“Nature as a muse”
Hello We’ve been having a little insta break for essential spiritual maintenance but in real life we’ve been busy! Despite the new found joy being offline has brought me, the end of this first month of 2024 felt like a good time to write a “little” roundup.
Woman & Home Magazine article - Nature as a Muse
At the end of last year I was asked by the lovely Claire Douglas to contribute to an article in Woman and Home magazine about upcoming trends in lighting for 2024
It was a pleasure to write and I thank Claire for involving me. My favourite theme which surfaced while writing this article was “Nature as a Muse” and it set the tone beautifully ahead of my trip to India.
Vastu Shastra - integrating architecture with nature
What started off as a pull to India for a Kundalini yoga course, quickly turned into an unforgettable passion-filled journey meandering across India, meeting the most extraordinary people, learning new skills and uncovering a wealth of Hindu mythology, Indian history, ancient Sanskrit texts and yoga philosophy. At times I felt like I could be the character in one of my favourite Paolo Coelho books!
Unexpectedly, the most surprising and life changing lessons were those I learned about myself.
I was surprised to find out just how much I learnt about myself while sitting on a little wooden stool, in the midst of washing up metal serving trays in a soup kitchen in a Sikh temple at 4am, surrounded by women I could only understand through their eyes…
The most influential theme of my trip was what is known in India as “Vastu Shastra”. On a flight to Delhi, I sat next to Dr Minesh; an inspirational doctor originally from India who now works in London as a surgeon for newborns. He was in India for a conference and our conversation quickly turned to my interest in yoga, the occult, interiors and lighting. This prompted Dr Minesh to tell me about “Vastu Shastra”.
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An article in Architectural Digest India explains that “ for a house to become a home, it needs to radiate the right kind of energy. According to a number of traditional beliefs, each home comes with its own energy type. A person dwelling in a house comes under the influence of a specific energy field, which in turn influences him in one way or the other. Therefore, it's very crucial to understand the link between the healing art of Vastu and our homes in honing positivity and good vibes.”
Originating in ancient India, “Vastu shastra” literally means "science of architecture”. It is a traditional Hindu system of architecture based on ancient texts that describe principles of design, layout, measurements, ground preparation, space arrangement etc…The designs aim to integrate architecture with nature.
When we went our separate ways, Dr Minesh prescribed some advice to me “rest later” he said smiling. This reminded me of my late Grandpa Peter’s life motto “adventure before dementia”.
I explored the theory of Vastu Shastra heavily during my time living in an ashram in the mountains an hour from Rishikesh.
There I lived in a bamboo hut in the Himalayas and one of the guides from the ashram accompanied me on a silent trek to the banks of the Ganges (known to locals as “Mother Ganga”) at sunrise each morning. I will never forget both the feeling of power and that of insignificance which resonated throughout my body while in the presence of such a strong and beautiful force of nature.
Nature as a muse for our clients
Our theme “Nature as a muse“ also ties in very nicely with a few photos we received from customers depicting their nature-inspired forever lights in their renovated homes. Stef has uploaded some of these in our projects portfolio.
Cristol chandelier in Customer project 68
Amy Frankie Smith Porcelain light handmade by the sea in the UK
Three house project reveals pending
Those of you who followed our work closely last year, will know we still have three stunning finished house projects to share with you. They are all very different:
The first is a wood clad new build house, nestled in the heart of the Ashdown forest, with an interiors scheme mirroring a luxury American ranch.
Project with Heirloom home.
The second main house project we worked on last year is a very large luxury new build house on a private estate in Royal Tunbridge Wells. It has Georgian features and the entire build was designed with no expense spared to any of its striking and innovative details.
Stretto outdoor light from the Kelly Wearstler Signature Collection.
The third and final project we have yet to unveil is the new build house which was built on a paddock, housed a swallows nest for a while and features a magical floating walkway above the kitchen.
I want to do things a bit differently in revealing these three projects. Stay tuned!
New projects under construction
2023 saw the closure of our Tunbridge Wells showroom so we could focus on large residential projects, our e-commerce site and our trade projects. Carla has been having some very exciting conversations with new clients about their house projects and we are excited to start telling you about those as soon as we can.
New Arrivals Page
Stef has been updating our website and we now have a beautiful “New Arrivals” page which we will update with new pieces each month. This month it showcases the rest of the stunning Talia range which is now available in the UK alongside the striking Stretto Outdoor range by Kelly Wearstler.
Kundalini light
Aside from my decorative lighting work, you may remember that last year, after 20 years of attending yoga classes, I finally took the plunge to attend a yoga teacher training course in Indonesia which specialised in Kundalini yoga.
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2023 saw me come full circle in many areas of my life. Strong themes which have flowed through my life over the last 5/6 years have now either reached a natural conclusion or seen a new shoot sprout up on my tree of life.
Last weekend I was invited to teach a Kundalini yoga workshop at the annual Flow yoga retreat at Oxon hoath in Kent which I have attended for 7 Januaries in a row. This year’s theme was ‘Shanti’ meaning Peace. This retreat was in fact the place I fell in love with Kundalini yoga many retreats ago. I thank yoga master Lucy Parker, co-founder of Flow in Tunbridge Wells for gifting me this magical opportunity. I also thank the attendees for their support and for my beautiful flowers which were such a delight to look at and inhale all weekend.
I hope that 2024 has started beautifully for you all and I will try to remember to pop my head up from time to time to say hello and give you a little update on what Carla, Stef and I are up to.
Peace, love and light
Melissa x
