Wild Garden by the Sea

Nature will, I think, always be my greatest source of inspiration and consolation. Trips away to places that offer beautiful natural environments are so rejuvenating, both personally and professionally.

This walk along the clifftops near Calvi, Corsica, has to be one of the most memorable I’ve ever had, and not because I fell down in the brambles shortly after we set out! I soon realised that the wild flowers were going to be so varied and pretty that I’d need to snap each new one I came across.

Just look at the colours, textures, movement, and contrast in this enchanting wild garden by the sea. The hard, grey rocks meet the undulating blue water, and perfect blooms pop up everywhere.

The Warmth of Ochre

While on a trip to see the 800 year old Dragon Tree on Tenerife, we stumbled across Plaza de La Pila.  Bordered by grand old houses of seventeenth and nineteenth century origins, this old square, while modestly proportioned, is breathtaking in character and beauty.  Most striking of all to me was the vibrant colour of the ochre plaster used on the buildings.  This, the warmest of colours, truly sings against the year-round azure blue sky. 

Some nearby flora seemed to take its colour cue from the architecture too!  (See the last photo.)

Provence in Winter

I took an unplanned trip to coastal Provence just before Christmas.  Such a marvellous refresh for the senses.  Travel and nature alike are two of the best ways to find great inspiration as a designer, and taking in travel destinations during their low season can be particularly interesting.

One early morning, for a brief few moments, nature produced a glorious Winter spectacle outside my hotel room.  Just look at the variety of calming blue greys and then the intense flash of rosy orange, reflected on the undulations of the sea.

This is the kind of colour palette that would translate wonderfully indoors.