Photography © Glen Proebstel and Pia Ulin The cozy season is here and H&M as per usual has done it again with the launch of their new collection. The Art Direction and Photography for this project is flawless and clearly speaks of the company's vision to transform your home for the change of Season. I'm liking the rawness and texture of these walls more and more. If you're feeling inspired, head to the site and check out the entire collection.

Photography © Aritzia with Thanks! Talking about minimalism and cutting down on acquiring things is becoming more and more polemical... but it doesn't compare to what I’m about to do now: meddling with your wardrobes.

It’s a reality that people spend the most of their free income on fashion – and even when we value the power of those purchases that much, there’s still a universal, lingering feeling that there’s not enough clothes in one’s closet.

The common belief in any circle, no matter your social background, is that the more clothes we have, the better we dress – and that just isn’t true. Decision making is more difficult when we are swamped with useless options. Have you ever notice that the more clothes a person has the harder it is for that person to find the bulk of it enough?

People create the biggest resistance to living a Minimalistic life when it comes to the point of pairing down their wardrobes - and that is because there’s still the misconception that Minimalists are people with martyr complexes that only wear black or white and have 5 pieces of clothing hanging from a rack.

The truth is that it’s not about cutting down and wearing uniforms every day of the week. It’s not even about not having much – it’s about owning enough, it’s about quality over quantity and about not putting the value of your self-image in clothes.

I will admit when I started cutting down on my purchases I was more an idealist than a practitioner of the art of minimalism. I wanted to make my life easier and I wanted to be able to, in the first place, not want to desire buying clothes as deeply as I did – and instead invest that money in something of higher value.

What I eventually learned was that I was not only throwing money into purchases... but I was also letting go of the beauty of a simple, well-curated life – one with less decisions and more freedom.

Instead of owning 14 white shirts we could own 2 really quality ones... but that's easier said than done.

The truth is that minimalism looks different for everybody. Your life is not the same as mine. I not only work at home but I get ready for my afternoon gym session in the morning because it conditions me to actually work out instead of losing myself in my work, meaning: I live in gym clothes 5 days a week (which I love by the way).

Your situation might look very different, yet there are some principles than can help everyone when it comes to curating a minimalist wardrobe:

01. Clarify what’s most important for you. Is it quality or is it quantity?
02. Start easy by removing all eyesores from your closet. If there's anything there that resembles a rag (been there, done that) it's got to go!
03. Do not break the bank when shopping by getting four kind-of-good pieces when you can get one quality piece and take good care of it.
04. Divide your closet into two sections: Clothes you wear often and clothes you wear rarely. This exercise is very telling of our habits. We usually wear only 20% of the clothes we own... which makes it easier to let go.
05. Get comfortable with waiting. Instead of pulling the trigger on a purchase, sit on it for a while. It’s not your life’s mission to take advantage of a sale nor is it crucial for your image to buy something that you don’t absolutely need.

The beauty of knowing what to acquire when is that it makes us understand that we are the ones who wear our clothes, not them who wear us.


How do you curate your wardrobe?

New Interior Decoration Trends

Fall is coming... and with it my yearly obsession to soften the whiteness of my home and add more natural elements to the decor. I couldn’t be more excited to see this new wave of Fall trends for 2016 that are not exaggerated or overwhelmingly orange. I'm particularly fixated on the rawness of the colors and materials used in the apartment pictured above - and unsurprisingly I (once again) feel like I’ve found the perfect color for my walls. Since a lot of the elements in this home already match the look of objects I have scattered around my home, I will (in baby-step fashion) pull the trigger this time and give that beautiful textured wall a try. Because, why not?

Styling: Linnéa Salmén
Via: Fantastic Frank

Photography © Ozan Akkoyun Sisters is a brand based in Istanbul and founded this 2016. Free Spirit is the first thing that comes to mind when you look at their site; evoked by the style of their photography and catch phrase "Don't Throw Your Siblings Under The Bus" – Sisters' mission is to put a light on positive women relationships and empower them through fashion. The genius behind the visuals is Designer Ozan Akkoyun who focused on the sartorial intersection between the unfussy L.A. style and casual French elegance.

Photography © Ana Degenaar When it comes to leading a balanced life, I'm a true believer that while this is a very romanticized and idealistic thought in my own personal life, perfect balance is seldom achieved. This would mean I'd have to give equal attention to everything and everyone at all times... and being that circumstances are constantly changing, this might never be the case.

The reality is that we only look for balance because we live in constant pressure. If we learn to live intentionally we immediately take that out of the equation and automatically learn to live in the in-between.

A couple of years ago, I was working 20-hour days both at home and outside of home and doing extra hours, often consisting of 8 hours on a Saturday and 8 on a Sunday. Needless to say, I didn't need to have someone telling me I was going to have a breakdown. I did. 


Life and work are sometimes a matter of redefining and reshuffling to me. The same way I rearrange my living room, I rearrange the how, when and where I do things. Focusing too much on balance itself deviates from doing what’s important when it's needed.


I’ve always thought about this subjet with a bit of guilt - that is until I realized there's nothing wrong with shifting my focus and giving my undivided attention to what feels to be the most important thing to me at that time. In order to do that, I needed to learn not only to be very perceptive and aware of the needs of those around me, but also my own needs. 


For the most part, this advice will sound like a list of no-brainers but more often than not it’s the simplest, most practical things that we overlook that brings us the highest benefits:

You
The first shift you need to make is realizing that taking care of yourself is not selfishness – it in fact allows you a sense of readiness when it comes to taking care of things and people other than yourself. There's no point in trying to achieve so much and slide towards a breakdown.

Limits
Just as kids need boundaries, we – the infamous breed of workaholics, also need them: carefully planned 8-10 hour work-days with breaks in between and a way to draw a line between work time and personal time are crucial.

I’m not saying you should have it all together but you should strive every day to see your work tools (desktop, laptop, iPad, iPhone) as your "place of work", understanding that if you’re off the clock, you shouldn't even be near those tools. Making a pledge to simple shifts like: Neither will you eat at your desk nor take it with you while I'm on holiday.


Move
Although I find exercise to be of utmost importance in my life, this point has nothing to do with it. It has to do with being stuck in your office for long periods of time.

This little change will make an incredible difference in your life.

I frequently use my office for my design work but once I'm in the replying to emails stage, I move to a different location every day. I set my times and I dedicate myself to that – fully aware of what I’m doing.

These tiny shifts of location can help you, honestly, not to lose your mind.

Relax
When a pressing matter consumes your every waking moment or you get sick (as with every other human being), you need to learn to listen what your body is trying to tell you. Be safe that the internet will be OK without you and that you will be OK without it.

If something goes terribly wrong, then you'll have the time to explain yourself, apologize and move on. Of course, I could only get to this point after getting sick and realizing that although I am a very responsible and hardworking person, we all experience misfortune and have our ups and downs.

There’s a time to be productive but there’s also a time to feed our bodies and our souls and the latter shouldn't be at the mercy of how much we are able to get done in a day.


Wrap It Up
At the end of each day, go through all the things in your productivity list. If there are things you didn't manage to do within those 8-10 hours, simply move them to the next day.

Closing off your day means you have already gone through your set work hours and that you need to regroup. Forcing yourself to work further can result in sloppy work and work that you’re not proud of. Don't be ashamed to log out – confident that you did everything you could and enjoy some special time of cell regeneration, otherwise known as sleep. 


Restart
When you start your days, Do not jump in with both feet too fast. Waking up early and allowing yourself a leeway of 30 minutes to 1 hour can benefit you more and make your mind and home less frantic in the morning.

Easing into your routine is something you can condition yourself to. Maybe even try a few minutes of meditation, sitting in the quiet and stillness of the morning. 


After these bits of advice, the most important advice I always give, is to do whatever's best for you and your family. Remember that all of this will one day pass... so treasuring everything in the mix, not only work is important. 


Be honest to yourself and to the ones who rely on you. You cannot do everything but you sure can do enough.

How do you maintain balance?

Photography © Renee Kemps When you read this, I’ll be perusing the beautiful Brazilian coastal city of Natal, eating some of the purest açaí bowls in the world... and very probably still thinking about this simple yet delicious recipe. I’ve been on a health stint lately and I couldn’t be enjoying it more than I am right now making every decision in my day count. I don’t know if you knew: Coconut and Cocoa Nibs are the best decisions–always. I’m sorry, I don’t make the rules.

Renee Kemps A talented Photography based out of Amsterdam and London–is responsible for re-awakening my passionate affair with both because her recipe hits your taste buds up just the way they like it. Renee also includes a recipe for Double Chocolate Brownie with whipped Creme Fraîche Cream and toasted Hazelnuts. I know.