The Story of Our Founder
by azulomo | 4 min read
A Journey, Gently Made
It Started with a Pause: Our Founder's Path
You could say it all began with sheep.
Not literally, of course—but somewhere between the grazing hills of the English countryside and the cobbled streets of a small German town, a girl dreamt of different skies. Of country cottages, of open fields and open minds. A little girl who grew up in Germany, forever peeking beyond the hedge, wondering what else was out there. What more could feel like home. That girl was our founder.
Curious, imaginative, and quietly rebellious, she longed for adventure and beauty in equal measure. England called to her in the most peculiar, comforting way—its rituals, its rhythm, its weathered elegance (well, maybe not so much the weather, enough said!). The kind of place where stories live in old walls and the wind hums a tune across the hills. So off she went—first spending time and learning in Cambridge, then following the pull to London to study business and marketing. Architecture had flirted with her heart (oh, how it still does), but maths said otherwise. So, ever practical and quietly strategic, she chose a path that kept doors open and dreams within reach.
Like a basket of shells collected from a long, meandering shoreline, each chapter added something small but meaningful—tiny moments of beauty, fragments of courage, pieces of self found in unexpected places. Some were smooth, some weathered by time, but each one carried the memory of a tide, a turning point, or a truth. What she was building wasn’t just a career—it was a life layered with story, soul, and intention.
“I was never chasing more—I was chasing meaning. Not the louder or faster life, but one that felt anchored. Quietly rich. Soulfully full. I wanted to explore a different way of living—one that expanded my horizon.”
From Pixels to Plaster
But dreams have a funny way of taking the scenic route.
Before launching azulomo, she spent over a decade in the world of experience design, digital strategy, and behavioural design, well, basically making digital experiences feel less robotic and more human. She led experience & product design through her own consultancy, and ran optimisation programmes for e-commerce and digital brands (small and big corporates) — running experiments, testing hypotheses, and constantly asking, “What’s really going on in people’s minds?” But even then, it was never just about the digital world ~ it was about people. What they feel. What they’re drawn to. What makes them pause, lean in, stay or walk away. What earns their trust and keeps them coming back. At its core, it was really about understanding experience ~ what makes something feel right.
At the same time, she was just as fascinated by physical spaces — how a space flows, how materials calm the mind, how layout impacts daily life. She found herself styling interiors for friends, reworking floor plans that didn’t quite work, and helping create cohesion in homes that felt disjointed. It wasn’t just about making things pretty ~ it was about making them work for real people, in real life. She loved asking, “How do people actually use this space?” …
That dual curiosity — how people behave and how spaces shape that behaviour — eventually became her calling card. Whether mapping digital flows or reworking awkward living spaces, she developed a sharp eye for how things feel, not just how they function. Through her consultancy, she worked with everyone from first-time founders to established brands. Some clients were just starting out, others were scaling a portfolio, and a few were quietly trying to rescue the dream they’d almost given up on. What she learned was this: people don’t just need strategy. They need belief. Clarity. And spaces — yes, physical or digital — that reflect their purpose.
azulomo meets that intersection.
Creating something from scratch wasn’t new to her — but azulomo is something else entirely. It’s a reflection of everything she’s come to value. It’s thoughtful. Purposeful. A little soulful, even. A brand grounded in design, strategy, and story — but also in emotion, connection and human insight.
Her professional life taught her how to think in systems, test assumptions, and look beneath the obvious. But life itself taught her how precious time is. How much we all crave spaces that help us pause, reconnect, and breathe a little easier. Not just on holidays, but in everyday life. azulomo is her way of bringing those two worlds together.
Because here's the truth: we don’t just need more holidays. We need more meaningful ones. More stays that feel like slow, quiet exhalations. More hosts who understand that guest experience isn’t about ticking boxes — it’s really about sparking feelings. The way a linen curtain moves in the breeze. The smell of rosemary in the air. A sense of calm you carry home with you.
Icons Who Quietly Changed Everything
She trained online under the thoughtful and ever-grounded Natalie Walton, whose approach to interiors — in a way very much anchored in simplicity, intention, and soul — deeply shaped her own design philosophy. She enrolled in training with Australia’s Three Birds Renovations, whose bright and breezy coastal style had long made her heart do somersaults — and whose practical, joy-filled approach to renovation sparked a fresh wave of creative confidence.
Joanna Gaines was always on in the background—those Fixer Upper episodes became comforting companions over the years (because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a good shiplap moment?), and Studio McGee brought feel-good serenity to her everyday scrolls, yes, and still does. Well, and if interiors had spirit guides, hers would be Leanne Ford — effortless, soulful, and just the right kind of unruly. And then of course, there’s The Lifestyled Co — a constant source of grounded, earthy inspiration, all with organic desert living in mind.
She absorbed the styles, the feel, and the shifting moods of these iconic designers ~ and over time, slowly and intuitively, shaped her own signature aesthetic. It wasn’t about copying a look; it was about capturing a feeling. What moved her wasn’t the trends, but the tone beneath them — the way Leanne Ford made a room feel undone in the best possible way, or how Natalie Walton brought stillness into space. Over time, she began to trust her own creative rhythm. One guided more by mood than rules. By natural light, by honest materials, by spaces that breathe. Read about azulomo’s signature style.
When Life Hits Pause, and the Start of Something Slow(er)
And just as everything felt ready to take flight — when the rhythm was steady, the vision clear, and momentum quietly building, well, life stepped in with its own timing.
A cancer diagnosis. A global pandemic. A sudden, unwelcome stillness.
It was a season no one chooses but one that clarified everything. What mattered. What could wait. And what could never be postponed again. Out of that time came the unshakeable desire to live with even more intention. Not just to build a business but to build this business. Not in England — but in Portugal. That, well, that is another story (you can read it here).
Before making the leap, there was one last chapter to close: saying goodbye to the barn, her beloved home. A space so special it was chosen to be featured on the BBC’s Escape to the Country — a quiet nod to the beauty and care poured into every nook and cladded wall. But it was also the clearest sign: it was time for a new horizon.
And so azulomo was born.
She owed it to herself — to chase her dreams, her passions, and a more fulfilled life. To create something that felt aligned. Grounded. Alive with purpose. Today, she and her husband (also co-founder and errrrrm yes, fixer of many things) pour their hearts into every part of azulomo. From branding to barn doors, digital flows to the flow of a space, playlists to plaster tones. Is it easy? Absolutely not. Is it worth it? More than they can say.
One slow moment at a time.
One soulful detail at a time.
One wave at a time.
“Her path wasn’t linear—but it was deeply felt. From city lights to rolling hills, from fast-paced jobs to a slow-built barn, every step stitched together a story of experience, emotion, and quiet beauty. azulomo is the heart of that journey—designed not just to look good, but to feel like home.”
