About us
Meet Amber
Amber is the heart of Riversdale Lodge. With a background as a Location Manager in the TV industry, she has spent years bringing stories to life through places — a skill that naturally shaped her path into design, wellness, and retreat creation. Over the last 26 years, she and Howard have developed Zodiac Design, building and renovating homes across the UK (26 moves and counting), including ultra-modern spaces and bespoke projects for private clients.
For the past 18 years, Amber has also worked as an interior designer with her own furniture collection, blending modern elegance with soulful comfort. Her creativity extends to craft, co-running Valentine & Reay, a basket-making studio built with her 24-year-old son.
Ten years ago, Amber and Howard unintentionally opened a yoga studio with 30 mats — a small experiment that grew into a thriving community. After it closed during Covid, they created HHJL, an online wellness hub that still connects teachers and local practitioners today.
During the pandemic, Amber poured her design vision into transforming the once-unloved Riversdale Lodge. After two years of planning and restoration, it is now a peaceful retreat centre dedicated to yoga, creativity, and wellbeing.
Married for 26 years with two daughters, one son, three grandchildren, and Romeo the family cat, Amber brings warmth, intuition, and beauty into every corner of Riversdale Lodge.
Meet Howard
Howard is a documentary director and producer whose career has taken him to every corner of the world, capturing human stories, landscapes, and cultural truths. His eye for detail and his ability to see the deeper narrative of a place play a central role in shaping Riversdale Lodge.
Together with Amber, Howard has spent 26 years building and developing properties through Zodiac Design, taking on ultra-modern architectural builds, full renovations, and countless creative challenges — including moving home 26 times.
A decade ago, Howard helped turn a small idea into a thriving yoga studio, which evolved after Covid into HHJL, a digital wellness board that continues to support the community.
In 2020, he and Amber took on the transformation of Riversdale Lodge, breathing life back into the property over two years of careful planning and building. Today, the Lodge stands as a retreat centre grounded in creativity, wellbeing, and thoughtful design.
Howard is a husband of 26 years, father of three, grandfather of three, and loyal servant to Romeo. His work — whether behind the camera or behind the scenes of Riversdale Lodge — is rooted in storytelling, integrity, and the desire to create meaningful spaces for people to connect.