In the next two episodes of A Quirky Journey, Jo Whitton and Elyse Comerford interview Lucie McCullough, a successful, international interior designer who ‘developed an environmental and health conscience’ and altered her career to become a building biologist specialising in creating beautiful homes that are sanctuaries from the world. Her ideal of ‘living in nature, and building houses out of nature’ grew out of her own need for a naturally, healthy home.

Lucie had a rocky start in life with poor health from a young age. Her health issues grew worse as a young woman working in the fashion industry in Europe (for Valentino, Ralph Lauren and Vogue!), due to lifestyle stress, poor diet, and genetics that meant she didn’t detox well. She began suffering from anxiety, was told she had Parkinson’s Disease and mental health issues, then suffered through repeated miscarriages while trying to begin a family with her husband Ronan. During her second full-term pregnancy, Lucie learnt that she and the family had been affected by mould in their home in Hong Kong and they needed to leave. They bought a 350 year old home in the Italian alps which they renovated as a holiday home; and the family moved to the USA where Lucie studied building biology.

Lucie shares her thoughts on dealing with illnesses exacerbated by environmental toxins like mould and poor air quality, discusses electro-magnetic fields, wifi and other possible health hazards in the home, and she offers a wealth of practical advice for building or renovating homes in the healthiest way possible. Her beautifully calm way of approaching issues that can be quite overwhelming give hope that with a few small changes, great health benefits can be achieved.

EXCITING NEWS! This summer, Lucie will begin hosting gut health retreats at her luxury ski lodge in the Italian alps, with the help of Jo and Elyse!

This is your chance to hit the pause button and hide away from the world in a charming hamlet in the heart of the Italian alps. Take the time to rest, destress, and heal, with the help of an experienced team of nutrition, exercise, and culinary medicine experts, a traditional whole food chef, and a building biologist and interior designer with a vision for creating homes that are sanctuaries from the world.

Learn more about the Luxury Gut Health Retreat here. Dates for 2020 are June 8-11, and June 15-19.

Read about Lucie’s chalet, Baita 1697, in this Forbes Magazine article.

Learn more about Lucie and her interior design and building biology business on her website, Lucie McCullough, and on Instagram at @luciemcculloughinteriors.