Helen James stepped into the home accents industry almost five years ago when she bought Voyager East, a company that imported glassware and ceramics from Europe. She renamed it Momo Panache, named for Muhammad, a guide she had in Morocco nicknamed MoMo, who she said has great panache. The new business was James' way of combining her passion for art, design, good food, fine entertaining, international trade and travel.

Australian-native James, who says she feels 35 but knows she's not, started life as a graphic artist. She's also a trained clinical psychologist and has run businesses and management consulting firms both in the U.S. and Australia, and before Momo Panache, she and her husband had a real estate investment and development company. James wanted to get back to her artistic roots and did so with her tabletop and glassware company.

Momo Panache calls Salem, Mass., home, though James travels the world looking for ideas and influences for her designs. She moved from Australia in 1989, but still visits at least twice a year.

"I research and absorb images and color through traveling, reading and shopping," James said. "I visit shops and galleries; observe picture books from other countries, historical items, what's happening in Europe and especially keep an eye on fashion and textile trends and the color palettes and concepts."

Launching into a new design phase takes time and has stuttering starts. James said she's typically in "a lot of angst" during the early stages until ideas begin to take shape. She might be working on a fall design and get an idea for holiday and go on to that; but once an idea takes root, James sits at her drawing table and starts sketching. She listens to her favorite music, which could be anything from flamenco, Sting and Eric Clapton to Santana, Barbra Streisand, U2, a lot of blues, Italian opera or Van Morrison depending on her mood.

"I do have to be careful not to get into a trend too soon," James said. "Also I have to rein myself in sometimes and not be too out there with my designs. If I really let loose and did what I felt, it would appeal to a much smaller market and would be more like haute couture."

Though James can't put in words what makes her product unique, people recognize Momo Panache regardless of where they find it. She counts her design trend awareness and innovation as a key to her line's success and also its variety. Styles range from elegant, contemporary and bohemian to funky, whimsical and modern.

"We're certainly not stuffy; we're more free," James said.

As with most creative types, the design she's working on at the moment is her favorite, so it's ever changing. She enjoys working on something fun and whimsical, full of rich color as well as something more elegant and chic.

Momo Panache has price points in all ranges and on the retail scene it sells to specialty stores, but her core business is custom work for casinos, resorts, hotels and cruise ships, corporate gifts and boxed sets for high rollers. James shows in Atlanta, Dallas and New York. Though well known for her drinkware designs, including the margatini (a hybrid martini/margarita glass), she also does ceramics and table linens, vases, bowls, plates, candleholders and more, all mouth blown and hand-adorned.

James has a signature line, The Helen James Collection that encompasses everything from the light and playful Party to the contemporary and sophisticated Whimsy as well as others like The Jewel Collection of art glass from Romanian artist Ion Tamaian, one-of-a-kind signed works by Mihai Topescu, another Romanian glass artist, Bunzlauer stoneware and the Anatolia Collection of handcrafted trays from Turkey.

Travel and art are major influences for James, but she also counts her Australian sensibility, which is easier going and casual, as being important in her work.

"I've always had a passion," she said. "Moroccan and Spanish color and design and the culture and design that comes out of Turkey and Africa inspire me. I also like the work of Gustav Klimt and Henri Matisse."

James tackles the same challenges many face in today's economy, the downward price pressures on goods. Much of her product still is crafted in Poland and Romania however. Another challenge is in being the owner and chief designer and juggling the responsibilities of each.