‘Our windows are like the biggest TV in the world. There’s always something to watch out there so we move around the house according to where the sun is’ Sabine
Our windows are like the biggest TV in the world.
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Less clutter,more living space
Joanna found that when she stripped her home back to the essentials, she is left with everything she needs
Read Joanna's story
Our house wasn’t always like this. When Sebastian and I moved in three years ago, I hated it here. It was just floor, stairs and walls. And upstairs was a building site.
I always wanted pets, but it wasn’t practical in our old flat in the middle of Warsaw. We needed a house with a garden. When we found this place in the country, I knew we had to have it even though it needed lots of work. It just felt right. The open-plan space really works with our dog Fika and our three cats Koko, Antosz and Koksik.
I’ve discovered that having lots of things – it’s unnecessary. I’m very badly organised so we have as few things as possible. We love to travel but never bring things back with us. Memories aren’t things, memories are in your head.
We don’t need many beautiful old-fashioned radiators or lots of lovely rugs. We don’t need curtains. They block the view. I would rather put more clothes on when I’m cold.
What we have is enough. I used to think that if I had everything I wanted it would make me happy. Now I realise that sometimes it’s better to dream about something than actually have it.
When you remove what you don’t need, you clear your mind. Then you can start again from the beginning.
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'There’s no point in telling the cats to get off the sofa. They want to be wherever we are, so the furniture has to be tough. White sofas might not seem the obvious choice, but all you have to do is take the covers off and wash them when things go wrong. We don’t have much in the living room, but really all that’s important is a comfy sofa so we can watch movies.' Joanna
