My interview in Benjamin Moore Nuance

My interview with Benjamin Moore on color inspiration

Benjamin Moore's Director of Marketing for Architects and Designers Segment, John Turner, flattered me by inviting me to be part of Benjamin Moore's focus group on design. My interview and the article are embedded below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

 Benjamin Moore Nuance - Francine Gardner Interview

An enchanting escape...

Winter blues anyone? I certainly am suffering a rather serious case of winter blues, laying in bed for the past three days with strep throat, bronchitis, a torn ligament and a slight fracture on my heel ... the joy of having to sport a cast for the next 2 months! What will I wear? Sorry, I am indeed whining, not very becoming I agree.


This last October, I found an enchanting island, somewhere in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Zanzibar, Pemba Island.

Arriving at the dock

The only hotel/resort on the island, Fundu Lagoon, is designed to be totally integrated with nature, a  jewel among a lush vegetation. Walking barefoot on fine sand is such a luxury, the service is superb, the staff very friendly, the food absolutely delicious, a relaxed atmosphere, the guests are pampered, sunset sails on the traditional dow, snorkeling or scuba diving on a deserted island. I was in paradise!

Our "hut"...

Our tented suite with mahogany floors and bath

monkey keeping guard (or waiting to steal some food)

While his friends were doing some serious "monkey business"

The timber construction is all done by the locals

Beach combing at low tide

An evening sail on a traditional dhow

A pleasant hot trek to the village

... and the beautiful sweet children

Back for a refreshing long swim, shower and ready for an evening cocktail

Holding on to the moment

saying goodbye to the precious day

with promises to return

Are you planning a honeymoon, wedding anniversary, an adventure in Africa or simply wanting to escape for a while... check out Fundu Lagoon


From New York, fly to Amsterdam, from Amsterdam to Dar El Salaam, from Dar El Salaam to Zanzibar, from Zanzibar hop over a couple of islands in a Cessna 4 seater, arrive at Pemba drive through Pemba to the resort dock, feel the sun, breath in the sea air, a boat ride away, the manage and his team will welcome you with smile and cocktail in hand... after 30 some hours traveling, you will deserve this piece of Paradise.

 A bientot,

Francine

IT'S A NEW YEAR...

Keeping an open mind

May this year be filled with love, joy, health, laughter and prosperity.

I am thankful for the daily gift of life, for the love and support of my family and friends, my Interieurs team.

Years ago, I stopped making new year resolutions and setting personal expectations that would not be met . Instead, I have guidelines and keep on...

Loving,

My son Hadrian bonding with Seeswi the orangutan in Kalimatan, Borneo. Please visit this amazing organization, we desperately need your help:

orangutan.org

Living fully,

Sharing happy moments with my team in Kilimanjaro. Thanks to these wonderful men, my friend Judy and I had the most wonderful experience trekking this extraordinary mountain and reaching the summit.

Dreaming,

image artworks-000010816227-ae67va-original.jpg

In search of the next adventure,

image:antarctica-icebergs_4608.jpg

Embrace life, yes it is a roller coaster, brace yourself and face the worst but keep loving, smile at the ones you love and at strangers, a kind word can make somebody's day, don't be scared of the future and try to control only what is within your power, be curious, go outside of your comfort zone and experience the world

Let's not ever forget, this is our life, let's live it fully with love and passion

Francine

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

A safari in Tanzania

My first time on a Safari. The word itself evokes romantic images out of a Karen Blixen novel.
Through a social network I belong to, ASW, I communicated with Joshua who runs a safari/travel outfit in Nairobi. He procured a Land Rover, retained the service and expertise of a great guide/driver  and booked the various lodges I had selected. He met my husband in Kilimanjaro and drove to the lodge where Judy and I had just checked in, following our trek down the kilimanjaro mountain.
I was to experience the nature and wildlife of Africa.

Tarangire Reserve

I was in awe of the raw, simple beauty of the landscapes. Our first drive took us to one of my favorite place, Tarangire National Park. From our cabin on a plateau, we looked down onto a vast ravine and flat plain, teeming with life, elephants taking a rest, giraffes walking back and forth, wilderbeast going back and forth in very large groups, Giraffe drinking in the river. I was pinching myself, Is is this real? I felt as was looking at this extraordinary life in a fishbowl.

A safari is actually spent in a Land rover type car, with an open roof, and driving...lot's of driving...on the park's dirt roads in search of elusive animals and birds. But animal life is all around you, one can observe the social inter actions of the various type of animal. I could stare for hours and never tire of watching, feeling the hot dry air, listening to the sounds and birds singing.

wilderbeat migrating

We then drove to Ngorongoro Crater.From our lodge, cosy and high on top the largest crater in the world, 2000ft deep and covering 100 square miles, one could observe the crater plateau teeming with life where 25000 large animals live. The drive down to the crater was not for the faint of heart... i saw my first Lion and Rhinoceros.

The highlight of this Safari was the days spent in the Serengeti. The immensity of this dry, arid land is breathtaking. In the evening, resting on a chaise, watching the sunset, the only sounds were the ones of the animals settling in for the night or huntting. An elephant slowly passed right by me, eating his evening meal of tree bark, I could almost touch its trunk. I felt pure joy, absolute peace in this magical, perfect yet brutal land.

It was sad saying goodbye to Serengeti, but on we went to Manyara Reserve where thousands of Flamingos tinted the landscape in a soft pink tone.

masai bringing their herd to their compound for the night

elephant turning down for the night

Off to Kilimanjaro airport to a complete new experience... Zanzibar rich in Omani culture, architecture, natural beaches.

A   Bientot

Francine

Kilimanjaro: Mind over Body

A month is a long time... the sum of 30 days lived to the fullest.

From landing in the chaotic Kilimanjaro airport, my friend Judy and I started our trek on the stunningly beautiful Kilimanjaro mountain. I had no expectations, no agenda. Will I make it to the top? This was not even a question I asked myself, as I was striving for something else, something less tangible to take me away from a highly pressured, regulated life, a life that at times feels does not belong to me.

Why Kilimanjaro? I do love mountains and find an inner peace and a sense of belonging to something greater while in the mountains. Kilimanjaro is an extraordinary mountain where in the course of ascending to its summit, you experience every climate, from rain forests alive with birds, monkeys, flowers, scents, to heather landscapes, dry rocky ground, and finally glaciers and snow.

The experience of walking for hours on unfriendly terrain, trekking poles in hand or hugging the sheer face rocks while climbing a frighteningly huge cliff and the grueling last 11 hours that will take you, one step and one breath at the time to the top of this magical mountain.

The magic comes from within as the top itself is pretty grey and dreary. The magic is the experience, the incredible power of one's mind to push, control the body, refuse to despair, accepting what is handed to you at that moment... aches, fatigue, feeling sick and dizzy, the conflicting tears of both brutal pain and joy.

The magic of meeting the most generous and kind people who have nothing, not even the right shoes, no socks but will give you their unconditional support, help, smiles, will dance and sing with you.

This is pure magic! Alone with my thoughts at night, tucked in my sleeping bag, I felt an inner peace, a quiet I had never experienced. I thanked God for every day offered to me. I will never take any sunrise or sunset for granted, this is the incredible gift of life.

And yes, I did make it to the top...

Day 1: entering the forest via the Lemocho route. Lemocho is the longuest  and the most difficult routedue to challenging steeper terrain,but ideal for anyone confident on their ability to deal with steep long  5 to 8 hours hikes a day. It is considered scenically the most beautiful route due to the variations of the landscape and nature and also the most isolated route as hardly anyone approaches Kilimanjaro via this route. Judy and I felt the mountains was ours as, until the very lasts days, no other trekkers crossed our path. The ultimate way to take in this remarkable mountain.

Columbus monkey, noisy, curious, beautiful...

Day 2: Landscape changes dramatically from rainforest the giant heathers

Day 3: Up with the sunrise, on the magnificent Shira Plateau

Day 4: Our first partial view of the summit

Entering the magical land of the giant Lobelias

 

Day 5: The daunting Barranco wall face. Rock face climbing with no ropes!!

 

Famous words: Hug the rock. Great cure for anyone who, like me, may have terrible fear of heights

 Day 7: On summit day, hardly slept from stress, up before sunrise, could not eat, could not drink...but in awe of the beautiful sunrise above the clouds at 17,000 feet

 

Ready to go! average timing 11 hours, made it in 7 hours up, then 3 more hours on a grueling descent. was totally sick, dizzy from dehydration and altitude, felt my head was literally going to explode. 

Our guide had to help rescue one poor soul (about half my age..) that was just sitting on the path, unable to move. Needless to say, that gave me the last booster i needed, I was going to make it up and down on my own 2 legs...

Day 8: On our last descent day, we had a very emotional parting with our porters. saying goodbye was a teary  moment as we hugged and kissed everyone (keeping in mind no one had properly washed in 8 days...). Judy and I gave everything away, our clothes, rain gear, socks, shoes, gloves, medical supplies. We asked everyone for what they needed most and left with a very long list of shoe sizes, clothes sizes, backpacks needed. We left with a promise that we will make a tiny improvement in their life (other than the tips handed down during our goodbyes).

We ended our trek with a well deserved bottle of champagne, said goodbye to Joseph and Hussein, our guides and enjoyed the most blissful shower back at our lodge.

Could not wait for Luke to join me and embark on our Safari.

A bientot,

Francine