Temples and Colour :: Kathmandu, Nepal

It's been over 6 years since I was in Kathmandu last. Everything is still the same except for the abundance of free wi fi and travellers with an assortment of apple products to keep them entertained.

As technology moves forward in great strides I am sorry to say that infrastructure and building repairs and maintenance have not. It is quite sad to see such beautiful old crafted temples and building architecture covered in so much dust from the smog and some are literally crumbling away. 

However, under a blanket of city dust there is still a rainbow of vibrant colours, fabrics and textures, beautiful timber carved windows and amazing architecture.

Coloured cotton fabric

Carnations everywhere

Temple architecture

One of the many things I remember from Nepal is their amazing carved timber windows

Some interesting forms of scaffolding and structural support!

Please bare with me as from tomorrow I will be trekking around the Annapurna Circuit and then the Sanctuary for 3 to 4 weeks and will be without any form communication until I return. 

On this trek I will encounter remote villages and homes that are still without mains electricity or mains water. It will be interesting to see how these villages live without basic infrastructure that we all take for granted today. 

Have fun.

Nepal :: Trekking the Annapurna Circuit

My home is now packed away into storage and backpacks are now waiting their final pack. We leave on Monday and set off to Nepal via an interesting 10hr connection in Delhi airport!

The first part of our trip will be spending a few days in Kathmandu before hiking through the mountains and high villages of the Annapurna region.

I prefer walking into these remote regions as you see at first hand how the locals live and get by on very little infrastructure, food and electricity. 

The Annapurna range that we will be hiking around

When I first trekked this route about 12 years ago there was hardly any hot water and what hot water was available was heated by wood fires (this alone reduced our consumption to a bare minimum). 

Thanks to the recent introduction of solar panels a lot more hot water showers have popped up and are now available for us tourists. 

However, I am sure the locals still use ice cold mountain water for washing!

The local village water supply, prayer wheels and the lower hills

Prayer flags and the type of remote villages we will be staying in as we trek

I shall post in Kathmandu and a few extra posts, but while I am trekking I will not be able to update until we finish our 3-4 week trek. 

These high mountains have limited electricity or internet connections... and even if there was a bit of solar power available I am hiking with my backpack I really do not fancy the extra weight of my laptop!

Have fun.

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.