Launching The Quiet Home

The last couple of weeks have been an exciting time with the launch of my new book, The Quiet Home. Published by Octopus in the UK, and Hachette in New Zealand, Australia, and the US, it was lovely to kick things off here in Auckland, with thanks to Unison Spaces for kindly hosting us in their beautiful Muuto boutique.

Muuto’s ethos around neuroaesthetics — the idea that design influences our wellbeing and emotions — aligns beautifully with the concept of The Quiet Home. I have long admired Danish design, first visiting Muuto in 2017 during my Copenhagen trip for 3 Days of Design. It felt like a lovely full-circle moment to hold the launch here.

The launch was exactly as I had imagined — a relaxed, intimate celebration with friends, family and the dear people I’ve worked alongside over the years. With the support of our generous partners, guests enjoyed a beautiful selection of wines curated by Everyday Wine, delicious canapés by local restaurant Mama, and sparkling waters from Almighty. My favourite Auckland bookshop, Lamplight Books, was there too — and seeing people lining up for signed copies was a real pinch-me moment. Huge thanks to Juliette Hogan for my stunning dress, which made the evening feel even more special.

Photography by Katie Begbie

In case you missed it, I've shared more about the book and what you can expect to find inside in this recent blog post.

The Quiet Home is now available to buy at Amazon, The Nile, Dymocks, Waterstones, Barnes & Noble, Indigo, and all good bookshops. 

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A Music-Led Parisian Apartment by Katz Studio

Located in the Parisian suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine, this apartment was conceived by Katz Studio as a private retreat for a client passionate about music. Co-directed by sisters Esther and Leah Katz, the studio is guided by a shared sensibility for art, architecture and design, expressed through intimate, timeless interiors. Filled with natural light, the apartment balances a soft, subdued atmosphere with honest materials and a subtle dialogue between wood, stone and raw steel. Every detail contributes to a sense of quiet immersion, where design and music are woven together with ease.

Spacious and thoughtfully structured, the living room forms the heart of the home. A stone fireplace grounds the space with warmth and organic character. On either side, vintage tables by Christian Liaigre reinforce the sense of symmetry and timeless refinement. A generous modular sofa in ecru stretches along wide windows draped in sheer linen curtains, gently filtering natural light and softening contrasts within the room.

Carefully curated furniture plays with volumes and textures. An iconic striped Up chair by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia makes a sculptural statement alongside its spherical ottoman, while a rounded solid wood coffee table anchors the composition. Dark wood flooring further enhances the grounded, harmonious feel of the space.

A defining element of the apartment is the custom-designed bar and music corner. Created by the studio in smoked eucalyptus wood, with vertical slats that form a rhythmic facade, it serves as both a mixing station and collector’s space with a large custom-built library that houses vinyl records, books, and art objects. A minimalist raw steel divider frames the area without enclosing it, while along the counter, sculpted wooden stools invite conversation and make this bar a true gathering spot — a place where music is lived as much as it is heard.

Smoked eucalyptus wood carries through to the kitchen cabinetry, paired with deep burgundy lacquer. These finishes are softened by the travertine countertop with its delicate grain and natural hue. The dining area is furnished with vintage Tulip chairs by Knoll, their clean curves complementing a marble table, selected for its distinctive veining.

Flowing naturally from the living space, the dining room continues the muted palette. Dark timber sits in quiet dialogue with soft light filtering through long, diaphanous curtains. At its centre, a vintage table by Christian Liaigre is surrounded by matching chairs that balance comfort with structure. Art punctuates the space: a vibrant light fixture by Robert Combas, rabbit sculptures by Camille Henrot, and a Donald Judd exhibition poster that subtly nods to the studio’s admiration for minimalist architecture and graphic purity.

In keeping with the apartment’s warm and tactile aesthetic, the main bedroom reveals a serene atmosphere defined by soft, enveloping tones and textures. A custom walnut dresser with gentle curves sits alongside a vintage Joe Colombo Elda armchair, its iconic sculptural silhouette anchoring the space with both elegance and design history.

Throughout the project, interior architecture recedes in favour of atmosphere. Light, materiality and design come together to create a fully immersive, timeless experience. More than a place to live, the apartment was imagined by Katz Studio to embrace rhythm and stillness — moments of sharing and solitude — with quiet, lasting elegance.

Photography by Oracle Paris

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Introducing The Quiet Home

The start of the year brings some exciting news, with the upcoming launch of my new book! The Quiet Home – House Hushing for Calm and Intentional Living, will be published this February, with Octopus Books and Hachette across the UK, US, Australia, and New Zealand.

Cover image: Design: Murudé Studio; Photography: Helen Cathcart

The journey to me writing The Quiet Home began towards the end of 2023, when I was first approached by the UK publisher and invited to put together a proposal with a full synopsis and sample chapters. Ecstatic at being given the green light, what then followed was an all-encompassing year of writing, editing, refining, photographing, sourcing imagery, and crafting the book alongside the wonderful publishing team.

Design: Studio Andrew Trotter, Marcelo Martínez; Photography: Salva López

Photography: Ondrej Holub @okemhome

I’m incredibly proud of the end result — a thoughtful, considered guide to dialling down the visual noise in our homes in order to nurture a sense of calm and wellbeing. It’s a subject I feel deeply connected to, and in many ways, The Quiet Home brings together everything I’ve learned and written about over the past twelve-plus years, alongside the spaces I love to create.

Interior Design: CJH Studio; Photography: Timothy Kaye

Styling & Photography: Michelle Halford

 

The book explores how our surroundings influence the way we feel, and how a quieter, more intentional approach to our homes can support a slower, more grounded way of living. It looks to move away from competing voices and instead foster spaces with a thoughtful balance of objects, where colour feels cohesive and layouts allow for an easy flow of light and movement. Interiors that feel calm, harmonious, and restorative.

Interior Design: Phoebe Nicol; Photography: Dave Wheeler

Design: Studio Andrew Trotter; Photography: Salva López

Drawing on the principles of house hushing that have increasingly resonated in recent times, I wanted to show that it isn't simply about decluttering. It’s a more holistic approach that goes beyond aesthetics to pare back the unnecessary with clarity, purpose, and longevity, making space for what truly matters. Through small, thoughtful shifts — in what we keep, how we layer, and what we choose to live with — we can transform the experience of home.

Styling & Photography: Michelle Halford

Design: Edward Collinson, BWT London; Photography: Felix Speller; Styling: Hannah Franklin

The strategies I share aren’t about achieving perfection, adhering to a particular interior style, or following a rigid set of rules, but rather about allowing the essential elements of home to breathe, and creating room — visually and emotionally — for life to unfold.

Design: Odyssey Architecture; Styling: Nicola Rogers; Photography: Timothy Kaye

Styling: Pernille Vest; Photography; Irina Boersma César Machado for Dagmar

Composed of four chapters: Foundations, Mindful Minimalism, The Art of the Edit and Room by Room, the book is for homeowners, renovators and interior designers — but ultimately, it’s for anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of how to create calm, meaningful spaces. There is a focus on minimalism, however it’s a soft, mindful interpretation — one that embraces natural materials, warmth, texture, and lived-in layers that evolve over time. A home cultivated by the things you love, added to slowly and intentionally.

Interior Design: Bespoke Only; Photography: William Jess Laird

Styling & Photography: Rebecca Goddard

The Quiet Home is available on Amazon and at other major booksellers worldwide (listed here), with publication dates on Feb 10 (AU/NZ), Feb 12 (UK), and Feb 24 (US).

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de l'Épée Residence by Michael Godmer Studio

Some projects begin with a brief. This one began with a conversation. When Michael Godmer Studio was first contacted, the clients had already lived in the house for several years. The call was exploratory — an open exchange of ideas rather than a defined request. The couple — an art therapist who works intuitively with the body, gesture, and emotion, and a social programmes manager focused on building sustainable human structures — had lived internationally, gathering cultural and spatial experiences that would contribute to the narrative of their home in Montreal.

Their return to Canada was a way to reconnect with family, to offer stability for their two children, while preserving the openness shaped through travel. What began as a conversation soon evolved into a full renovation, developed patiently over time, with Michael Godmer Studio guiding the process and assembling a network of local artisans and collaborators around a shared vision.

Even before construction began, the house became a kind of laboratory. Drawings appeared on walls and family-made artworks acted as spontaneous gestures that inscribed the family’s identity into the space. From the beginning, the intention was clear: to create a home that felt singular and expressive, far removed from standardised imagery, and deeply attuned to colour, theatricality, and a vibrant family life.

The house already carried a rich history. A character-filled residence in Outremont, it was defined by warm woodwork and material depth, generous proportions, and a central staircase that anchored the plan. Rather than erase these elements, the design sought dialogue. The staircase was preserved exactly as it was, acting as a point of balance between past and present. Elsewhere, interventions extend the architecture rather than replace it — rounded door frames, reconfigured openings, and redesigned windows soften transitions and introduce a sense of flow.

Function and family life shaped every architectural decision. This includes working from home, with a dedicated art therapy space integrated seamlessly into the domestic flow, and an upstairs office offering focus and retreat. Cabinetry takes the place of traditional partitions, defining zones and creating versatile spaces. Custom doors, in particular became a central design element: glazed wood-framed, solid bespoke designs and louvered wardrobes were developed in close collaboration with local artisans. Each one is functional, tactile, and quietly expressive — part of a broader commitment to craftsmanship and personalisation.

Throughout the house, the atmosphere shifts gently from one zone to the next: a theatrical powder room in soft pinks nodding to the world of Wes Anderson, vibrant and playful spaces for the children, and, in contrast, the parents’ wing — calmer and more sensual, where bedroom and bathroom engage in a quiet, intimate dialogue. Each variation feels deliberate, responding to mood, function, and the rhythms of daily life.

Materiality is layered with restraint. A warm, mayonnaise-toned base colour envelops the home, allowing preserved woodwork to sit comfortably alongside brushed lacquered woods, uniform lacquer finishes, Botticino Fiorito marble, and travertine flooring. Limewash paint introduces sandy textures that interact with sculptural and decorative elements, referencing the clients’ travels and eclectic sensibilities.

Curves are a recurring element throughout the house, softening the lines of the kitchen island, door frames and bathrooms and creating a fluid language that resists being fixed in time. The kitchen itself is restrained and abstract, avoiding overt references — particularly to the French bistro — through a subtle repetition of tile lines between floor and island. One of the project’s signature details — which immediately caught my eye — is the narrow-plank white oak floor, recalling the home’s origins, framed by a tiled border that echoes the kitchen. A single small tile marks the transition between wood and ceramic, a detail repeated throughout the house, forming a discreet narrative thread.

Lighting is intentionally understated, designed to reveal textures and materials rather than competing with them. Sourced largely through local collaborations, it contributes to the home’s sensitive, coherent and deeply personal composition.

More than anything, this is a project shaped by relationships — between a family and their home, between past and present, between architecture and craftsmanship. It has been designed to evolve, welcome, and grow richer over time, without ever losing its soul.

Photography by Maxime Brouillet

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