Visiting Míša Dobiášová

A home full of sunshine, laughter, sweet scents and original accessories. This time we were invited home by the creative and cheerful Míša Dobiášová, and besides positive energy we left with plenty of inspiration and the memory of the best banana bread under the sun.

As soon as we stepped over the threshold, we felt cosiness and love. How did you achieve that?

That is definitely down to the loving four-legged welcome and the smell of fresh banana bread, all kinds of candles and incense sticks.

How do you manage to imprint yourself on a rented space?

I think a personal style can be brought into a space through accessories and small details. I, for example, enjoy breaking up cleanness, airiness and simplicity here and there with something unconventional. Something that at first glance doesn't belong in the space. Softness with a pinch of punk - that's me.

The magic of an interior is best brought out by personalised accessories, fresh flowers and loving details.

What do you think makes a home?

Rozárka, favourite scents and that aura of warmth and security that everyone creates in their own way.

And what does it smell like for you?

Sweet. I love sweet and spicy home fragrances that evoke cosiness and the joy of a freshly baked cake.

You can recommend your favourite home fragrances or candles to us right away.

Ah, home fragrances and candles! Wherever I go, I test all kinds of local brands; I love experimenting and searching for the one. It's my guilty pleasure. I have a whole drawer reserved in my chest of drawers, where a queue of scents waits for its turn. Lately, for example, a few pieces from Bohemian Lab and Perfumed Prague have caught my attention.

I will admit without being tortured, though, that I also like going back to Zara Home for reed diffusers, mainly for their limited winter editions. I also adore Bath & Body Works candles, which fill the whole apartment with scent.

Which room do you spend the most time in?

Definitely the kitchen, which has the most light and a calming view of the garden.

Throws from the Colour Melange collection brighten up any corner of your home.

How would you describe your apartment in three words?

Oasis, calm, refuge.

How often do you change, shift or move things around in the apartment?

Actually, hardly ever. My apartment is quite small, so I don't have much room to go wild. I'm glad every item has found its place, where it fulfils its function perfectly.

Which piece for the apartment has taken you the longest to find?

I'm still searching for a smaller, comfortable, stylish, even slightly extravagant sofa. (laughs)

Did you make anything in the apartment yourself?

Just a few plates, flowerpots and a painting. I would love to start making little things like that on a bigger scale.

What do you think makes any space cosier?

Plants and flowers!

And what should everyone have at home?

Good coffee, flowers, a proper vacuum cleaner and love.

What does the feeling of freshly changed bedding evoke in you?

Freshly changed bedding is my ticket to the kingdom of heaven, where I jump from one cloud to another, eat candyfloss and feel absolute happiness. It's also a life hack I use to make myself go to bed earlier, because I simply can't wait.

What else could Lejaan make?

Cosy curtains, beautiful rugs and tea towels. Oh, and pet beds too!

A cosy bed brings you one step closer to quality sleep. Míša completed hers with the green Jane's Weekend collection.

You made us a wonderful breakfast. Will you share the recipe for that amazing banana bread?

Sure, gladly.

Ingredients:

6 very ripe bananas, 3 eggs, 30 g butter (or ghee), 150 ml kefir (TIP: Once I forgot to buy kefir, so it came down to the well-known method of "if you don't have... use something else...". I happened to have two little pots of a Czech quark dessert to hand. Since then, my banana bread can never be without them, or other quark/cream desserts. Try it. Really!), 200 g plain spelt flour, 20 g coconut flour, 2 tsp cinnamon, 30 g panela (or another sweetener), 1 sachet of gingerbread baking powder, 1 tbsp ground flaxseed, 1 tbsp chia seeds, good-quality dark chocolate, your favourite jam (I like sour cherry with whole pieces of fruit best)

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 180 °C.

2) Put 5 bananas, the eggs, the melted butter or ghee and the dairy component into a blender. Blend until smooth.

3) In a larger bowl, mix the dry ingredients - sifted flours, cinnamon, sweetener, baking powder, seeds and chocolate broken into pieces.

4) Add the banana mixture to the dry mixture and a batter will form under your hands. Pour it into a loaf tin lined with baking paper.

5) Spoon a few dollops of jam onto the batter and use the other end of the spoon to swirl spirals across the whole surface. Decorate with the remaining banana and more chocolate. You can also sprinkle on seeds or nuts to taste.

6) Bake in the preheated oven for about an hour. You can check whether the bread is done with the good old skewer test.

A beautiful interior, good food and endless laughter. We could keep coming back to Míša's home.

My favourite ritual is...

Getting up early in the morning with the feeling that I'm one step ahead of everyone else, walking Rozárka, making porridge and fragrant coffee, lighting palo santo and getting to work.

My favourite spot in the apartment is...

The dining table by the French window.

My favourite home accessories are...

Probably the plants again.

At home I like to wear...

A bathrobe! And if not a bathrobe, then a really fluffy tracksuit.

When someone visits for the first time, they are always surprised that...

That it smells nice at my place. (laughs) And also my magic pantry, where you can hide anything and everything.

Wrap yourself in soft cotton, pull up the hood and cosy time at home can begin.

Shower or bath?

Bath.

Early bird or night owl?

Well, that's a question. Both have something to them for me. I constantly have to remind myself that combining the two is destructive and that I shouldn't do it. (laughs) But if I have to choose one, I'll go with early bird.

Sleeping under the stars or in a luxury hotel?

One night under the stars soaking up the beauty of nature, and the next night catching up on all the comfort in a hotel. Can I cheat like that? (laughs)