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Dining at Atmosphères – amazing food and views!
Now that we spend time in France each year we thought it was a good idea to expose the kids to as wide a range as possible of French food as possible. That means anything from a croque monsieur to steak hache to something that does not really look like anything they have tried before. This was one of those days when we wanted...
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What does it take to be a good client?
I have lost count of the number of architects, engineers and designers that I have worked with over the last 20 years in my professional life but for the first time ever we have worked with an interior architect on a project for us. I take my role in hotel development advisory seriously, I have a strong eye for detail and I am very...
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Who to call on to add life into your interiors
Whilst pinterest is a rabbit hole of inspiration that you may or may not return from taking those ideas and turning them into reality can be a challenge. Not only do we need the time to make it happen but having someone with a talented design eye help you do it can often mean the difference between like and love. There are three great...
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Feature walls – our last four homes and my top tips
Coming from a hotel design/development background the feature wall is a favourite amongst designers to add instant (and permanent) interest to a room. I can remember choosing the interior for our first home almost 20 years ago. The house was a modern brick and tile and we went for a deep aubergine on a niche wall in our dining area and a paprika red...
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Lighting up a little girls world
In the adventure of renovating a house by remote control one of the things I have had a lot of fun looking for online is wall lights for the girls rooms. Here was my shortlist. Super cute bunny ears from Atelier Pierre Lightbox with super cute lettering from Maisons du Monde Opalescence from Cecile Chareyron AM.PM’s Fifi Box from La Redoute Ferm’s Living Cactus...
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The best balconies in Dubai
When I got the chance to visit the Renaissance Downtown Hotel, Dubai in Business Bay I jumped at it as I had been aware of the repositioning that the brand had been going through globally and I wanted to see how this was brought to life in Dubai. I will fill you in on what I found around the hotel in other posts but...
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Louise Sur Cour – a must stay in Brussels
Guesthouse by name, getaway by nature. This four room guesthouse owned and hosted by the charming Dimitri Parimeros, who painstakingly restored every inch of the building over a five-year period, is a must stay if you are heading to Brussels. From the street Louise Sur Cour looks like any other residence on the road but when you step through the over height doors it...
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The trifecta of comfort that helps you have a great sleep experience?
This is where my blog started – a simple question of why someone can sleep well in hotel rooms but not in their own room. My response was that we have 1,000s of rooms so have worked out what works best, you just have one. So I thought it was about time that I shared some of my top tips for your bedroom that...
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Backyard inspiration – 5 great ideas to create shade
In Dubai we have scorching sun for about four months of the year and whilst it doesn’t burn as easily as in other parts of the world it is still too uncomfortable to be out in it for too long. The other thing we have in Dubai is great resorts so I didn’t have to look too far for inspiration on how to get...
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Design Notes …….. the smallest room in the house
From time to time I am planning on sharing with you some technical information about the rooms in your home and how we address them in hotels. The biggest thing with hotels is getting the rooms that you have lots of right as a single mistake can be repeated 500+ times easily. So I decided to start with the toilet, this guidance applies irrespective of...