, basins, bath or shower and then tile the floors and walls. In some cases this can leave you with a room that feels cold and lacks identity.

So here's a few small furniture and decoration details that I have left over from my own bathroom inspiration research that can easily be added to give character and warmth to a new bathroom.

Love the warm rug on the stone floor, the small pots and the off white colour palette!

Love the basin and the small timber stools!

Love the bathroom with a timber floor and the use of natural finishes...

Have fun.