I can’t think of anything I’d like to do than potter around my garden on a weekend and at the end of all my landscape labours to sit, drink in hand, surveying my little kingdom. Now if only I had an inner city oasis like this one. Morocco meets Sydney by Garden Life.

It’s all about a modern elegant style. Strong and confident, easy going but chic. Light pours in through large windows or doors that can be flung open to the outdoors. Exquisite finishes, attention to detail, clean lined yet devoted to comfort and easy living. A timeless sanctuary in Brentwood by MLK Studio.

What is it about the mix of rustic simplicity and elegant living that is so appealing? Think stone, white washed walls and old wooden beams as the stage for an enviable collection of art and furniture, objet d’art and curiosities. Pops of bright colour energise the scheme and though everything is beautiful nothing is “precious”. Casa Mallorca by Spanish interior designer Ramón García Jurado.

My love affair with monochromatic interiors continues in 2019 and this modern, boho house by Indianapolis-based design firm and lifestyle boutique Haus Love Interiors is just what I crave. Right on trend with their tight colour palette of neutrals beefed up with texture and natural materials, the home epitomises easy living elegance.

An asteroid may have crashed into the Yucatán Peninsula at Chicxulub many, many years ago but this beachside residence in the same town by Mexican designer Sofía Aspe packs just as much punch. (I know. I know. Lousy pun.) Chic and sophisticated yet relaxed with a touch of rustic. Right now I’m daydreaming of sipping cool drinks in the seaside cabana.