Clear your mind
Joanna and Sebastian live with their dog Fika and their cats Koko, Antosz and Koksik in the countryside outside Warsaw, writes Ellie Fazan
‘I always wanted lots of pets, but it wasn’t practical in our flat in the city. We needed a house with a garden. When we found this place, I knew we had to have it even though it needed lots of work. It just felt right. We thought about putting back some of the downstairs walls, but the open-plan space really works with pets.’
Joanna laughs as she says, ‘I’m very badly organised so we have as few things as possible. Sebastian and I love to travel but never bring things back with us. I want to go to Mexico, but what would we do with a sombrero when we got home? Memories aren’t things, memories are in your head.’ Sunlight pours in through the windows and the house feels happy and homely. It’s minimal, but not unwelcoming.
And everywhere you look something unexpected makes you smile, like the chickens on the mirror and her cut-out pictures of ‘strong and beautiful women’ on one wall. ‘I’ve tried big pictures on the walls, but they just crowded me. I’ve discovered that having lots of things – it’s unnecessary. We don’t need many beautiful old-fashioned radiators or lots of lovely rugs because we invested in a fireplace. We don’t need curtains. They block the view. I would rather put more clothes on when I am cold.’ The house wasn’t always like this, its occupants not always so serene. ‘Three years ago I was a totally different person. I hated it here! When we moved in it was just floor, stairs and walls. And upstairs was a building site. We lived like that for a year and we had so many problems with the builders.
‘I really missed the hustle of Warsaw, and it took such a long time to get to work in the city, we never had time together. Then we said, “Stop.” We’re not like most people.
‘We don’t need good jobs in big companies to feel important.’ So Joanna and Sebastian took some simple steps, stripped back to basics to make life easier. First they quit their jobs and went freelance. ‘It’s amazing having the freedom to work when and how we want.’
