home steading

I am currently reading this book, which details about the lifestyle and healthy home made living a la farmette. A friend of mine posted this on my Facebook page which had me laughing: a chicken sitting service for the urbanites. I also know about a business that hires out goats to munch your lawn. So what's the story with the home ca-noodling?


Green, the Sloffood movement and all things yummy and nice are back on the cards for those who have had enough of the concrete jungle, the plastic micro waved dinners and being stuck in traffic. This is not new of course, but it seems back en vogue. In the Netherlands it's quite custom still to have a herbal and even veggie garden on one's tiny balcony on a high rise. Many dream of living in Italy (this I hear on a regular basis at work), sipping some wine, eating some wonderful breads & cheeses and staring at the olive trees sprawled out over generous hills and sloping meadows. Ah yes. The Good Life. So how do we get there?

My husband and I enjoy living on our 64 acre block, the "farm-let" and we are farmettes which is a bit different from the lifestyle block of a few acres and a big farm over say 500 acres. We work in the city mostly while also running our farm-let. While reading Jenna Woginrich's book mentioned above, I had to smile at her hilarious anecdotes! I recognized so much in the early boo-boos that she tells about.

Having a small farm or even a bit of a green blob of land in your backyard is really enough to get you started with a veggie garden, a beehive, or a chicken coop. And what you learn while starting on this fun enterprise is basically that making mistakes or being a doofus is all part of the experience. We now walk easily amongst our highland cattle and move them about without a fuss, whereas in the beginning with the meat cattle we had to jump the fence and the dog too as one bovine we aptly called "Loopy" starting chasing us around the paddock. Very in-dignifying. We seriously wondered whether we had the balls to go through all the motions that were required. We have now graduated from the initial newbie crispiness. We have the experience, know how to do the practical things and keep adding to the farm knowledge. I can clip the goatie hooves by myself without the use of proper yards which apparently is a great achievement.

So how can you get your slice of paradise, even in the smallest ways?
Decide what you would like to start with and read up! Nothing beats the look and taste of fresh veggies, the view of animals snoozing in the sun, and the privacy and tranquility that your own place gives you. What you need is knowing what you want to do and most of all: sheer determination! It is very rewarding.

To learn how to start your career at Homesteading: http://www.homestead.org/
Modern homesteading: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Modern-Homesteading.aspx
Homesteading forum: http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/
Great website to read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/blogs/blog.aspx?blogid=1510

Feng Shui

Today I am having a wonderful interview with an inspiring Parisian lady in San Francisco: Catherine Grison, Soul Artisan for People and Spaces. I have met Catherine through the inter-connective world that is Twitter. 

Catherine is a certified and stylish Feng Shui Master, and she implements this knowledge so she herself, and her clients and friends, can enjoy more joy, more abundance and also better health in their lives. Her credo is: "Life is not beige!" She founded Your French Accent, her “Decorator Extraordinaire and Beyond” consulting company in 2004.

Her website: http://www.yourfrenchaccent.com/ 

She says: "When I moved to San Francisco, 10 years ago, and began to work in the furniture industry, I was shocked to see that most people were "matching" sofas and chairs, "blending" neutrals. The only real colors in retail were mostly dark reds on leather library chairs. I was then working at the brand new Crate and Barrel Furniture store downtown San Francisco, in the fine furniture department.  To this day, I still remember how happy one of my customers was when he came back to me and announced: "I made it Catherine! I listened to you and I went for color! You can be proud of me!" He was holding a dark chocolate velvet pillow. Dark chocolate. To go on his all beige furniture...  I had envisioned a more powerful combination like a hot pink or spring green to make the room happen... However it was a start and I congratulated him! “

Why did you move from Paris to San Francisco?

I moved to California to live with the (American) man I loved and met in Paris. It was heart breaking to leave Paris. It took me 4 years to feel at home here. We did not live in San Francisco but in Pacifica, a secluded coastal small town. Too much water… Pacifica is gorgeous but I am a city girl. I need Fire. At first I thought I will not survive when I came to Pacifica. I could not even look though the windows: all these small houses and the big ocean were so lonely too me. I was looking desperately for high energy, crowds, and tall buildings! Despite my job in San Francisco, I felt so isolated, dying inside. Then step by step, I met incredible people, developed new true friendships. I began yoga, enrolled in a 3-year Feng Shui program which I graduated from and uncovered my spiritual path. I founded Your French Accent, my “Decorator Extraordinaire and Beyond” consulting company. I learned so much during these Pacifican years…

As soon as we (happily) divorced, I moved to Potrero Hill in San Francisco. Here I could reinvent myself again, open myself up to possibilities.

How did you get your business started?

It's different here, how things work, compared to Paris. When I arrived I did not want to go back to coaching without knowing the culture; it would not have been ethical. I started exploring… In Paris I used to work in management, coaching, training. I have a master’s degree in Communication, Linguistics & Training. I used to design programs, coach store managers, and train sales associates. So when I started working in San Francisco I thought: the home environment is the best place for me to understand the culture. When people buy furniture, they tell you their story. If they don’t, you are not a good listener! In the meanwhile I had entered a 3 year Feng Shui certification program. My clients were asking me to furnish more and more homes; the logical next step was to start a business.

What is important to you?

I use an integrative Feng Shui to help other people improve their lives, their health, their level of happiness. I used to be a more black & white person, sure of how things "had to be". I was a personal development fascist! My vision is far more flexible now. I try to help others grow, and myself too, what is very important to me. My clients say I am honest and straight forward. I see people from the inside, I do not sugar coat. I have integrity and also humor. A lot of my clients have become friends. My best advertisement is 'word of mouth', which leads to work. I'm a very pragmatic person with her 3^rd eye wide opened. I use my common sense and a pendulum too!

So what would be your Feng Shui advice for my readers today?

Any place is related to your life. Feng Shui means Wind and Water, the two elements which create life. Any place is a reflection of our own being. For example: I worked with a lady who had a 2 bedroom condo: she asked for decoration advice. The Lady did not want me to enter a particular room. Eventually I did see it and it was a disaster. It was filled to the brim with "stuff". It was very hard to walk around. The rest of the apartment was very tidy. It turned out that her father used to be living there, so she kept it closed, she didn't want to think about this room, let alone start cleaning it out.

The truth is that if you lock a door, the room is still there, and the emotions behind it are still there too. Blocked up areas will affect you mentally and your health, whether you realize it or not, whether you see them or not.

Keep only what is successful or enjoyable.  Always find ways to enjoy life. Many say it's good to do "this" after.... after what? There is NO after, there is just that what is now. I have a ritual called “The Past is over” to help people move forward, and step in their Present. Together we burn the past, literally. It is a very powerful ceremony!

My advice is that you need to use every room in the house, every object. You can't hide from yourself. Feng Shui and interior decorating is not about focusing on what's wrong, it's about improving spaces and thus improving your life in general. If you deny a piece of yourself, it's best to address it now, observe how you have treated your house and your rooms. It will tell you more than you think! So Feng Shui has a lot of hidden psychology embedded in the flow of the house. The key is to let the energy flow as best as it can. Avoid having sharp corners, add greenery, colors. Think symbols!

How can Catherine help us?

Now look around you! There is nothing quicker and cheaper than adding a layer of fresh paint to change the energy and the look of a room, whether in a home, an office, a business, a restaurant... And if you know somebody you love and who needs a lift, you can even gift my services. It may change a life!

Fortunately for all of us, Catherine does remote consultations. I thought it was a delight talking to her on Skype and having a real time conversation together. This means that you can email and skype her too, book a consultation, sending a floor plan and photos over for her to perform a full analysis and help you clear the areas of your life and your space that you have found troubling or difficult to organize.

Send her an email with any questions you may have, to ask for a quote: yourfrenchaccent@gmail.com

Check out her blog too: http://www.frenchshuicafe.com/ which she reorganizes now to provide more quick services and to-the-point advice, including spiritual guidance and deco tips, building also more global community…

You can of course “Like” Catherine’s services on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/CatherineGrisonYourFrenchAccent?ref=ts

http://www.facebook.com/FrenchShuiCafe?ref=ts

and follow her on Twitter:

@catherinegrison

@frenchshuicafe

Interior Styling III

After the house frontage (I) and entryway (II) we are today focusing on

The Living room.

The thing is that a lounge, or living room, takes a bit of work. Most people tend to fret about the seating, the carpet/flooring and possibly the drapes. Especially the drapes can bring up discussions as they are surprisingly personal.

Where to start?

a) overview: draw up a plan to scale. (Yes you heard me get the tape measure out ok)

b) review

• get a friend, neighbour or colleague to come in and quickly dot down what they notice about the room in an honest manner. (This may prove hard so ask someone that is allowed to hurt your feelings. Remember they're here to help you.)
• at the same time make a quick list about your own gripes and loves of the room. What have you wanted to do to it and why?
• Compare results

c) Think big: what feel/image would you like to create? How does this contrast with the existing scenario? Gather clippings from magazines to distinguish what you like.

d) Foremost: think practical: do you have kids? How many people in your household? Do you want that tv blaring while you have friends over? Is the kitchen close by? How 'easy maintenance' do you want the house to be? Do you have pets? Where is the scratching post to go if you have one? Where do the kids play? Is there access to the garden? Is there a deck outside? How about your privacy? You may be able to have sex on the couch and then again the retired couple next door might get offended. Lots to contemplate. Does the dog sleep here or in the wash house/garage? Yep, more to consider!

e) Flooring: we always start from the floor up, so: carpet, timber, tiles or other? Do your homework on benefits/maintenance and comfort.

Many New Zealanders love carpet whereas Europeans rip it out and love their timber floors. Having some rugs can be a happy medium. [Note: kiwis tend to take their shoes off at home walking barefoot or on socks so carpet makes more sense, Europeans tend to keep their shoes on so whatever flooring there is it will work. This is a taste and cultural choice.]

f) Walls: if you have kids, be aware of crayon drawings so wallpaper might be not so convenient unless your can be very strict (and still be surprised). Vinyl wallpapers could work.

What are the benefits of paint over wallpaper? With paint you can change a room quicker, (and paint over crayon) but wallpaper creates more of a statement. (Yes there is scrubable paint and wallpaper - yay) Personally I think wallpaper works well if your interior is more contemporary bland, but if the furniture and artworks are quite colorful and distinct then it makes perfect sense to stick to paint to balance. I think Designer Guild works only if you have more of a Zen approach to seating arrangements.

g) Now: drape. Golden rule: if it's NOT a hallway or bedroom we are working WITH the walls. Meaning: we pick on the colour of the wall and carry this through in the curtains. Why? This way the curtains do not visually brake up the walls but continue on which creates a calming effect and the room feels connected and 'incorporated'. Also the focus will now not be on the windows at night but on the interior, which I always think is a much better idea. [The vilest drapes I've seen are loud, cheap and have a gazillion colours. Please burn these as they break every rule in the sophisticated household. Really! Yes really.]

h) Now that we discussed the choice of flooring, walls and curtains we get to: furniture.

Again: what do you ACTUALLY require? What seating favs does the family have? What do you like? My husband for example likes recliners as so many men do. I think they are generally horrendous - big blobs and no design. [Funny; most interior designers feel this way, especially women!] In the end though it takes figuring out 'who will use what' and what size would fit in a room without clogging it up. I suggested an Eames chair to Nico with a footstool opposed to a 'big blob'. Also I am in favor of asking my employer to make a custom made stereo/player storage piece that will fit the wall opposed to Ikea.

How much furniture? This is where your scale plan comes in: cut out the size of the settee you are thinking of and check to see if there's space to move around. Do you need a coffee table? Maybe not. One side/lamp table may suffice or a coffee table with a nest tucked in the sides for when visitors arrive. Whichever way: you need to be able to walk around on your plan without bumping into anything quickly.

Corner units work in awkward areas and big rooms. I don't advise it if it takes up literally half the room. There are ways to work with smaller spaces. No coffee table maybe or one that changes into a dining table. Get creative. Big rooms: think what you need first and only THEN start filling in suggestions, not the other way round.

So! Buy what style you like and STOP MATCHING. The whole 'matchy thingy' has been done to death. Choose a settee/couch and different chairs, which is more interesting. And try not to make it look 'his and hers' either: choose well and choose design. Save and buy it over time if need be.

Tip: you can also use an ottoman as a coffee table or something else that is interesting compared to a square or rectangular box.

i) Lighting: we tend to forget this element yet it's vital in the living room. Get it right and the room feels warm and cozy, light and airy: whatever the flavor: create ambiance and personality. And please: don't use the centre ceiling light! That's a mistake, we only use a ceiling light when we get home in a daze on weekends and try to plunk the keys on the table when we're on the way to bathroom and bed. We do not use it for anything else. Just pretend you don't have any.

What to use: standing lamps, pendants and table lamps. Don't go completely nuts on trendy designs: let one light be a feature, let the rest work in as a soft background noise. Try different shapes and heights to see what effect they have. You can even use them as you would a standing art work.

Overall reminders:

think cohesive: designs that work like a charm are those that work together and do not fight over attention. Also I will let out an interior design secret here:

if you start with using only 3 colours for the whole room you will create balance, use four and you're in trouble as that is much harder to get right. There's a talent to bringing rooms together and in my styling days in Auckland I learned that whatever I did, if I stuck to the 3 colour rule it'd usually work. Tested and tried. Of course if you're going for a monotone that's different and typically done in bedrooms, not in living rooms as that is the cozy vibrant area.

Material choice: Leather over fabric? Both have advantages and disadvantages, some people say leather is easier to maintain: it depends on the quality and finish. Leather is like skin: it fades or cracks if not maintained! Fabric nowadays comes in UV resistant swatches that work extremely well for the downunder market. The more man-made generally the better wearing but look for the Martindale rub tests etc that will tell you a lot about how long it will wear. Also: Hemptech sells hemp and linen that will take an 8 out of 9 in the fading tests. Brilliant. Leather in winter can be cold, fabric is cozy.

Conclusion: use a plan and think before you buy. Do your homework. Go with what you like and play around with ideas.

Inspiration

For those who are wondering where I get my inspiration from: my history, background, experience, roots and personality would sum it up, but here are the main players at the moment that influence what I design:

In furniture:

David Trubridge: (New Zealand) clean crisp lines. Lightness and essentials. Very much New Zealand. You could say a down under scandinavian look but that would probably tick some people off. Like I said, very New Zealand. Beautiful.

Ligne Roset: (French)

Unexpected lines and round heavy shapes. Not your standard cup of tea. Especially when they place their futuristic pieces in a totally different environment it appeals more then when they place it in a modern house. The contrast makes it zing. To be honest their furniture looks quite ugly at first glance, but it's very much the statement factor in its heaviness that I like. Funny enough I would prefer another type of settee in our own house.

Actually the settee that I do want is this one, below, the Alcove settee from Vitra: sells for $12500.-, say 5000 euros. Nico said, one could pay a car for that. Yep. Love it though. Man it's comfortable, as I have tried it.

Moooi: (Dutch)

What can I say, Dutch Design to the mega max. Strong, bold, sometimes slightly creepy, like you're watching a thriller, and a magnificent ability to work with black and white. The highest marks. Very edgy. And yes I like the animals too of course.

In interior design:

Kelly Wearstler, (American)

Her use of colour and glamour are beautiful. She does the whole modern hollywood thing down to a t. Eclectic but smart. She posesses the ability to mix different styles and textures which create the most of striking interiors. I'm less traditional furniturial inclined but find her bold combinations very clever and effective. Great finesse and you can spot her trademark easily.

In home decor/interiors:

Jonathan Adler: (American) zest for life and whimsicalness, colour, colour, colour. How come gay men always seem so talented and creative? I've never met a gay man who wasn't!

At home/ farmlife: my animals

My kune kune pig Spunky (believe me she does her name credit) is so zesty and full of personality that even the highland bull Carlin goes out of her way when she ambles along. Power to the Piggess I say! Our goats are inquisitive and always have a happy friendly nature. The highland cattle have shaggy lines, thick coats and big horns. They cannot be tamed but are lovely to be around. I'm always happy to see all the animals and hang out with them. They put things in perspective and enquire where the food is at. Most of all they make me laugh. I love animals, they are easier to deal with then humans more often then not.

My grandmothers:

Both my mum's mum Margaret and Bep my father's mum were creative strongwilled women who didn't take no for an asnwer. Apparently Bep was the kind who loved parties and dancing on tables. I never knew Bep as she died when dad was 6, but I did know Margaret very well. She was what many people would call, an eccentric lady. Always well dressed and her make up on, ready to go out. A real flair for life and liking quality and living the good life. Very much the lady who loved her furcoats and trips to their home in Switzerland, discussing which restaurant was good and which one wasn't. Her and granddad were always going on about manners and we had to eat properly, behave properly and not be a nuisance. I got told off a few times for running off with brother Rene or being loud and feisty on the swing. Of course she was very human as well and probably not always the easiest to live with but heck she was fun. I have very fond memories of her and when granddad was being strict with us she would wink that we could have another cookie when he wasn't looking. She had a good sense of humour and I still remember how she would chuckle and sniff.

So that sums it up in a very small way as of course as there's always other things that work for me.

I like a combination of kiwi/scandinavian, smart and bold, colourful and black & white, a touch of the good old glamour with a dash of slightly unhingedness, all exuding great creative panache. Go figure...

Passion

Come on confess, you thought I was going to write about sex right? Life is not all sex and roses but there is such a thing as dripping passion.

Why do we work? To make money for starters but if you’re clever enough, you figure out that money doesn’t make the world go round, love and passion do. Truly, really, feverishly, stupendously.
I have a great passion for what I do. Trust me I wouldn’t be doing it otherwise. If I don’t feel excitement or inspiration I get restless jangly feet and I’m off. Passion fires us up. It ignites and is Life. I love it. Sometimes we do confuse the work passion with the person passion. It happens to the best of us. That is however, another story.

My passion is to create and to do this in a team environment. Even though our clients depend on us to provide the pearls of wisdom and color, I still view the interior design as collaboration, a joining of forces, a mutual creation. It’s about the clients’ atmosphere, their personal story, their views.

What IS good interior design anyway? For me it’s about translating that which a client wants to see and create that loving house around them bringing out the best it can be. It’s writing down the untold story, capturing the family spirit and surrounding them with familiar and articulate pieces that comfort and give light to their life. A house should foremost not be a castle, but a home.

We use shapes, color, light and texture to create the best suited environment. We extrapolate, interview, work like mad and then get all excited when thoughts, ideas and decisions are brought into existence. I see interior design as an art form. It’s painting 3d using shapes, form, color and texture. You start with the canvas and fill in the story as it further unfolds. The results are satisfying and still surprising. Never think of interior design when it looks like a show home. That’s downright scary.

Many clients say that we do not just do a great job; we exceed an expectation which is the best testimonial. We seem to have great taste and that reflects on our clients. Thanks goodness we have a sense of humor too, whoooeeeeeee. (Ok that’s enough.)

The wacky mind

You have stumbled on the kick off of Mindpopsicles! I will write about my life, work, design and whatever inspirations come to mind. May these ponderings be of enjoyment to you. (I enjoy writing them anyway.)

What do I do very week? As an interior creative I come across all sorts of homes and people. This fascinates me as I try to work out what makes them tick and why they have these interesting things on their walls or lack thereof. I work in a furniture/design store that sells custom made furniture and we kit out houses from top to bottom.

My own home, which I share with my husband Nico, is a 60s farm house that has not had any of my input stamped all over it, except for the positioning of the furniture. I got all excited last week because I finally am getting some decent furniture. They are 6 dining chairs that Grant Bulling, my employer, has designed. The seats are covered with a Romo fabric which is as fancy-pancy as you can get. My dear husband will definitely be intrigued by the choice of cover as it’s zingy and probably not his first choice. Nico is a wonderful practical and hardworking man who has a preference for more traditional pieces. I get great kicks myself out of modern wacky things that fascinate. Not the mundane for me as I get bored with it. (Good thing Nico is a steady bloke but still manages to surprise me.) My clients usually like to find ‘safe’ pieces and ones that will still be relatively en vogue in 10 or 20 years time. Understandable, but for me, the more outrageous the happier I get. I can coo over wicked wallpaper or get all in gear once I start pondering about these bed heads I can paint and use mixed media materials to cover them. Like a 'trompe d'oeil' to induce sleep. Or other things.

Too many ideas too little time…