Modern Bohème

I have a hard time describing my design aesthetic mainly due to the fact that it's several styles merged together. I love a global, Bohemian vibe, with a touch of luxe, a bit of Zen, and a tiny bit of traditional influence. When I came across the beautiful home of LA interior designer Katie Hodges recently it made me smile - "Modern Bohème" is what she calls her style. She likes to mix contemporary design elements with her love of vintage, Bohemian textiles. I think that fits me well too.




When you're an interior designer, you work on lots of clients' homes, all with differing aesthetics and lifestyles. Your own home is the truest representation of you, and the key is to create a home that makes you happy. "There's no better feeling than waking up every morning being surrounded by things you love," says Katie.







Katie's aim was to create a space that was inviting and warm, layered and collected, yet modern and clean. She truly is a girl after my own heart!






Even though she is only renting this one bedroom apartment, Katie plans to be here a while so she decided to have a dining banquette built-in. Although she won't be able to take it with her when she moves, she enjoys every single day that she gets to sit at it.




The little dining area is the space that really epitomises her - cushions covered in vintage textiles sit happily with the clean, modern lines of the Tulip table and Bertoia chairs.





With no wardrobe in her bedroom, Katie has cleverly installed an Ikea wall unit to house her shoes and accessories. It's slim form and white cupboards means it disappears into the wall and allows the shoe collection to shine.




photos by Amy Bartlam


If you'd like to see more of Katie's home pop over to My Domaine. In the meantime let me leave you with more of her wise words... "When you truly love the foundation pieces you own, the rest comes naturally".

Canopy Camping Escapes

As a kid I did a lot of tramping with my family - and I'm talking five or six day tramps! My parents loved the outdoors, the nature, the exercise. I remember as a teenager complaining about how my friends were going on skiing trips, as I was packing my red and black bush shirt and my freeze dried food. But, in actual fact, we had some great times on those tramps. Beautiful scenery, playing yuca in the cabins at night, that cute boy, whose path we crossed, that took me eeling.

I still love the beauty and the adventure of being in the outdoors, but these days I prefer a few comforts - a soft bed and a glass of wine at the end of the day, rather than a skinny bedroll on the ground and some scroggin. And so do Liz Henderson and Sonia Minnaar, the founders of Canopy Camping Escapes. After a few too many of their own camping mishaps, the pair decided 'glamping' was the way forward.





Glamping, or glamorous camping, has become extremely popular worldwide. And why wouldn't it!?... all the upsides of camping, but with a luxury tent, comfy beds, hot water, and decent loos. And no extra equipment to purchase and lug around.






Liz and Sonia have created the most brilliant business and website. They have partnered with landowners all over New Zealand to bring you a selection of luxury campsites in the most beautiful locations. Each will offer you something different and unique. So whether you're a family, a group of mates, or a couple looking for a romantic escape, explore the different campsites available to find the one just right for you.







Don't let the cooler weather of Autumn and Winter put you off. Many of the sites are open year round and offer lovely wood burning stoves in your tent to keep you snug and warm. Enjoy the view in a hot bath in the evening and toast marshmallows over the fire. This is definitely stuff that memories are made of.






If you have a beautiful piece of private land that you think might make the perfect Canopy Campsite, get in touch with Liz and Sonia. People, both local and visitors from abroad, are looking to escape their busy lives, if just for a moment. They want that meaningful experience, but being time-poor they want something that's easy and convenient. Canopy Camping have developed their own NZ made luxury tent, with an optional wood burning stove. These are available to purchase, and they can recommend campsite products to suit a range of properties and budgets. Read more about it here.







La Donna Moderna

Let me introduce you to a fabulous new lifestyle website called La Donna Moderna. As the name suggests (if you speak Italiano), it's a place dedicated to the modern woman and her family. Here you will find a fantastic range of products and services, what's hot, and where you can buy them. There will be competitions with incredible prizes, and inspiration in all of the things that we love... interiors, fashion, health & beauty, family, food & drink, entertainment, travel, and other inspiring women.




Behind the scenes are three talented ladies... Nicky Perry, a graphic designer originally from Tasmania, Australia, married to a Kiwi and mum of two little boys; Ceara Prout, an advertising and marketing whizz, living in the beautiful Whitianga with her fiancee and young son; and Bex Lipp, who is multi-talented, acting as 'ideas' person, photographer, and accounts manager. Bex lives on a beautiful lifestyle block near Bethells Beach, Auckland with her hubby and two boys.









I will be contributing to their interiors section on a regular basis, so make sure you put them on your favourite reading list. I'll see you there x