Cecilia Macaulay

23/06/2026

Like bringing structure to soil that's been crushed and depleted, a gentle permaculture approach can bring new life to homes where things are tough.
I was recently interviewed by the wonderful Leisa on the 'School Can't Experience' Podcast. Our conversation was full of surprises.
In this interview, I talked about my upcoming 'Home That Loves You Back' 9-month Home Harmonising Project, which starts this Sunday.
There is one place left. If you know someone who could be ready for it, pass it on!
Links in comments

23/06/2026

The home-harmonising voyage is setting sail: one place left, starting this Sunday

It's almost sold out! Eleven big-picture people have joined 'The Home that Loves You Back' project, for home harmonizing Sundays with Cecilia. There is one more place, and maybe its is yours.

The week has been full of my favourite kind of conversations. I’ve been listening to the participants speak about their dreams for daily life, and their puzzlement about why it has been so hard.

Best of all is their excitement. They will soon know where things belong, and have the energy and vision to put them there.

If you are bewildered by the unhelpful things that surround you, uninspired by daily maintenance, and not thrilled by the thought that ten years from now things will look pretty much the same, join us.

Our monthly Sunday webinar events start this weekend, June 28th, AEST 2 - 4 pm. Link in comments.

Katie and I will guide you through the rooms of your house, the seasons of the year, and toward a new romance by Valentine’s Day 2027. With your house.

If you feel the pull, but have questions about whether this is right for you, private message me and let's have that juicy conversation.

About the picture: I supported a client in converting her 'junk room' into a room for rewarding short-term rentals. 'Less stuff, more people' makes life wonderful.

26/05/2026

“How can we make this work?” is a powerful line I learnt from my sister, yoga therapist Katie de Araujo.

I’ve got the sun streaming in as I write this, at the permaculture paradise guesthouse I’m co-creating with a client, here in Moruya.

Right outside the window is a slow, wide river. I watch for the pelicans to touch down and do that dainty grooming with their huge beaks. Maybe the old seal will appear later on. He joined me for my morning yoga the other day, in the distance, flipper in the air.

As a designer of human ecosystems, this is my dream job. But when things aren’t going as I hoped, and I remember to ask that question, my moaning and blaming often disappear in the very next breath or two.

Much more fun.

Having the presence of mind to ask the right question at the right time is also at the heart of the work Katie and I are offering next.

A few Sundays from now we are running a free webinar for forward-thinking mental health professionals. If that’s you, join us.

Then, in late June, we are holding a full nine-month home-harmonising project for people who want to live in a house that brings out energy and love, but mess is getting in the way. Its neurodivergent friendly, and one of the most engaging, rewarding ways to spend Sunday afternoons.

Katie does rare and beautiful work. She consults at residential mental health clinics, teaching psychologists how to bring embodiment into mental health care.
She also works directly with traumatised patients, using gestures, deep listening, her steady voice and spirit, to help suffering people feel “Things are going to be okay.”

“My hour with Katie is the highlight of my week” is a line that comes up in their feedback forms.

I’m happy to say Katie is impressed with my work too: changing the home set-up so that it delights rather than damages us. So now the two of us get to be pioneers, using the small but real power we have to make things better.

If you are a mental health professional who wants to become more masterful at getting bodies and homes on our side, Katie and I have a treat for you.

For Mental Health Professionals: Togetherness Design in Practice

If you have psychologists, counsellors, ADHD coaches, yoga therapists, occupational therapists, or thoughtful wellness practitioners in your orbit, please let them know about this free event.

And if you want the full home-harmonising experience, it begins June 28, 2026

The Home That Loves You Back Nine-Month Guided Home Harmonising Project.

“How can we make this work?” is an enquiry that you can use on your next frustration, today. If you do and it gets a good result, press reply, I’d love to hear about it.

12/05/2026

Hanging hoshigaki, Japanese dried persimmons, along the verandah each autumn will soon be part of Kim’s sharehouse dream. My friend Kim is still moving in to the big house she bought to be a permaculture paradise, so the food forest is not yet planted, the housemates are still arriving. She hired me to help her set up the infrastructure, so a some mornings, a Japanese cultural interlude is inevitable.
If you are looking for a calm riverside sharehouse experiance, this might be your future home and breakfast.
Follow the links in bio and comments.

03/04/2026

This fence renovation is high-impact, low-cost, and a project you could turn into a weekend working bee with friends. If the chain fence hasn't scared your friends (and yourself) away already.

You can turn a boring metal fence into a stunning living wall with simple cedar frames that give you instant privacy and a high end designer look.

Old chain link fences are a major eyesore that make even the nicest backyard look like a neglected construction site or a prison yard. They offer absolutely no privacy from your neighbors and do nothing to block the wind or loud street noises. Most homeowners think they have to tear the whole thing out and spend thousands of dollars on a new wooden wall to fix the problem. This empty metal mesh just sits there and provides no food or home for the birds and butterflies in your area.

Framing your existing fence with wood gives you a custom luxury look that makes your property feel much more expensive and private. You get the strength and security of a metal fence but the natural beauty of a mountain retreat. This living screen stays green all year long and provides a thick wall of leaves that hides the neighbors and blocks the sun. You get to keep your current fence posts in the ground which saves you a massive amount of digging and heavy labor.

Start by scrubbing your old metal fence with a wire brush to remove any loose rust or peeling paint. Spray the entire chain link mesh and the metal posts with a flat black outdoor paint designed for metal to make the wire disappear into the shadows. Build a sturdy frame around each section using four by four cedar posts and two by four cedar rails. Secure the new wood posts directly to the existing metal posts using heavy duty galvanized U bolts and metal brackets. Screw a thin cedar cap along the top rail to protect the wood from the rain and give the fence a finished look.

Plant fast growing English ivy or thick Boston ivy at the base of every section so the vines can climb the black metal mesh. Add several Green Mountain boxwoods and striped liriope grass along the bottom to hide the base of the fence and add extra texture. Fill the new garden bed with a thick layer of dark brown hardwood mulch to keep the weeds out and help the soil stay moist.

Use stainless steel screws for all your wood joints so the metal does not rust and leave ugly black streaks on your beautiful cedar boards. Apply a clear water sealer to the cedar every two years to keep the wood from turning a dull grey color under the hot sun. Trim the top of your ivy once a month during the summer to keep the vines from growing over the wood frame and hide the clean lines of your new design.