Returning from a month-long sojourn in South America over my summer break, I’m determined to live with less this year. It was the first time in over 10 years that I’ve travelled overseas with a pack instead of wheeled cases and carrying the weight of your belongings on your back tends to remind you of the advantages of living lightly!
Before I left home at the end of last year, I took a few small steps to start putting this plan into practice with a wardrobe purge. Sorting, washing and donating clothes I no longer wear to the charity Dress for Success not only gave me a leaner closet, but there’s also something to be said for passing on the things you no longer need to another who may need a hand with a fresh start in life.
Some people think of minimalism as living a spartan existence, but I like to relate it more to the idea of taking charge of the things you own – rather than the other way around! – to help make your living environment a happier, healthier place.
Speaking of happy interiors, our Art Director Juliette styled a story focusing on this very topic for this issue. It’s easy to get caught up in other people’s expectations of what your home should look like, rather than being guided by your own personality, so we wanted to explore the idea of decorating like there’s nobody watching. We’re not quite sure when interiors became such a serious business, but we can’t express enough the joy you’ll get from creating a space that reflects your lifestyle, and is filled with things that have meaning to you.
If you don’t know where to start, try taking a leaf out of our creative homeowners’ books. The can-do attitude adopted by Guy and Katrina Nurse to designing and building their dream dwelling from scratch is sure to instill a sense of purpose. Or, if your goal is to renovate, follow some of the sage advice shared by the owners of recently completed Auckland projects breathing new life into old abodes.
Whether you’re decluttering, decorating or renovating, we hope you find something amongst the following pages that excites and motivates you to truly be the boss of your own home.
Alice Lines @lineslikes
