London based colour consultant Fiona de Lys believes that light and colour are inseparable. Colour is an immersive and sensory experience that is a combination of light, place and purpose — creating mood, atmosphere and feeling. The experience of a space can be dramatically improved by supporting the natural movement of light within it, so introducing colour that naturally enhances light gives an aesthetic that flows comfortably from one room to another. Eastern traditions, the precepts of wabi sabi, shadow and light, and Kinsugi, deepen my approach to aesthetics and atmosphere.
Immersing yourself in the complex narrative of colour as a career must be soooo rewarding. And so much fun.

A 100-year-old brick bungalow gets a splashy second act. Our team curated an entirely new storyline for this bungalow home by injecting large doses of color, pattern and texture to brighten what was once a dark and dated home. We remodeled the kitchen, baths, laundry/mud rooms, installed new plumbing throughout, decorated and furnished the entire home and executed a full landscape design and implementation. 
California-based mother/daughter designer team Deborah Costa and Kristine Renee of Design Alchemy did not hold back on the colour scheme nor the use of pattern in this cottage they designed. This home is all kinds of fun! Photos: Laurey Glenn.

I was so excited to learn recently that Apartment Therapy, one of the few blogs that has been around longer than ours, wanted to feature a tour of my home. A wonderful photographer, Craig Kellman, came by at the end of May to take photos and Adrienne Breaux did a lovely write-up. It is such an honour to have my home shared on such a prestigious blog, and the photos turned out so beautifully. And there’s even a couple of photos of me, which is rare, as well as my dearly departed best friend Mimin, who we had to say goodbye to on June 25. No, this isn’t some incredible château in France or Italy as per my typical Sunday content, it is my humble abode but I wanted to share this news and honour this home we will unfortunately soon be selling. Here is the link again to my house tour, with tons of more photos. I hope you like it 🙂

Toad Hall in Buckinghamshire is an Edwardian home that, according to this feature in House & Garden, is the backdrop of a children’s book by Kenneth Grahame. The homeowners wanted to maintain the history of the home and do it justice by ridding it of most of the white walls and adding lots of colour and pattern through wallpapers (with monkeys, fish, toads, birds), fabric on some walls and ceilings, Moroccan plaster ceilings….it is full of whimsy and character and the result is pure magic. Designed by Lucy Cunningham. Photos: Harry Crowder.

Two guest cabins designed by April Tomlin. The first one is really a mood with lots of dark grey/light black and the other is much brighter. While both are beautiful I will always take dark over light, particularly whe it is a small cabin because I find it so much cozier/enveloping. Which would you prefer staying in? Photos: Joseph Bradshaw.