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In the words of MaltaDoors curator Lisa Gwen, “Beautiful towns like Burano or Cinque Terre [that attract thousands of tourists] did not come about and are not maintained by accident.”

After all, no colour choice has disrespected our heritage like the slew of approved demolitions, petrol stations and high rises have. BUT, they do somehow manage to make a good point: Choosing the colours, or rather, the appearance, for your facade isn’t just your business.

In the words of MaltaDoors curator Lisa Gwen, “Beautiful towns like Burano or Cinque Terre [that attract thousands of tourists] did not come about and are not maintained by accident.”

It’s not hard to see the benefits to working from home: Imagine not having to deal with Malta’s traffic jams every morning (or worse, having to ride the bus!), the freedom to choose the environment you work in, and no noisy co-workers. But success comes with conditions: You need an iron will to stave off distractions, and to get yourself super organised.

Did you know? 25% of foods purchased by homeowners in Malta end up wasted and thrown away. The same figures also show that discarded food makes up more than 50% of domestic waste.

It started with a keen interest in the whimsy that surrounds abandoned places, coupled with a quiet resolution to walk whenever and wherever she can. Soon, it led Lisa to start putting up photos she took of the doors and entrances that strike her fancy on Instagram.

Here’s some advice: If you’re doing up your home’s porch or fixing up an old townhouse, and you want an exterior- from the door to the ironwork to the knockers - that arrests attention, is chiefly Maltese in character and will make your neighbours happy (and a tiny bit jealous), then there is a page you should look at for inspiration, and a person you should meet.

If you’re a new homeowner about to entertain guests for Christmas for the first time or you simply have never gotten the chance to do it before, then the main priority is to make a good impression, make sure everyone has fun, and that this doesn’t take too much time. You may be hosting, but you still deserve to enjoy the holiday.

Our last article about Malta's traditional balconies was a total hit - so we've kept our promise to find out more and write a part 2. Malta's distinct ‘enclosed wooden boxes’ sitting on the facade of many older houses (and in some cases, newer buildings who borrow a note or two from our history) have become a distinct icon of Malta's identity. 

Never-seen-before relatives will inevitably chime in during the festive season for dinner, an afternoon chat or a drink in the evening, but for a Maltese matriarch, it’s more about starting the new year with the home clean and in the best shape possible.