How Justina Blakeney Inspires Me: A Personal Reflection

Justina Blakeney’s journey as a designer, artist, and storyteller resonates deeply with me, not just as an admirer of her work but as an expat who has moved across continents, creating homes in unfamiliar places. Her vibrant, eclectic style and her ability to infuse spaces with meaning and personal history inspire me to embrace the transient nature of my life and turn every house into a sanctuary.

As someone who has lived in multiple countries and navigated the challenges of building a home in temporary spaces, I connect with Justina’s philosophy of using design to tell a story. Her focus on infusing spirit, growth, and harmony into a space mirrors my approach to creating a sense of belonging wherever I go. Justina’s work reminds me that our homes are reflections of who we are, shaped by the people, cultures, and experiences that have touched our lives.

Her story of using creativity as a tool for self-expression and empowerment resonates deeply. Just like her, I’ve learned that a home is not just about the walls or furniture but about the energy, memories, and identity we bring into it. Justina inspires me to embrace my own eclectic style, celebrate my heritage, and use design as a way to cultivate joy and connection. Her work is more than just beautiful—it’s soulful, intentional, and deeply human. It’s a reminder that no matter where life takes me, I have the power to create a space that feels like home.

Creating a Home with Clarity, Flow, Spirit, Growth, and Harmony

In The New Bohemians Handbook: Come Home to Good Vibes, Justina Blakeney introduces a philosophy that goes beyond design and aesthetics—it’s about creating a home that reflects your soul and enhances your well-being. Her five guiding principles—Clarity, Flow, Spirit, Growth, and Harmony—serve as a roadmap for transforming any space into a personal sanctuary. These principles resonate deeply with me as an expat, where each move brings the opportunity to reinvent my surroundings. I am having such a good time reading it and her daring style inspires me on many levels.

All her books have been on my desk for weeks inspiring me on many levels!

Clarity: A Fresh Start for the Soul

Blakeney emphasizes the importance of clarity as the foundation of a joyful home. For me, this is particularly meaningful as someone who frequently packs up and starts over. Each move brings a new chance to declutter and create a clean slate.

How I Embrace Clarity: Before settling into a new home, I purge what no longer serves us. This isn’t just about physical belongings—it’s about releasing emotional clutter, too. Letting go creates space for new experiences and positive energy.

Flow: Letting Energy Move Freely

The principle of flow focuses on the movement of energy within a space, which can be particularly challenging in temporary homes. Blakeney encourages us to think about how furniture placement, lighting, and pathways can create ease and harmony.

How I Create Flow: In every new home, I experiment with layouts to ensure the space feels natural and effortless. For example, arranging furniture to maximize natural light or creating cozy conversation areas helps me foster a sense of flow. Once in Vietnam, my dear friend Dana came by for a coffee and said, I don’t think I have been in the same home twice since the 3 years you live here!

Spirit: Your Home, Your Story

Justina’s idea of spirit is about infusing your home with personality and meaning. For me, this is where I bring my expat story to life—through souvenirs from my travels, heirlooms, and cultural elements that reflect my heritage.

How I Express Spirit: Each space I design includes elements that tell my story. Whether it’s a reupholstered chair that traveled with me across continents or art collected during my adventures, these pieces remind me of our journey. My favorite piece of furniture we bought was a BoConcept dining set. We had to sleep on spending the money and we have had this set for 14 years. The table has survived moves, a woodworm, it was a desk, it was almost sold and then we refurbished the set and give it life again. the chairs had every color of the rainbow. I can never let go of that set - it represents so much of where we started and our journeys.

Growth: Bringing Life to Your Space

Growth is about nurturing life and creating vibrancy, often through plants and natural elements. For someone who has lived in cities with very different climates, finding ways to incorporate greenery has always been a challenge—and a joy.

How I Foster Growth: As I have mentioned before, plants and I have a love hate relationship. I love them because of what they bring into a space but I hate them because I cannot master how to take care of them. Also, they are hard to bring along with you move to a next country. I find my joy in bringing flowers into my home. I focus my energy on seeing green from my windows. A lush tropical garden or now, in Sydney, a beautiful park to look out on.

Harmony: The Art of Balance

Finally, Blakeney’s concept of harmony ties everything together. It’s about finding balance in colors, textures, and energy to create a space that feels cohesive and inviting.

How I Achieve Harmony: I use a mix of cultural influences, blending items that honor my roots with modern, functional design. For me, harmony is about creating a space that feels like “me,” no matter where I am. That can also mean that it doesn’t necessarily matches according to a style book ;-)

Why Justina Blakeney’s Philosophy Matters

Justina Blakeney’s The New Bohemians Handbook is more than a design guide—it’s an invitation to live intentionally and expressively. As an expat, her principles remind me that no matter how temporary or unfamiliar a space may feel at first, it has the potential to become a home.

By focusing on clarity, flow, spirit, growth, and harmony, she inspires me to embrace the journey of creating meaningful spaces that reflect who I am. Justina’s work is a powerful reminder that our homes are not just places to live—they’re places to thrive, connect, and tell our stories.

Her book is available at the bigger bookstores and amazon.

for more inspiration on her visit: https://www.jungalow.com

Transforming Spaces, Telling Stories: How Justina Blakeney’s The New Bohemians Handbook Inspires My Expat Life